Ho Ho, How Ambiguous
Which is how we roll here at BOOJUM! so get used to it, because it's splendid mental exercise for when reality fractures a bit.
The world's biggest sparkler or reality fracturing
So! Previously we had a blog titled 'POCAHuntress' where we castigate the Canadians of South, for their disgraceful discriminatory employment practice. To be precise, firing a senior employee because they were pregnant. Art!
Here in the Allotment of Eden (and the EU) an employer would quiver with horror at such an act of gross moral terpitude, mostly because they could get their bottoms sued off, as well as the brand damage caused by news like this.
Well, today we have another example of South Canadian managers behaving as if slavery was never abolished and their employees were indentured serfs, then trying to triple down and getting a right spanking.
The tale I relate comes from another Youtube compilation of Reddit tales, only taking up 4 minutes at the end of the vlog, and at first I thought 'Is there enough material here to sustain a whole Intro?' Perhaps not, except that Your Humble Scribe went on a digging expedition and there might be enough material to fill the whole blog. We'll see. Art!
Our tale takes place in Washington State, and was told by Hubbo, concerning his Recently Employed Mate, hereafter REM, her Discriminated Against Worker (New), hereafter DAWN, and their Civil Offence Managing Bottomhole, hereafter COMB.
Hubbo is careful not to mention the name of the business, South Canadian litigation being what it is. His wife was working with DAWN, who lamented that she was only earning $14 per hour. REM matter-of-factly said that she'd been hired at $15 per hour, and that $14 p.h. was less than Washington state minimum wage, which was $14.49 p.h. This is Civil Offence Number One.
Here an aside. You can tell this story is a couple of years old, as the minimum wage is increased by about a dollar per year and now stands at $16 p.h. Art!
DAWN went to COMB and asked for a raise to MinW, to which he responded by immediately firing REM for discussing wages. This is Civil Offence Number 2.
You cannot be legally fired for discussing wages, as it is a federally protected right under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This protection applies to both union and non-union private sector employees and makes it illegal for employers to prohibit such discussions or retaliate against employees for having them
Hubbo and REM got in touch with DAWN, who agreed to write out a statement of what had happened, and whom was also going to get in touch with the Washington state authorities about being underpaid. Possibly aware that the smelly stuff was going to impact the rotary-action air-circulator, COMB had offered to pay the outstanding back pay and up DAWN's salary to $15 p.h. Art!
In the meantime Hubbo and REM filed a wrongful termination suit with Washington's Labour & Industries department, and requested a legally-mandated written explanation for the firing. "Not a good fit" was the single-sentence reply from COMB. Art!
At this point DAWN had also quit the company. The fact that L & I were now involved had COMB wriggling like a worm on a hook, having an attorney send them a letter that was less a tissue of lies than a whole roll of the stuff. DAWN and REM between them were able to refute the lies in short order. COMB then claimed that 'It was the payroll company's mistake, honest!' This didn't explain how DAWN was not being given sick leave pay, either. Art!
The L& I were not convinced and ruled that the company was in violation of state 'Discussion and Retaliation Laws', which meant REM got compensation.
This is a bit of a damp squib ending as we're not told any kind of amount for the compensation, nor what happened to DAWN's case for underpaid wages. Not being satisfied with this, Conrad went further, as I am wont to do.
For DAWN, the following applies:
Art!
In case you were wondering, it can be extremely expensive for companies to try underpaying employees, as the company above discovered. They are based in California and employed 13 Mexicans to work within the state, failing to pay them overtime or minimum wage. They were hit with a payment of $318,000 that covered overtime, minimum wage and liquidated damages. Art!
Washington's L & I has a tracking tool you can use to look up any business that you want to get the dirt on, which, if Art will get off his waffle-patterned behind -
I put 'Seattle' in the search field and got over 10 pages of violators, at 20 results per page. Disappointingly, there's no details of what they did or the fines levied.
HOWEVER - aptly enough - I found an incredibly useful website - Art!
They list a gigantic number of offenders, over 1,000 pages with dozens of entries, that allow you to see what the violation was.
Sadly, we will never know what that company REM worked at was called, or I could have tracked it down and dished dirt. As it is, allow me.
Basic Search | Summaries | Advanced
Search
Violation
Tracker Individual Record
Company: Hickory
Hogs BBQ Restuarant
Penalty: $14,540
Year: 2014
Date: May 12, 2014
Offense Group: employment-related offenses
Primary Offense: wage and hour violation
Violation Description: overtime violation
Level of Government: state
Action Type: agency action
Agency: Washington State Department of Labor & Industries
Civil or Criminal Case: civil
Case ID: 88822
Facility State: Washington
Source of Data: Contained in data obtained on May 15, 2017 in response to
an open records request.
Source Notes: If an online information source is not working, check the
Violation Tracker Data
Sources page for an updated link.
Current parent company note: Parent-subsidiary relationship is current as
of the most recent revision listed in the Update Log.
Conrad was correct! I checked and they are still in business so seem to have learned their lesson.
Perhaps this extended look at the legislation and enforcement that is necessary to protect South Canadian employees may give you second thoughts about the Land Of The Fee And The Grave, or thank the lord aloft that you inhabit the Allotment Of Eden.
I was right, we're almost at Count. Short visual items needed!
This Has Become Traditional By Now
Time to wheel out the habitual 'Tank Encyclopaedia' picture of the Bob Semple with a headline that has nothing to do with the worst 'tank' ever invented. Art!
Yesterday's news. Perfidious Albion was working on an amphibious tank before the Sinister Union existed. Art!
November 1918
Conrad Cocks A Coincidental Eye
We have mentioned Thera, the volcanic Greek island that disintegrated in a gigantic explosion (around 1,600 B.C.) several times, and in the past have also mentioned it's modern iteration: Santorini.
I think the universe it trying to tell me something. Art!
In case you missed it, most of the inhabitants have fled until the earthquakes stop or the island blows up again, whichever comes first.
Finally -
I am going to finish with a Biercism, which typifies his sense of humour. He and I would have got on splendidly.
"Gallows: A stage for the performance of miracle plays in which the leading actor is translated to heaven. In this country the gallows is remarkable for the number of persons who escape it."
See 'An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge' for this theme played out in citric form. Art!
Hmmmm.
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