Chrysler fires 13 employees

[Warrenite84]

While it is wrong for executives and paper pushers to drink on the job, it is very wrong for workers who work in hazardous working conditions.

Should a company pay worker's compensation because some alcohol or drug induced idiot injured themselves, company equipment, or even worse, fellow sober coworkers who do their jobs? I had a near-miss incident myself this week on the job in a factory because of a sauced up idiot decided to move automated machinery while I was in harms way.

Many of you on this blog who poo poo this slight indiscretion would sing a different song if it was YOUR business, and some employee hurt your reputation and bottom line by a similar situation. Many business owners clearly understand that business reputations are fragile and cannot easily be repaired. GM, Ford, and Chrysler know this lesson intimately. Try seeing the other's point of view before rendering judgement.

[Ravine]

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

Yeah, OK, great. Terrific response.

All of that fire, and so little light.

[Bigb23]

For regular scheduled work hours, you should just wait until you get home. Years ago I, took a couple of hits off a roach with a buddie out in the parking lot during lunch. Then I had to go back in and set up a massive job on a vertical mill. I was scared to death of missing one little step that would send steel flying. It lived, I lived and that was the only time in 30 years I ever did it.

Now what if you are at home having a few, but on call 24/7 ???? That always botherd me.

[1KielsonDrive]

This post isn't about drinking and drugging on the job, job responsibilities, morals, ethics or anything else so much as it's about the little guy constantly being exploited, while the rich guys get off scott free. Yes, there are other issues involved. But, as I said before, what teevee station is going to follow the fat cats into the DAC? Oakland Hills? Their behavior is just as, if not more reprehensible, than any of the people caught up in this trap. The rich cats have the money and power to cover their asses, hide away, fly off, hole up, and to buy their way out

[R8RBOB]

This post isn't about drinking and drugging on the job, job responsibilities, morals, ethics or anything else so much as it's about the little guy constantly being exploited, while the rich guys get off scott free. Yes, there are other issues involved. But, as I said before, what teevee station is going to follow the fat cats into the DAC? Oakland Hills? Their behavior is just as, if not more reprehensible, than any of the people caught up in this trap. The rich cats have the money and power to cover their asses, hide away, fly off, hole up, and to buy their way out

I have to agree with you. Everyone starts to post and somehow we get "off the wall" postings and the thread goes crazy. Fox 2 and Rob Wolchek crushed a bunch of guys we may never see in life. I know that some people are pleased that Rob exposed a group of guys who was smoking some weed and drinking some Miller's and Bud but investigations like Wolchek's are conducted to bring to light those crooks who want to swindle you and I and big names who would abuse their power like Kwame Kilpatrick. The people want accountability and that's why we have The Defenders, The Problem Solvers. We want the news stations to bring the dirt to light. These guys were dumb but they committed no crime and yet they were railroaded like they were stealing parts and money from Chrysler. In our attempt to demonize these men we forgot that they are the little people who will be discarded as collateral damage to make the masses happy.

To quote Maximus: "are you not entertained?"

[ejames01]

Life isn't fair. Unless you guys are willing to start a revolution, whining about the rich and powerful is just lame.

This post isn't about drinking and drugging on the job, job responsibilities, morals, ethics or anything else so much as it's about the little guy constantly being exploited, while the rich guys get off scott free. Yes, there are other issues involved. But, as I said before, what teevee station is going to follow the fat cats into the DAC? Oakland Hills? Their behavior is just as, if not more reprehensible, than any of the people caught up in this trap. The rich cats have the money and power to cover their asses, hide away, fly off, hole up, and to buy their way out

[ejames01]

Everything thing in your employee handbook is not illegal. Most people have to sign off on their handbook, so there is no excuse if they are fired doing something that they knew is a fireable offense.

I have to agree with you. Everyone starts to post and somehow we get "off the wall" postings and the thread goes crazy. Fox 2 and Rob Wolchek crushed a bunch of guys we may never see in life. I know that some people are pleased that Rob exposed a group of guys who was smoking some weed and drinking some Miller's and Bud but investigations like Wolchek's are conducted to bring to light those crooks who want to swindle you and I and big names who would abuse their power like Kwame Kilpatrick. The people want accountability and that's why we have The Defenders, The Problem Solvers. We want the news stations to bring the dirt to light. These guys were dumb but they committed no crime and yet they were railroaded like they were stealing parts and money from Chrysler. In our attempt to demonize these men we forgot that they are the little people who will be discarded as collateral damage to make the masses happy.

To quote Maximus: "are you not entertained?"

[R8RBOB]

Everything thing in your employee handbook is not illegal. Most people have to sign off on their handbook, so there is no excuse if they are fired doing something that they knew is a fireable offense.

Hmm.....

What they did was wrong but I have two words for you: Donald Trump

[1KielsonDrive]

Life isn't fair. Unless you guys are willing to start a revolution, whining about the rich and powerful is just lame.

Sure sounds to me like you're the one doing the whining.

[ejames01]

I'm just giving advice to all of the "victims".

Sure sounds to me like you're the one doing the whining.

[Kevgoblue]

Anyone know if those guys signed up for the Nancy Regan rehab house and got reinstated yet?

[jcole]

Anyone know if those guys signed up for the Nancy Regan rehab house and got reinstated yet?

I think you mean Betty Ford.

[1KielsonDrive]

I'm just giving advice to all of the "victims".

Sure sounds like whining. Advice? Whining! Advice? Whining! Advice...........

[caspermi]

Following up on this story. Now that the media spotlight on this incident is over, does anyone know if any of the fired employees were able to get their jobs back?

[rjk]

Following up on this story. Now that the media spotlight on this incident is over, does anyone know if any of the fired employees were able to get their jobs back?

With things looking up for Chrysler I'd be shocked if they ended up getting their jobs back.
I can't imagine that Chrysler and the UAW would be that dumb.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Last I heard was that only one person out of the 13 that were released was able to get they're job back. The rest were terminated permanately.

[jerrytimes]

I read this whole thread and found out that most people on here are clueless. These guys get caught doing these things during their workday, during lunch, which really doesn't matter. A hand full of you are only concerned with the Fox aspect of it, which has nothing to do with what happened. Chrysler is a publicly owned company, and a company that we bailed out [[which I approved of) a couple of years back. We are paying them to work, no to drink on the job and get high. After work, if they drink and get high as shit, I couldn't care less. Funny how some of you have to bring politics into this when all it really is, is common sense.

[Thomcat52]

I'm pretty sick of Fox news and the right wing aholes beating up on the regular joes.I will never watch Fox 2 again,they are the bottom feeders of news, as far as the fired workers one can only hope they drag the slezzy little reporter in a dark alley, I didnt see anything did you.

Obama said stop with the vitriol!

[Ltdave]

We are paying them to work, no to drink on the job and get high.

A) they werent working because it was their UNPAID lunch break...
B) they werent drinking on the job because it was their UNPAID lunch break...

regardless of your political leanings or whether or not Huel Perkins, Fanchon Stinger and [[who was the investigative reporter?) get into a menage e trois is or isnt your cup of tea, they were NOT at WORK and wernt GETTING PAID when this went down...

oh and until you can buy chrysler stock, they are NOT a publicly owned company...

[noggin]

A) they werent working because it was their UNPAID lunch break...
B) they werent drinking on the job because it was their UNPAID lunch break...

regardless of your political leanings or whether or not Huel Perkins, Fanchon Stinger and [[who was the investigative reporter?) get into a menage e trois is or isnt your cup of tea, they were NOT at WORK and wernt GETTING PAID when this went down...

oh and until you can buy chrysler stock, they are NOT a publicly owned company...

They threw in being trashed at work for free!

[JohnnyFreddy]

In another case, which has not received as much publicity, Gary Crittenden, CFO of Citigroup, and Arthur Tildesley, head of Investor Relations, willfully "scripted" investor announcements to hide $39 billion of exposure to subprime debt; they were singled out and given SEC fines of $100,000 and $80,000 respectively [[Crittenden's total 2008 compensation was $12.2 million, a slap on the wrist, who knows Tildesly's fortunes). The rest of the bad apples who participated in this huge scam [[they were known to the SEC via e-mails obtained from the firm) were not named in the SEC order or fined. Crittenden and Tildesly were not barred from Wall Street for life. They are rich and free, able to work. Citigroup was fined $75 million, 1/520th of the subprime debt it sought to hide, but we mustn't forget how it received hundreds of billions of taxpayer money to keep it -- and its corrupt practices -- afloat.






But, hey, that's just little crimes involving $39 billion by some of the richest, most powerful people in this country. Much more important to get pissed off about some boozing and doping union members. Hahaha.

Now, I don't know about you and yours, but me and mine, find it quite easy
to get pissed-off at more than one thing at a time.
Is this really some kind of an antidote [[your post) in regards to the announcement of the dismissal of some UAW members caught indulging, when they, and everyone else who saw the T.V. report, knew....they would be returning to their, potentially involved, dangerous jobs back at the factory. Weren't they in fact, followed back to the job site [[because they weren't brilliant enough to circle the block, or even just, not go back to work.....leading the investigating team right back there.)
So, doesn't this [[pretty clear evidence) kinda/definitely make them ....guilty?????
So why defend them? They did it. Is their being in a Union automatically dismiss
any wrong doing on their part? Doesn't this kinda fall into the whole accused
assumption, oft times made at the Unions, that they protect their members to
the point of idiocy, not allowing for the inevitable 'bad seed'.
Should every member be protected, no matter what?
And by the way, isn't the car companies, and the unions, ALSO....some of
the richest entities in this country, or the WORLD for that matter?
Maybe the 'little guy' shouldn't go 'tie one on' at lunchtime, and try to produce
a decent product, so our country doesn't go down the tubes, from shoddy
workmanship, and even shoddier moral practices.
........"Hahahahaha." !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jerrytimes]

A) they werent working because it was their UNPAID lunch break...
B) they werent drinking on the job because it was their UNPAID lunch break...

regardless of your political leanings or whether or not Huel Perkins, Fanchon Stinger and [[who was the investigative reporter?) get into a menage e trois is or isnt your cup of tea, they were NOT at WORK and wernt GETTING PAID when this went down...

oh and until you can buy chrysler stock, they are NOT a publicly owned company...

As a reply to your A and B, they were because they were at WORK on their UNPAID WORK BREAK. You drink and smoke pot, the effects don't just end when the work bell to start back up working. Can you get hammered at home and then report to work and expect your employer to not have an issue with it? No! Yes, that employer could even fire you for that. News flash, you can be fired for almost anything, especially reporting back from your lunch break buzzed and high!

By the way, like I said before, we bailed out Chrysler which makes them a publicly owned company.

I can't believe that so many people are still defending these fools. In a shitty economy and have a great high paying job like they did, these guys still continued to do something over and over putting their jobs in jeopardy. Too bad!

[JohnnyFreddy]

And what about CEO's and all of their malfeasance? We just witnessed our entire economy go into the dumpster because of the criminal behavior of CEO's. How many of those were featured on the nightly news? What became of them? This is typical class warfare. These guys got a more severe punishent than Bush and his staff got for starting wars. Justice - there is none.

I agree wholeheartedly with your statement.
But that doesn't exclude the auto workers from their just-do, just because the world is an unfair place.
Didn't any of these individuals SEE the Fox 2 news van approaching?
Yes, the powers that be SHOULD be lopping-off heads, in many instances from
our recent dark past, but they're not. Who do we bitch to?
Not even our new President [[U.S.) seems interested in getting justice served upon
those responsible for the murderous war campaigns, or the lying, cheating, stealing bastards that run the corrupt insurance agencies, wallstreet, and......
....THE CAR COMPANIES!!!!!
Just sell all our fucking jobs overseas, sell our economy to foreigners, send
all our military personnel to die, or get permanently disfigured to defend countries
that hate our guts, and our ways of living.
And we shouldn't be upset when OUR OWN are looking to undermine us,
by nonchalantly carousing in public, in broad daylight...and even carelessly
pitching their bottles, cans, and cigarettes out into the park area, without even
considering any consequences.
I'm not saying it's the end of the world, what these people did.
But they should be able to seek employment elsewhere.
We still need their Tax Dollars.

[JBMcB]

Someone tell me why we should be happy that these men were fired?

Because the perception outside of Detroit is nearly *all* union workers are like this, the companies do nothing about it, and that's one of the reasons the big three build crappy cars.

Foreign car companies do not use union labor. AFAIK not a single one. So public perception, right or wrong, is foreign cars = high quality = no union labor. Detroit cars = crappy quality = union labor.

Right or wrong, that's the perception. Think about it - consumers don't want to hear that the UAW is going to fight tooth and nail to protect the jobs of the junkies that install the brakes on your car.

[Scottathew]

A) they werent working because it was their UNPAID lunch break...
B) they werent drinking on the job because it was their UNPAID lunch break...

regardless of your political leanings or whether or not Huel Perkins, Fanchon Stinger and [[who was the investigative reporter?) get into a menage e trois is or isnt your cup of tea, they were NOT at WORK and wernt GETTING PAID when this went down...

Oh, so now you can tell an officer, "No I wasn't drinking AND driving, I was drinking BEFORE driving. It doesn't matter that I'm smashed now, what's important is that I didn't do both at the same time."

I'm glad they got fired. I'm glad the union didn't make a big stink about it either.