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-   -   Double-standards (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=3802)

TooMuchCoffeeMan 08-12-2003 10:06 PM

Ignorance is bliss
 
Before reading this, understand that I have no problem with people of differing races/religions than my own. However I'm quite pissed off, and feel the need to vent a bit, so please bear with me.

Well, I work at a major construction company, and we've got safety policies and strict guidelines that pretty much sum up that if you screw up or keep on ignoring the safety regulations, you're fired, no questions asked. So all of us on my work crew are stuck with full safety gear and having to be extremely careful in what we do, except for one of us... A Lebanese guy who, for some reason, can get away with whatever he wants.

This lazy bastard can sleep on the job, tell off the bosses, steal from people's yards/garages, grope female employees (all of whom have since quit, understandably), wreck new $45,000 company trucks, go around any site without any safety equipment, go shopping and pay his bills on company time, and the bosses just turn their backs and ignore it.

If any of the rest of us on the crew or in the company (all white males) tried to do that, we'd be fired on the spot, without even a blink of an eye.

That is what pisses me off is that the prick gets that nice little double-standard. He gets away with everything he can short of murder, and we're on edge wondering if we'll get fired every day. I wonder if this is because he's a racial minority, or if there is some other reason the company isn't willing to say to the common workers. This guy has gone so far as to attack co-workers, including myself twice, with tools, with full intent to severly injure or kill the person, and they company won't listen when you make a complaint, and make sure you can't do anything to try charging him with assault for it.

Honestly, I'm so damn disgusted with that guy and how the company does nothing about him that I'm ready to quit, but the pay is too good to let up right now.

xoxoxoBruce 08-12-2003 10:42 PM

I don't know what you have up there, but if you were here, I'd say go directly to the National Labor Relations Board and file a complaint. In fact multiple complaints and take as many of your coworkers as you can, with you. Find out if you have an equivelant government entity.
Option #2. Go to where he lives and reason with him. Don't forget your friends and baseball bats.
Option #3. No safety equipment? Sounds like an on the job accident, waiting to be arranged.
Option #4. Organize a union. This shit is why unions exist. It's not about wages (primarily), it's about a safety, equality and freedom from fear of your employer AND coworkers.
Option #5. Notify the U.S. Homeland Security Dept. that he's Osamas terrorist buddy.
Option #6. Buy the company.
Option #7. Get fired and file a discrimination suit
Be cool man, I know what you're talking about and even on a good day, it major sucks. Good luck and keep us posted.

TooMuchCoffeeMan 08-12-2003 11:44 PM

Well, to cover all of your ideas, Bruce...

1. The company would find a way to screw it over and get me in shiat before anything could be done.

2. Can't reason with him, the bastard doesn't speak english, and barely understands simple monosyllabic phrases.

3. We've tried, but it's hard to make it look like a convincing accident with the morons I work with, they aren't too bright at setting up such things. Wait, they aren't too bright at most things, including simple math.

4. We're already unionized.

5. I wouldn't be suprised if he's a supporter of Hezbollah, he's hinted towards such things in his broken attempts at english, and from rough translations I've gotten from his son.

6. When I said large, I meant to say multi-national, multi-billion dollar company.

7. That'd be hard to fired and file a discrimination suit, when he's one of only three non-white guys in the company, not a lot of discrimination suit room, and I'm not big on the American easy-cash idea of "sue whoever you can", although it's almost tempting, despite knowing I wouldn't possibly win.

And, sometimes I swear that the only thing keeping me in the company (it seems that having independant thought is a bad thing, and can get you fired if you try to do something on your own idea that may create more efficiency without any safety risks) is that I'm marrying the lead hand's daughter.

xoxoxoBruce 08-13-2003 04:02 AM

Kill Him.

Griff 08-13-2003 07:01 AM

If they're hanging on to him because they have government contracts and need minorities on the payroll maybe you should see if you or your buddies have any black friends ready for a job change.

Does your company have links to oil exploration, the CIA, and the Carlyle Group? ;)

russotto 08-14-2003 12:47 PM

Next time he attacks you with tools, defend yourself with deadly force. If he's not wearing safety equipment and you are...

headsplice 08-14-2003 05:13 PM

Two words....
 
Super Wedgie

xoxoxoBruce 08-14-2003 05:22 PM

Too, what Union represents you?

TooMuchCoffeeMan 08-14-2003 08:38 PM

Headsplice: Super wedgie, eh? A good idea, however I'm doubtful that he wears anything for pants underneath his overalls.

Bruce: Laborers and Specialized Workers Union, local 1111.

Russotto: Don't worry, next time he tries it, I'll make sure that my precious (My 10lbs. sledgehammer, still dangerous when I swing it with one hand) is nearby, and he'll feel what I can do with it to his ribs, legs, arms, and possibly his skull. Even if I get fired for it, I know that I'll have left a mark on the company in regards to pricks like him.

russotto 08-15-2003 10:59 AM

Resist the temptation to hit him again after he's down. No matter how good it feels at the time, it always looks bad at trial.

And after you've done this, be sure and contact your former female co-workers and let them know there's a job opening. There might be some side benefits.

xoxoxoBruce 08-15-2003 03:24 PM

Forget it Russ, he's going to marry the leadhands baby girl. Can't be messing around under dadinlaws nose. Bad form.:D

MaggieL 08-15-2003 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by russotto

And after you've done this, be sure and contact your former female co-workers and let them know there's a job opening.

He has coworkers who used to be female?

Fluffy the Kat 08-15-2003 08:02 PM

Female Trouble
 
In the end, switching to decaf probably deserves consideration.

Your Pal, Fluffy

WaitN4aBus 08-16-2003 07:12 AM

Does the "bus" stop here?

xoxoxoBruce 08-16-2003 07:16 AM

No, it never stops. Congratulations on jumping aboard when it went by.:beer:


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