SEATTLE -- A Hertz spokesman says the rental car company is disappointed 26 Muslim transport drivers at Sea-Tac Airport chose to be fired rather than agree to clock out for prayer breaks.
Spokesman Richard Broome says eight other drivers who had been suspended Sept. 30 were reinstated after they agreed to time their prayers.
Broome says clocking out is a reasonable requirement because some employees had failed to return to work promptly after prayers. The drivers move rental cars for cleaning and refueling.
Spokesman Richard Broome says eight other drivers who had been suspended Sept. 30 were reinstated after they agreed to time their prayers.
Broome says clocking out is a reasonable requirement because some employees had failed to return to work promptly after prayers. The drivers move rental cars for cleaning and refueling.
Teamsters Local 117 has filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The union also is filing religious discrimination charges with the EEOC.
The union represents nearly 80 Hertz drivers who earn between $9.15 and $9.95 an hour. About 70 percent are Muslims.
The union represents nearly 80 Hertz drivers who earn between $9.15 and $9.95 an hour. About 70 percent are Muslims.
Read more: http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/10/21/2456363/hertz-fires-26-muslims-in-sea.html#ixzz1beVzemdB
3 comments:
According to http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/21/us-hertz-muslims-idUSTRE79K65820111021:
Hertz said it had accommodated the Muslim workers' prayer schedule for 15 years at the Seattle airport location and created a designated space for them to pray.
"Clocking out became necessary when there was widespread abuse of break privileges, and to ensure fairness for all of our 320 Seattle airport employees," Broome said.
"The 34 employees were suspended for failing to agree to clock out for breaks which we believe is the fairest resolution to preserve every employee's and management's legitimate interests."
http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/10/hertz_moves_to_fire_suspended.php says:
... it's important to pin down the facts, given the heated charges that are flying over whether (on one side) Hertz is discriminating or (on the other) whether Muslim employees are creating an unfair burden for everybody else. Those details should emerge as a complaint filed by the union with the National Labor Relations Board gets resolved.
I'm sure that Hertz management would never make up charges....
That being said....if a Christian stops working for a moment of silent prayer....do they clock out?
Could we also be sure that the employees themselves wouldn't make up any charges? I think that Muslims could be seen to be as equally guilty of lying as so-called Christians. Adherents of ANY religion can be guilty of not following moral tenets.
That same thought about clocking out during silent praying occurred to me, too. :-)
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