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You Want Me to Do What?: When, Where, and How to Draw the Line at Work

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Workplce Bullying, Racism and Union Busting

Posted by: BJN
Date: 10/8/2006 10:32:17 AM

A follow up to, “Problems at Alcoa” 1/19/03. I’m a white male, 49 years old, I’ve been employed at Alcoa for 28 years and was terminated in October 2005.

Many of my fellow coworkers witnessed and remember, a shift supervisor, having a disagreement with an employee, later, in the present of witnesses, this supervisor said, “if I could get rid of him, he be out-of-here tomorrow.” Later, this employee was given a work assignment where he could only fail, a long story short, he was terminated. A short time later, this same employee died in a house fire. Managers feeling the “guilt” and partly responsible, took up a collection for this “terminated employee’s surviving wife and daughter.” Managers imposing “fear and intimidation” to its workers, is why, no one would dare to speak out about it. This is where my journey begins.

A fellow employee and I openly participated in a union campaign August and September 2003. Soon after this union campaign , we both were faced with disciplinary action for safety infractions. Prior to this, managers were ignoring and forgiving when others committed the same infractions and still do. Again, this was an act from managers imposing “fear and intimidation” to tone down the interest of the union.

Meanwhile, managers have received numerous reports of “racism and workplace bullying,” in which, others and myself fell victim to. An investigation was initiated by human resources. One manager who took part in this investigation, told me, “I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes, I’m shocked with all I heard.” he concluded “guilty.” Later, management concluded, “not enough evidence to take action.”

Soon after, on my annual review, I wrote about my being a union activist and about the continued unresolved civil rights issue.I ended up in a meeting in December 2003, and was intimidated and threatened by the another manager, he said to me, “you know, when you no longer work here, Alcoa will still go on.”At this point, I filed a labor complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It took over a year for the agency to get around to this complaint in January 2005.

During that time, I was called to the office by different managers, intimidated by them for my “pro-union views,” subjected to illegal locker searches for pro-union literature, some literature criticized management’s behavior, and I was faced with disciplinary action for safety infractions, in which managers, without notice, twisted their own policies to serve this purpose, while again, ignoring and forgiving others committing the same infractions, “apparently zero tolerance doesn’t apply to all?”

As for the labor complaint I filed for “racism and workplace bullying,” being the forgiving person I am, I allowed Alcoa to re-investigate the case. Managers then, intentionally exposed me to fellow workers as the charging party, by intentionally leaving documents laying out in the office for all to see, so much for confidentially that’s heavily preached by managers.

Although, I was commended by many fellow workers for taking a stand, some others disagreed, in particular, management. In the end, two employees were held responsible for their actions in this complaint. Alcoa held none of its managers accountable for “downplaying it, ignoring it and covering it up.” At this point, managers, at all levels, increased their retaliation efforts against me.

Armed With a list of witnesses for my defense and a journal of almost 200 pages, the National Labor Relations Board agreed with most of my case, but said, it comes up short, not because Alcoa isn’t guilty, but because of the vastly unbalanced/unfair labor laws that allows Alcoa to freely to do as it pleases, to whomever it pleases, for whatever the reason.

My termination from Alcoa was a direct result of, “my good moral character” to take a stand for my non-racist beliefs, pro-union views, my desire for everyone to get along, work well together and nothing more. This is who I am, I have no shame. Alcoa and its managers, each played a role in terminating me, by twisting its policies, lied under oath and demoralize its workers. Alcoa and its managers, bare all the shame.

An anti-union Alcoa group leader once said, “when you’re here at work, there is no democracy,” managers supported it and promoted him. My journey continues.

P.S.: There's so much more to this story and I'm in search of any sources who wish to join me in the fight to make a difference and change labor laws, in which gives employers too much power and only increases the risk of workplace violence/revenge, which is heard of a lot in these days.I've already emailed some political leaders as well. Please contact me by phone or email address posted below.

The madness has to stop.

Thank you, Brian J. Neely

4390 Main Street

Conestoga, Pa. 17516

Phone Number:(717) 872-4963

Fax Number:(717) 872-6669

Email address: SBSTEELERS4@AOL.COM

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