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| This is the JJ Workers Union logo - gotta love the cats, they are sweet! |
Franchise owner and overall douchebag Rob Mulligan claimed that the posters were defamatory, and "clearly crossed the line of protected activity". While I'm sure he wasn't too happy to see these posters up at his shops, the union has a point.
JJ's store policy is that you cannot call in sick. If you are sick, you are supposed to call around and find a replacement worker. However, if you wake up and notice that you are sick, the chances of you actually being able to find a replacement worker are pretty fucking slim. So what do people do? They go to work sick, which is unsafe for customers and coworkers, not to mention shitty for the sick person.
I'm also not sure this is the real reason for their firing. In the Minneapolis Starbucks unionization drive, union organizers were fired and then rehired numerous times. I think it's a scare tactic to lower support for the union, should they chose to call for another election.
The union responded to these firings, however, by filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. In this complaint, they argued that the 6 fired employees were "engaging in protected concerted activity". To be honest, I don't know the particulars of how they will decide. If you know the law, let me know in the comments!
I have been considering writing a rap about working at Jimmy John's. If over half of the responses to this poll are yes, then I will record this rap and post it on the blog:
