Coca-Cola worker fired for drinking...

[Guest NoSelfWorth]

U.S. National - AFP

 

It's the real thing: US Coke worker sacked for drinking Pepsi

 

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A US truck driver who worked for the Coca-Cola Bottling Company has been sacked after being spotted glugging down a soft drink made by the rival Pepsi company, union officials said.

 

Rick Bronson, who worked for the world's biggest soft drink firm for 12 years, was fired after someone reported him for supporting the enemy, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said.

 

"Coke is really grasping at straws on this one," said Jim Santangelo, principal officer of Teamsters' branch of which Bronson is a member in El Monte, east of the California hub of Los Angeles.

 

"This is nothing more than an attempt to get rid of a pro-union employee. The Teamsters will fight every step of the way to get Rick's job back," he vowed.

 

The Teamsters claim that Coke really sacked the worker because of his work three months ago in organizing Coke merchandising workers under the powerful union's aegis.

 

The dismissal came after he was allegedly spotted in the back room of a store where he was making a delivery swigging on a Pepsi.

 

Bronson believes the person who reported him for publicly straying from his home brand had been hired by Coke to follow him and catch him off guard.

 

The union alleges that Coke fired Bronson under a company rule that bars "slander" of the world famous product after he was seen drinking the rival soft drink, Santangelo said.

 

"Hey, Rick's a Pepsi drinker, what can he do?" he said. But it's not as if he was seen drinking a Pepsi in Times Square on live TV -- he was in the backroom of a store.

 

"This wasn't slanderous, they just wanted him because of his union activity and because he is a union leader," he claimed.

 

A spokesman for the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Southern California, Bob Phillips, declined to comment on the allegations and on the case citing California's privacy laws, but said the company would not resort to a pretext to fire an employee active in a union.

 

"I can tell you that we have at this company a strict policy against retaliation and the company does not retaliate, nor do we tolerate any retaliation against employees," he said.

 

The Teamsters Local 848 has filed unfair labour practice charges against Coca-Cola over the incident, according to the union.

 

Coca-Cola in California and the Teamster have been at loggerheads over labour-related disputes, including strikes, involving Coke workers in recent months and negotiations over other contentious issues are still under way.

 

Credit - Yahoo.

 

Now this is just silly. Warn the guy if you must, but don't fire him.

[Guest CoreyLazarus416]

Here at Coca-Cola, we believe in a totalitarian state. You eat what we say you can eat, you drink what we say you can drink. WE. OWN. YOU.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Serves him right for drinking a Pepsi. You work for the greatest cola company on earth already man!

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Some union leader -- drinking a Pepsi. Serves you right, bitch...

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

This is incredibly stupid, and if it's true some innocent bystander called the friggin' company because they saw this, they're even dumber.

 

I mean, imagine if you saw this going down. You might give the guy a one-liner about it or ask him why, but would you call the company and bitch and moan? No.

 

This won't stand in court. If he fights to get his job back, he'll get it.

[Guest Anglesault]

Stupid case, but the guy is a twat.

 

 

If he knew/thought/whatever that Coke was already out to get him, why would he drink the Pepsi while on the clock?

[Guest treble charged]

There's apparently some rule at the grocery store where I work that we're not supposed to do our grocery shopping at other stores. Of course, they don't give us an employee discount or any kind to actually encourage us to shop there, so I sure as hell don't follow that rule.

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

Next thing a Coke employee will get fired for eating at a Pizza Hut.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Excuse me but even the almighty Blockbuster doesn't says we MUST rent out from our store or get fired. I mean, we do get stuffy for renting at our store, but still.

 

This. Is. Utter. Bullshit.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

There's apparently some rule at the grocery store where I work that we're not supposed to do our grocery shopping at other stores. Of course, they don't give us an employee discount or any kind to actually encourage us to shop there, so I sure as hell don't follow that rule.

Does management spy on you or something?...

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

didn't they have a Super Bowl commerical with this theme about 7 years ago?

[Guest Lightning Flik]

didn't they have a Super Bowl commerical with this theme about 7 years ago?

Actually, Pepsi continually runs a commercial every year that has a Coke employee drinking Pepsi and saying that Canadians in general prefer Pepsi over Coke.

[Rob E Dangerously 0]

didn't they have a Super Bowl commerical with this theme about 7 years ago?

Actually, Pepsi continually runs a commercial every year that has a Coke employee drinking Pepsi and saying that Canadians in general prefer Pepsi over Coke.

I think the guy fired is going to have a nice job soon.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

didn't they have a Super Bowl commerical with this theme about 7 years ago?

Actually, Pepsi continually runs a commercial every year that has a Coke employee drinking Pepsi and saying that Canadians in general prefer Pepsi over Coke.

I think the guy fired is going to have a nice job soon.

I guess there is THAT~!

[Guest Choken One]

I know this pretty well...

 

My Old man was CONTRACTUALLY obligated to drink Pepsi products for three years straight...

[Guest BDC]

Heaven forbid he has a personal taste preference.

 

And as for knowing they were gunning for him, I don't know that it was the case. Granted, a Union leader isn't going to be popular, but if you go looking to fire one for some dumbass reason, that's just plain stupid.

[Guest ElectricRaccoon]

Eh, if it was in his contract (and he wasn't forced or misled into signing it), then the argument can go no further. He signed a contract, violated it, and incurred the penalty. That doesn't make the obligation any more or less pointless, but he willingly took it on himself and figured he could violate it when no-one was looking. If it wasn't in his contract, that's different, but Choken's comment suggests that at least in some cases it is. It doesn't necessarily make Coke not weasels if this was union-related (selective enforcement and all that) but they're technically in the right.

Edited June 16, 2003 by ElectricRaccoon

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

My Old man was CONTRACTUALLY obligated to drink Pepsi products for three years straight...

 

He was given timeouts to eat, sleep, and pee. A lot.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Eh, if it was in his contract (and he wasn't forced or misled into signing it), then the argument can go no further. He signed a contract, violated it, and incurred the penalty.

You can put anything in a contract but it doesn't matter if it breaks any labor laws. And for that matter all matters of this sort go to abitration.

 

Depending on where you live you have to fire for just cause. This is a real lame one. You can have any policy you want but it does not mean it will stand up in court. Now in some of those "right to work states"(ie. scab ones) you can be fired for anything. But once you are unionized the rules change.

 

A lot of things are written in a contract. What appears to be black and white to one side is not to another. All labour contracts have a procedure in place so when disputes arise they are sent to an abritrator for them to decide if they matter can not be settled amicably.

 

An arbitrator will decide this one. Not the company or the union. And this infraction is so fucking lame it will not stand up. And if there is any hint of this guy being a target because of his union work then watch out. All hell will break loose.

[Guest Kahran Ramsus]

If he was on duty or wearing the uniform, then he is representing the company. He deserves to get fired for that. It is not as if he was just walking down the street.

[Guest Fallen Angel]

If he was on duty or wearing the uniform, then he is representing the company.

True.

 

He deserves to get fired for that.

 

Less so. While certainly some sort of warning or disciplinary action was in order, this is not an offense a longtime employee should be losing their job over. Nor any employee, for that matter.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

If he was on duty or wearing the uniform, then he is representing the company.  He deserves to get fired for that.  It is not as if he was just walking down the street.

But what is his job description?

 

His job is to deliver Coke, not advertise it.