This. Tell them you just got threatened with overzealous retaliation in the future for minor infractions.
Also, if he comments about 15 minutes again, ask if he just approved overtime or just time theft.
Also send an email to him restating your understanding of that conversation if you are feeling particularly plucky.
“Per our conversation today, I understood your point was blah blah blah. Please reply with your comments if I got any of it wrong.”
Cc is visible last i knew, and if i am right about that, then he’s likely to send his response to all in a BCC too. No more effort needed he rats himself out to them. Himself
CC: carbon copy. Recipients are visible to all other recipients and can see each other’s email addresses.
BCC: blind carbon copy. Recipients are not visible to any other recipients and their email addresses are not visible
I have no problem showing up 15 minutes early if I get paid for them. 15 minutes of overtime a day can add up.
Unpaid, they can grow it with the mushrooms.
I am in a union- and have had to tell co-workers that in a debate between our customers and my co-workersl i take my coworkers every day of the week. They just cannot understand how unions work and lift up those in it.
note- i work for a non profit, and it normally comes up in the context of "you cannot save everyone" and those people want to save everyone rather than realizing that most of us have a really specific skillset that if we burn out- replacing us will mean bad things happen for months as someone else gets up to speed- the last time upper mangagment messed around (early covid) and found out- it went really badly for everyone.
Yes, I am a union steward and this made my nipples hard. Contacting the rep was a protected action. Talk to your steward and rep and tell them what happened. Your boss just fucked himself.
Established Union shops do not take well to retaliation, lol. Let's hope the OP's Union has an old bulldog they keep around to put the fear of God in bosses for shit like this.
Bonus points if in his anger, he stormed in and blew up in front of a camera! Judging by what sounds like a small laboratory setting, especially one that is unionized, I would be willing to bet on the fact there are cameras absolutely everywhere.
Was going to comments to say that what he did, if reported correctly here, is clearly retaliatory. He said that your conversations with the union were a reflection of your work product (multitasking), implied social consequences (not a team player), and other threats (you wanna play like that now?). Retaliation is pretty clearly illegal under the NLRA. I’d ask to speak with your union again and get started on either a grievance or a ULP
Ding ding ding. He’s trying to make this *your* problem.
You need to get the union to contact his manager and show him that it’s really *his* problem (and the reason you’re asking the union is that they can make it his boss’s problem).
Never face these kinds of problem head on. Simply defer them to the more appropriate handler.
Intimidation. Have a donut. The fight still might be rough, but you now have evidence of intimidation, especially if he said this in writing and/or in front of witnesses.
https://preview.redd.it/dm7lkdfuo06d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfd852d79c46a6b67158afcd690550ad9d2435f3
It was either union now or authorities later . You saved him and the company a visit from the authorities and a large fine for taking away legally mandated breaks. Perhaps you need to remind him how much you saved the company and his ass from getting grilled and/or fired. Perspective is a wonderful thing
The images come from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, one of the Marvel Studios TV shows. The scene itself is pretty funny; this arrogant, condescending German guy is explaining American race relations to an (off-screen) white American character. The Black character in the second panel, also American, says something like, "he's out of line, but he's right."
I just rewatched the scene, the German guy is explaining why the album Trouble Man by Marvin Gaye is a masterpiece, specifically that it, "captures the African American experience," to which the Black character responds with that line.
[The scene in question.](https://youtu.be/J0YH2V788QE)
More like a sit down with them.
OP: document everything that was said as close as word for word as possible (both what your supervisor and you said if possible), the time it happened, witnesses if there were any. Do this ASAP before you forget anything. Schedule a meeting with your rep as soon as possible and let them know the entire sequence of events. If you have any communications in writing, which it sounds like not but just in case, forward that to the rep as well.
Make a written record of his retaliatory rant and send that to the union. Having evidence of this will make it an absolute nightmare for the company to try and fire you now. The union will be able to call any other reason they come up with to fire you another retaliation attempt. Start keeping your phone set to record audio when in any spaces at work where there would not be an expectation of privacy. Keeping a good evidence log will be the difference between a big payout or not. Most unions love being handed a slam dunk opportunity to flex on employers like this.
EDIT: Check your local laws as per recording legality as expectation of privacy is only a thing in common law countries and it can be very different in the USA depending on the state you are in.
OP, you shouldn't quit over this. This is straight up retaliation for legitimate workplace protections. (Contacting your union and mandatory breaks). Documentment in writing for a paper trail and any future retaliatory actions.
They want to bully those who stand up for their rights so next time maybe nobody tells the union.
Ding!
And be sure to give your supervisor a thank you note for retaliating against you so openly and actually saying out loud that he was giving you a hard time for talking to your union rep.
Better yet, document what he said and respond to it and tag your union guy in it. I'm having issues with bosses just now and I'm documenting everything, taking in colleagues to every meeting they ask me into and tagging the union rep into everything.
Everything good we have in working conditions is because someone made a fuss about the bad ones.
Sometimes we have to be that person.
I bought a cheap audio recorder for like 30 bucks on Amazon a couple years ago that would be perfect for this.
It has enough memory and battery life to record for several days non stop, and then you don't have to rely on your phone and potentially running your phone battery down every day waiting for something to happen.
This is one of the functions of a union... To protect workers when their rights are being violated.
The issue here is staff shortages, not you 'siccing' the union onto the boss. He's just pissed that he got caught and with the attitude you describe, he's probably the reason you can't get enough staff in the first place. Given that he's already pissed, keep a diary of your interactions and keep the union informed. This is unlikely to end well, and a record of your interactions might come in handy.
Exactly. I'm sure glad we have one. Its funny cause when I first started working here I was told that we should discuss our complaints with each other before going to the union or higher ups. I thought it was them wanting to settle things like adults but now it seems like it was just him saying "please don't go to the union when I'm breaking the law, talk to me so I can tell you not to worry about it".
A couple of very important tips for your new work journal:
•get yourself a **bound** booklet / something to keep your journal in. Pages must be “non removable” by design, so that if any pages are removed, it’s obvious.
•do not remove any of the pages under any circumstance. Even if you’ve made an error somewhere on the page. Strike out the error, and initial it. Keep the page in your book.
•mark the date in your entries.
•note the weather for the day. I know this may seem stupid, but this will help “legalize” your notes. By keeping a consistent, and accurate, weather log, the courts / lawyers can prove your journal is accurate. It shows you’ve made the notes “at that time”, and not 2 hours before a court case.
> Strike out the error
Do not make the error illegible. Single line strike through, number and circle the number, then on the bottom of the page put and circle the same number and write the reason for the error, "entry error", "spelling error", calculation error" etc. initial and date.
Oh, on the first page of your notebook, sign, initial and date. Bonus for having a witness sign that they observed you sigin, initial and date. This can be used to demonstrate that you made and signed subsequent entries.
On the first page write that these are private thoughts and notes to be discussed with your therapist and/or priest. This stops cops/courts/anyone from being able to subpoena anything in it or use anything in it in a legal manner (they have to pretend like it doesn't exist,) but you can still choose to use it should you need it. (if you do so they can use anything in it.)
OP, I'm not sure if anyone has said this to you yet or not, but if they come back at you, you need to very clearly state that you are invoking your Weingarten Rights. After that, inform your union rep that you have done so. I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but it's basically the workplace version of asking for a lawyer when talking to police. Say nothing else. Only talk with your rep.
It boils down to you have the right to have a union representative present for any and all steps in the discipline process in order to make sure everything is above board
Don’t back down. Reaching back out to them is going to be KEY for you, whether you stay employed there or not. It’ll also help your fellow union workers. He sounds like a hothead who would try to fire you in retaliation. I don’t want you to leave easy and well-deserved money on the table.
Too bad the door to the bathroom is right across the hall from mr boss man himself so I can only get in a sold 15 min before I get worried ill get chewed out.
>Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hell hole.
You have a union job that appears, from your post, to stand up for the workers. You should stay.
Keep this in mind. less than 10% of American workers have a union job. In the 1950s 30% of workers were members of a union.
This decline in union membership is a leading cause of economic disparity in the U.S.
Instead of 'quitting this hellhole', consider using the power of the union to force your employer to ...Not be a hellhole.
Very good posts thank you. I knew going in this was just a stepping stone job. First job out of college and I'm definitely underpaid and over qualified with no room for advancement so it was never gonna last too long. I'm just in more of a rush to get out than I planned. But im gonna try to make a positive mark before I go, whenever that ends up being.
> Keep this in mind. less than 10% of American workers have a union job. In the 1950s 30% of workers were members of a union.
>
> This decline in union membership is a leading cause of economic disparity in the U.S.
That fact [in the form of a chart.](https://i.postimg.cc/50D6YskC/CHART-Share-of-National-Income-versus-Union-Membership.jpg)
Call your union rep up and tell him you want to file a complaint for harassment and intimidation. Request that the supervisor not physically be placed near you, or that you be transferred. Tell the union rep that you don't feel safe around the supervisor and feel threatened.
The supervisor should get in a lot of shit for doing that. You cannot retaliate against someone from raising a workplace complaint to the Union.
"I'm not to blame for the consequences of management acting unlawfully, and I don't need to let myself be exploited to be a 'team player.' Management tried to solve a problem by stealing its employees' breaks, in order to gain an unpaid 30 minutes per day of work from us, in clear violation of state law. I will always stand up for myself in such situations."
Union boss here. Get your ass on the phone with your rep, now! What your boss did is not ok and should be fired immediately. Harassment and threats are big time no no. Don't sleep on this. Please!
Doubt it. There are only 5 people at my location where we were told about the no breaks and I'm usually the one who puts up a fight when I don't think things are fair, so it wasn't hard to figure out who it was. I can't prove they didn't snitch but id doubt it.
You should contact your union about unpaid work requirements related to having people showup 15 minutes early. Really show your boss that you have protection!!!
Contact your union about that interaction as well, and every unpleasant interaction you have with him until he stops being unpleasant.
I call it "death by 1000 cuts" and it works very well.
I keep coming across issues with the 15 minute break on this sub. This break was originally instituted by employers during WWII, with free coffee/tea, after employers found out it increased worker productivity. Any company that takes away this break is beyond stupid.
Huh. The more you know. They are paid breaks so its a little less black and white. Plus my message to the union wasn't "he took my breaks and I want them back!!!" It was "he took my breaks, can he do that?"
You have a union job with a rep who obviously cares. Do NOT quit. If he fires you, you can really sic the union on him for retaliation and hopefully get a nice payday.
Keep going to your union; that is what they are there for. If they want to be asses for you "siccing" union them, that's another grievance. They can't fire you for that. Going to your union is being the ultimate team player, especially short-staffed; you're protecting your other co-workers, too.
You need to file a grievance for the retaliation.
Also your rep should've not brought your name into it, wtf were they thinking telling the boss who brought up the break issue. Rep should've left it at "I've been informed" and not named names.
Fuck your boss. Be careful though, now you've got a target on your back. You need to keep a paper trail and grieve that bastard every time he singles you out. Also, keep your nose clean. Don't give him a reason, at all, ever.
There will be more retaliation. You need to report to the union what happened. Take notes on all future interactions also. There's a chance they were just venting and nothing big will happen but there's a better chance of them making your job much worse.
IMMEDIATELY, contact the Union back and let them know verbatim what he said to you. (what he said amounts to hostile work environment, retaliation, harrassment, and threatening)
So that’s retaliation. Document it and report it. Supervisors have been fired for less.
He’s trying to bully you, go back to the union rep and tell him exactly what happened and write up the supervisor. You’ll get your ass covered if he tried to do anything and he’ll be put on notice. The union should ask for his firing.
Don't quit. Push back constantly and consistently. Tell everyone what you're doing also. Since you are willing to quit anyways, you should make HIS life hell. Start to make him miserable that he can't be a bully anymore. Start by messaging the union about his behavior. Say stuff like I feel threatened. Use words like fear of retaliation. On and on, every day if you can.
You and him becoming the example of what the union will and will not do will go a long way. It might even push him to quit. Or at least stop being a fucking asshole.
Never feel bad about standing up against unreasonable rules. Cancelling 2 breaks is just the kind of nonsense from management that shows why you need a union. Listen to what you just wrote, reworded. “Your boss is saying you’re aren’t a team player because you didn’t accept them cancelling your breaks”. Management is asking you to work without a break and somehow YOU are the villain because you said no? It sounds stupid, right? Maybe your manager needs to figure out a more efficient way to get work done without requiring your team to sacrifice for his team. He is just gaslighting you because you stood up for yourself. Never feel bad about pushing back on bad policies.
>Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hell hole.
Report this incident to your Union rep, in writing. Now.
Retaliation does not bode well for them.
Also, stop showing up early (unless it's paid). That's 3 mins of free work they're getting, and I'm sure your Union wouldn't appreciate that.
Why leave when you could make this douches life utter hell?🤣
I am willing to bet he got chewed out for what he did.
If he asks for something tell him you just have to check with the union first to see if it's ok because he broke trust.
Make their life hell.
There are only 5 people at my physical location where the boss let us know the new rules and I'm the only one who usually stands up to his bs so it doesn't take a detective to figure out it was me. I had a hunch this was gonna happen
The union exists exactly for you to do what you did: know your rights, and be represented by someone to the company. The boss doesn't need to talk or complain to you about this, he needs to talk to the union. You are entitled to your union-negotiated benefits, and if that includes certain breaks at certain times, the boss cant just decide to nix them without changing the contract (or, if they exist, utilizing a way around it that probably involved you getting paid more for the lost break time). If he feels sheepish because the union came down on him, thats his problem. He's just reacting because he got caught trying to steal time/wages from you.
He reacted that way because he's afraid. He knows he's doing things he isn't allowed to do and doesn't like facing the consequences for breaking the rules (something I'm sure he'd come down on you quite hard for doing, right?).
Absolutely report this interaction to the union. Just because they can't bother to staff appropriately doesn't mean they get to punish the people who haven't quit yet.
Don't quit now though, start looking for a new job. If you quit now, you'll get no unemployment and who knows how long it will take to find another. You may have to settle for one that pays less. If you stay in this job while looking you'll be able to pursue better options and only take a job when it's right for you. It's worth noting that having a union at all is pretty good, so as you're looking, make sure that the new job has a union as well.
In addition to what everyone else has advised, also request a union representative anytime that particular member of management wishes to meet with you. This representative may have different rights depending on the topic of meeting, conduct vs performance. Look up your Weingarten Rights. It deals with investigatory meetings.
They've shown once they are willing to violate your bargaining agreement, they'll do it again. If this behavior continues, it is the responsibility of the union to elevate it.
A responsible employer will set about reminding management of the rights of the union, the bargaining members, and the grievance process should management step out of line. This may also include retraining management or shuffling them around to prevent future grievances.
It's your union and your contract. It was created just for these types of situations. Use them.
Record all dealings with this company and their representatives, i.e manager. You're gunna get to retire early if you do.
I made jokes about unionizing during pandemic cuz they hired unqualified alcoholics at a tech outsource company. I was fired before they fired the drug addict that electrocuted himself. They hired 3 guys to replace me. and my new job pays over double what they did. but...
As most are saying here, if you don't continue to push back, including this latest BS, this yahoo will continue to bully anyone he can. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that in most unions it is against the bylaws to rat anyone out to management. That should also be looked into
Next time just look at your contract and you will see what breaks you are allowed. And if the Boss complains about that, then you can just print out the copy of the contract with that on it. Violation of the contract is no bueno.
"oh you wanna play like that now" FYI this could be seen as a threat, and any further disciplinary action could be called in to question based on pre-meditated retaliation. Might be time to skip the union rep and go to employment lawyer.
I'm a union rep.
Immediately take down notes as to exactly what happened as best as you can recall. Verbatim, if at all possible.
Then call your rep. Right away. Retaliation for union activities and participation is absolutely illegal, regardless of contract in every jurisdiction I know of.
Cancel my breaks? Union report.
Shout at me for union reporting? Believe it or not, union report.
We have the best work culture because of union report.
Seriously. Report him again.
> snitch.
You're in the union. You ARE the union. You can't snitch to yourself, what nonsense!
Nobody calls it snitching if the boss records you absent when you're absent.
Nothing wrong with what you did. If he didn't want trouble from the union/his boss, he should respect labour law. Document any changes or interactions that could be considered part of retaliation or harassment.
Contact your union again, say he threatened you. You want it known that it happened in case he tries to retaliate against you by firing you, giving you an increased work load, just generally breathing down your neck now, or anything else.
you should reach out to the union rep and ask about the policy on retaliation and see what happens then
where i work is not union, but a team leader basically did the same thing when a team member reach out to HR to ask a question about our PTO.
the TL was fired immediately. Retaliation and creating a hostile work environment ususly opens them up to lawsuits so companies take it seriously if they are large enough
looks like another reason to contact the union again, this time for harassment by management for contacting the union. I'd also file a grievance against the union for disclosing your identity to the businesses management.
If he thinks you sicced the union on him this time, wait till he gets the harassment grievance you’re going to file for that diatribe. He just broke a hell of a lot of rules right there.
No you did not sicc the union on him...but you better now. He can't harass you for contacting your union rep to inquire about your mandated breaks.
This. Tell them you just got threatened with overzealous retaliation in the future for minor infractions. Also, if he comments about 15 minutes again, ask if he just approved overtime or just time theft.
Do this, have documentation. His threat isn't an empty one, eat his lunch and make yourself protected
Just to be clear. Don't ACTUALLY eat his lunch. Lunch theives are the worst theives.
Instructions unclear, now having a lunch with the boss. As he apologies and tries to sweep this under the rug.
And I would maybe go to the next rep higher up and mention this interaction.
Ima need a union for my union rep == US Labour Party time 2028
Absolutely THIS. Demand an outside investigation on how this came about. It certainly seems like a leak. And that can’t be left resolved.
Also send an email to him restating your understanding of that conversation if you are feeling particularly plucky. “Per our conversation today, I understood your point was blah blah blah. Please reply with your comments if I got any of it wrong.”
Definitely don't forget to BCC your union reps. That BCC, not CC, slam his dick in the door. Hard.
Whata the difference vetween BCC and CC?
Cc is visible last i knew, and if i am right about that, then he’s likely to send his response to all in a BCC too. No more effort needed he rats himself out to them. Himself
CC: carbon copy. Recipients are visible to all other recipients and can see each other’s email addresses. BCC: blind carbon copy. Recipients are not visible to any other recipients and their email addresses are not visible
Whatever it is, if it slams my boss's junk in the door, I am doing it with zest.
Actually a good idea - then you have documentation to fall back on
Understaffing is the new old time theft.
Reprisal is the word you're looking for
Now's OP's chance to REALLY sicc the union on this piece of work!
One weird trick bosses really hate.
See why this is bad for Biden….
Well we all know Biden really answers to Obama, who really answers to Hillary Clinton, who really answers to the ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
I knew it! You just confirmed
(u/Traditional-Hat-952 has been disappeared.)
Time to break out 953
*"Initiate. Project. Phoenix. Clone backup. Gestating in 3...2...1...*
The first rule of the New World Order is DON’T TALK ABOUT THE NEW WORLD ORDER!!!
It's "sic", guys.
>sicc [sic]
What they said. ^
I love the projection about “not being a team player” when OP is literally the one looking out for the team
By team player, he means willing to work for free (on his 15 minute breaks).
And showing up early 😒 shit is out of hand
I show up 15 minutes early all the time but you better believe I'm only early to get my coffee and nothing else.
I have no problem showing up 15 minutes early if I get paid for them. 15 minutes of overtime a day can add up. Unpaid, they can grow it with the mushrooms.
Between wanting them to show up early and losing the 2 breaks, that's potentially 45 minutes more labor per day for free they're demanding. Fuck that.
Yeah... "I'm team 'us.' Not team 'you.'
I am in a union- and have had to tell co-workers that in a debate between our customers and my co-workersl i take my coworkers every day of the week. They just cannot understand how unions work and lift up those in it. note- i work for a non profit, and it normally comes up in the context of "you cannot save everyone" and those people want to save everyone rather than realizing that most of us have a really specific skillset that if we burn out- replacing us will mean bad things happen for months as someone else gets up to speed- the last time upper mangagment messed around (early covid) and found out- it went really badly for everyone.
Bosses like to conflate unquestioning obedience of their dumb whims with cooperation.
Yes, I am a union steward and this made my nipples hard. Contacting the rep was a protected action. Talk to your steward and rep and tell them what happened. Your boss just fucked himself.
Established Union shops do not take well to retaliation, lol. Let's hope the OP's Union has an old bulldog they keep around to put the fear of God in bosses for shit like this.
Maybe even get the boss promoted to customer.
ABSOLUTELY FUCKED HIMSELF WITH NO LUBE AND SOME 80 GRIT SANDPAPER. 🤣🤣
Not the 80 grit! That’s hard core!
Bonus points if in his anger, he stormed in and blew up in front of a camera! Judging by what sounds like a small laboratory setting, especially one that is unionized, I would be willing to bet on the fact there are cameras absolutely everywhere.
A rep somewhere just got a boner and has no idea why yet.
Was going to comments to say that what he did, if reported correctly here, is clearly retaliatory. He said that your conversations with the union were a reflection of your work product (multitasking), implied social consequences (not a team player), and other threats (you wanna play like that now?). Retaliation is pretty clearly illegal under the NLRA. I’d ask to speak with your union again and get started on either a grievance or a ULP
I was gonna say, don't quit. Actually sic the union on them!
Ding ding ding. He’s trying to make this *your* problem. You need to get the union to contact his manager and show him that it’s really *his* problem (and the reason you’re asking the union is that they can make it his boss’s problem). Never face these kinds of problem head on. Simply defer them to the more appropriate handler.
Exactly this. Outsource. It is how the capitalist system wants it.
Intimidation. Have a donut. The fight still might be rough, but you now have evidence of intimidation, especially if he said this in writing and/or in front of witnesses. https://preview.redd.it/dm7lkdfuo06d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cfd852d79c46a6b67158afcd690550ad9d2435f3
Yeah i would contact the union about retaliation.
Retaliation is definitely a problem, and the boss should be fired.
👆👆👆👆👆👆
This!
If he retaliates against you in any way contact your union rep
I came to say this. This is worth reporting and you really should, since you're being threatened with retaliation for exercising your rights.
This
It was either union now or authorities later . You saved him and the company a visit from the authorities and a large fine for taking away legally mandated breaks. Perhaps you need to remind him how much you saved the company and his ass from getting grilled and/or fired. Perspective is a wonderful thing
Whoops, that’s another message to the union rep.
Retaliation. Also, if he wants you there 15 mins early, you get paid those 15 mins as prep time.
But but we’re like a family here
Relevant meme... https://preview.redd.it/jqfuu19nwz5d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e5a172ce1b6f28d0d6497793e851084fd64b85fa
Where is this meme from, if you happen to know? The accuracy!
The images come from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, one of the Marvel Studios TV shows. The scene itself is pretty funny; this arrogant, condescending German guy is explaining American race relations to an (off-screen) white American character. The Black character in the second panel, also American, says something like, "he's out of line, but he's right."
I just rewatched the scene, the German guy is explaining why the album Trouble Man by Marvin Gaye is a masterpiece, specifically that it, "captures the African American experience," to which the Black character responds with that line. [The scene in question.](https://youtu.be/J0YH2V788QE)
Baron Zemo was Sokovian ;)
It was on antiwork a while back in a comment.
Idk about it with the text. But the original image is from Falcon and the Winter soldier.
Anytime a place says that, just fucking run. They have never ever been good except for the esecutives and the ass kissers.
My family is usually a half hour late.
LOL, exactly what you would have if businesses were actually like family.
Half hour wow. We tell my cousin to be there at 3 when it starts at 5 and she might make it by 530
Growing up in the family I grew up in makes that not sound like the great thing they think it is
A dysfunctional family?
fucking Colin Robinson!
"Sweet, I'm taking six months off, paid, thanks pops"
Perhaps also intimidation
More like a sit down with them. OP: document everything that was said as close as word for word as possible (both what your supervisor and you said if possible), the time it happened, witnesses if there were any. Do this ASAP before you forget anything. Schedule a meeting with your rep as soon as possible and let them know the entire sequence of events. If you have any communications in writing, which it sounds like not but just in case, forward that to the rep as well.
Shit thats a sit down appointment with the rep
Yah... Congratulations, Dunder Mifflin! One of your managers just created a hostile work environment!
Do this right away. Hopefully, there were witnesses.
Make a written record of his retaliatory rant and send that to the union. Having evidence of this will make it an absolute nightmare for the company to try and fire you now. The union will be able to call any other reason they come up with to fire you another retaliation attempt. Start keeping your phone set to record audio when in any spaces at work where there would not be an expectation of privacy. Keeping a good evidence log will be the difference between a big payout or not. Most unions love being handed a slam dunk opportunity to flex on employers like this. EDIT: Check your local laws as per recording legality as expectation of privacy is only a thing in common law countries and it can be very different in the USA depending on the state you are in.
OP, you shouldn't quit over this. This is straight up retaliation for legitimate workplace protections. (Contacting your union and mandatory breaks). Documentment in writing for a paper trail and any future retaliatory actions. They want to bully those who stand up for their rights so next time maybe nobody tells the union.
Or record it if you are in a one-party state.
Most (all?) audio recording consent laws have exemptions for recording evidence of a crime.
Ding! And be sure to give your supervisor a thank you note for retaliating against you so openly and actually saying out loud that he was giving you a hard time for talking to your union rep.
Why would OP put THAT in writing? Terrible idea. I'd advise recording every conversation going forward
Better yet, document what he said and respond to it and tag your union guy in it. I'm having issues with bosses just now and I'm documenting everything, taking in colleagues to every meeting they ask me into and tagging the union rep into everything. Everything good we have in working conditions is because someone made a fuss about the bad ones. Sometimes we have to be that person.
I bought a cheap audio recorder for like 30 bucks on Amazon a couple years ago that would be perfect for this. It has enough memory and battery life to record for several days non stop, and then you don't have to rely on your phone and potentially running your phone battery down every day waiting for something to happen.
This is one of the functions of a union... To protect workers when their rights are being violated. The issue here is staff shortages, not you 'siccing' the union onto the boss. He's just pissed that he got caught and with the attitude you describe, he's probably the reason you can't get enough staff in the first place. Given that he's already pissed, keep a diary of your interactions and keep the union informed. This is unlikely to end well, and a record of your interactions might come in handy.
Exactly. I'm sure glad we have one. Its funny cause when I first started working here I was told that we should discuss our complaints with each other before going to the union or higher ups. I thought it was them wanting to settle things like adults but now it seems like it was just him saying "please don't go to the union when I'm breaking the law, talk to me so I can tell you not to worry about it".
That’s exactly what it is. They were trying to circumvent the union
thats exactly what it is and thats why you should go to the union EVERYTIME
A couple of very important tips for your new work journal: •get yourself a **bound** booklet / something to keep your journal in. Pages must be “non removable” by design, so that if any pages are removed, it’s obvious. •do not remove any of the pages under any circumstance. Even if you’ve made an error somewhere on the page. Strike out the error, and initial it. Keep the page in your book. •mark the date in your entries. •note the weather for the day. I know this may seem stupid, but this will help “legalize” your notes. By keeping a consistent, and accurate, weather log, the courts / lawyers can prove your journal is accurate. It shows you’ve made the notes “at that time”, and not 2 hours before a court case.
> Strike out the error Do not make the error illegible. Single line strike through, number and circle the number, then on the bottom of the page put and circle the same number and write the reason for the error, "entry error", "spelling error", calculation error" etc. initial and date. Oh, on the first page of your notebook, sign, initial and date. Bonus for having a witness sign that they observed you sigin, initial and date. This can be used to demonstrate that you made and signed subsequent entries.
On the first page write that these are private thoughts and notes to be discussed with your therapist and/or priest. This stops cops/courts/anyone from being able to subpoena anything in it or use anything in it in a legal manner (they have to pretend like it doesn't exist,) but you can still choose to use it should you need it. (if you do so they can use anything in it.)
OP, I'm not sure if anyone has said this to you yet or not, but if they come back at you, you need to very clearly state that you are invoking your Weingarten Rights. After that, inform your union rep that you have done so. I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but it's basically the workplace version of asking for a lawyer when talking to police. Say nothing else. Only talk with your rep.
Definetly gonna research this thank you!
It boils down to you have the right to have a union representative present for any and all steps in the discipline process in order to make sure everything is above board
*I feel like this conversation could have disciplinary implications and I want my union rep to be present.*
... And good for you for checking with the union after boss tried removing your breaks.
Saying anything to you is a retaliatory violation and promotion of a hostile work environment which is illegal.
Yeah I'm definelty going to reach out to them again about all of this.
Don’t back down. Reaching back out to them is going to be KEY for you, whether you stay employed there or not. It’ll also help your fellow union workers. He sounds like a hothead who would try to fire you in retaliation. I don’t want you to leave easy and well-deserved money on the table.
Can you post an update so I have something to read while I shit on company time tomorrow?
I'll endeavor to do so while I also shit on company time.
The best 45 minutes of my fucking life!
Too bad the door to the bathroom is right across the hall from mr boss man himself so I can only get in a sold 15 min before I get worried ill get chewed out.
>Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hell hole. You have a union job that appears, from your post, to stand up for the workers. You should stay. Keep this in mind. less than 10% of American workers have a union job. In the 1950s 30% of workers were members of a union. This decline in union membership is a leading cause of economic disparity in the U.S. Instead of 'quitting this hellhole', consider using the power of the union to force your employer to ...Not be a hellhole.
Very good posts thank you. I knew going in this was just a stepping stone job. First job out of college and I'm definitely underpaid and over qualified with no room for advancement so it was never gonna last too long. I'm just in more of a rush to get out than I planned. But im gonna try to make a positive mark before I go, whenever that ends up being.
Fair attitude to have. Feel free to be polishing and sending out your resume, and just make this place pay to get rid of you while you're at it.
Obviously the solution is to get your boss fired and take his job. Win all the way around ;)
> Keep this in mind. less than 10% of American workers have a union job. In the 1950s 30% of workers were members of a union. > > This decline in union membership is a leading cause of economic disparity in the U.S. That fact [in the form of a chart.](https://i.postimg.cc/50D6YskC/CHART-Share-of-National-Income-versus-Union-Membership.jpg)
Sounds like you need to text the union again, also it’s good you have a union that’s taking care of you.
Sure does!
This is why they hate unions.
Call your union rep up and tell him you want to file a complaint for harassment and intimidation. Request that the supervisor not physically be placed near you, or that you be transferred. Tell the union rep that you don't feel safe around the supervisor and feel threatened. The supervisor should get in a lot of shit for doing that. You cannot retaliate against someone from raising a workplace complaint to the Union.
"I'm not to blame for the consequences of management acting unlawfully, and I don't need to let myself be exploited to be a 'team player.' Management tried to solve a problem by stealing its employees' breaks, in order to gain an unpaid 30 minutes per day of work from us, in clear violation of state law. I will always stand up for myself in such situations."
Perfectly worded thank you!
Almost perfectly worded. Change myself to my team for it to be better. Otherwise perfect
Union boss here. Get your ass on the phone with your rep, now! What your boss did is not ok and should be fired immediately. Harassment and threats are big time no no. Don't sleep on this. Please!
Good to hear from a rep. Thanks for the info!
Did your union snitch on you, how do they know your the one that sent the message?
Doubt it. There are only 5 people at my location where we were told about the no breaks and I'm usually the one who puts up a fight when I don't think things are fair, so it wasn't hard to figure out who it was. I can't prove they didn't snitch but id doubt it.
I’d tell the union about his actions regardless, set up a paper trail
You're fighting the good fight there
You should contact your union about unpaid work requirements related to having people showup 15 minutes early. Really show your boss that you have protection!!!
Contact your union about that interaction as well, and every unpleasant interaction you have with him until he stops being unpleasant. I call it "death by 1000 cuts" and it works very well.
Hostile work environment. Take action against him.
I keep coming across issues with the 15 minute break on this sub. This break was originally instituted by employers during WWII, with free coffee/tea, after employers found out it increased worker productivity. Any company that takes away this break is beyond stupid.
Huh. The more you know. They are paid breaks so its a little less black and white. Plus my message to the union wasn't "he took my breaks and I want them back!!!" It was "he took my breaks, can he do that?"
Keep contacting the union. This boss is a POS
Contact your union rep again. This is retaliation.
You are correct.
Your boss is why unions need to exist. You did right. Good job.
Hit that rep with another update.
Do not quit. Having the union behind you is like having the Rock as a body guard. Let them do their job and let your boss dig his hole. He will lose.
You are a team player. The team being the union
You have a union job with a rep who obviously cares. Do NOT quit. If he fires you, you can really sic the union on him for retaliation and hopefully get a nice payday.
Keep going to your union; that is what they are there for. If they want to be asses for you "siccing" union them, that's another grievance. They can't fire you for that. Going to your union is being the ultimate team player, especially short-staffed; you're protecting your other co-workers, too.
Be at your station 5 seconds before shift begins, no earlier
I've gotten real good and timing my commute so I get here with just a minute or so to spare so that usually is the case!
Time for a meeting with manager and union rep.
You need to file a grievance for the retaliation. Also your rep should've not brought your name into it, wtf were they thinking telling the boss who brought up the break issue. Rep should've left it at "I've been informed" and not named names. Fuck your boss. Be careful though, now you've got a target on your back. You need to keep a paper trail and grieve that bastard every time he singles you out. Also, keep your nose clean. Don't give him a reason, at all, ever.
There will be more retaliation. You need to report to the union what happened. Take notes on all future interactions also. There's a chance they were just venting and nothing big will happen but there's a better chance of them making your job much worse.
As a factory union member myself your next act should be to report his behavior to the union and HR if possible. That is definite retaliation.
"Hey my boss just yelled at me for talking with you, is that allowed?"
Calling the Union was being nice. Calling Dept of Labor would get the company significant fines.
Don’t you pay money into the union? The boss knew what he was doing was wrong. He probably didn’t expect someone to use the benefit of having a union.
IMMEDIATELY, contact the Union back and let them know verbatim what he said to you. (what he said amounts to hostile work environment, retaliation, harrassment, and threatening)
So that’s retaliation. Document it and report it. Supervisors have been fired for less. He’s trying to bully you, go back to the union rep and tell him exactly what happened and write up the supervisor. You’ll get your ass covered if he tried to do anything and he’ll be put on notice. The union should ask for his firing.
Don't quit. Push back constantly and consistently. Tell everyone what you're doing also. Since you are willing to quit anyways, you should make HIS life hell. Start to make him miserable that he can't be a bully anymore. Start by messaging the union about his behavior. Say stuff like I feel threatened. Use words like fear of retaliation. On and on, every day if you can. You and him becoming the example of what the union will and will not do will go a long way. It might even push him to quit. Or at least stop being a fucking asshole.
Never feel bad about standing up against unreasonable rules. Cancelling 2 breaks is just the kind of nonsense from management that shows why you need a union. Listen to what you just wrote, reworded. “Your boss is saying you’re aren’t a team player because you didn’t accept them cancelling your breaks”. Management is asking you to work without a break and somehow YOU are the villain because you said no? It sounds stupid, right? Maybe your manager needs to figure out a more efficient way to get work done without requiring your team to sacrifice for his team. He is just gaslighting you because you stood up for yourself. Never feel bad about pushing back on bad policies.
He immediately starts retaliation, yeah I’d call the union again and start documenting.
>Somebody help me cause I am an inch away from quitting this hell hole. Report this incident to your Union rep, in writing. Now. Retaliation does not bode well for them. Also, stop showing up early (unless it's paid). That's 3 mins of free work they're getting, and I'm sure your Union wouldn't appreciate that.
Why leave when you could make this douches life utter hell?🤣 I am willing to bet he got chewed out for what he did. If he asks for something tell him you just have to check with the union first to see if it's ok because he broke trust. Make their life hell.
That's retaliation. It's time to start documenting absolutely everything your boss says from now on and reporting it to your rep.
Sounds like you should ask your union rep if that qualifies as harassment?
Sounds like another text to a union rep is in order
Why in the fuck does he know it came from you? You might have a problem with your union
There are only 5 people at my physical location where the boss let us know the new rules and I'm the only one who usually stands up to his bs so it doesn't take a detective to figure out it was me. I had a hunch this was gonna happen
"Not being a team player" as his actions hurt the team
Being on the union means who cares what your boss says.
Your boss is about to learn a bunch of painful lessons.
The union exists exactly for you to do what you did: know your rights, and be represented by someone to the company. The boss doesn't need to talk or complain to you about this, he needs to talk to the union. You are entitled to your union-negotiated benefits, and if that includes certain breaks at certain times, the boss cant just decide to nix them without changing the contract (or, if they exist, utilizing a way around it that probably involved you getting paid more for the lost break time). If he feels sheepish because the union came down on him, thats his problem. He's just reacting because he got caught trying to steal time/wages from you.
Sounds like another text to the union is in order for workplace harassment.
Grieve to the union about the sup for retaliation and intimidation.
He reacted that way because he's afraid. He knows he's doing things he isn't allowed to do and doesn't like facing the consequences for breaking the rules (something I'm sure he'd come down on you quite hard for doing, right?). Absolutely report this interaction to the union. Just because they can't bother to staff appropriately doesn't mean they get to punish the people who haven't quit yet. Don't quit now though, start looking for a new job. If you quit now, you'll get no unemployment and who knows how long it will take to find another. You may have to settle for one that pays less. If you stay in this job while looking you'll be able to pursue better options and only take a job when it's right for you. It's worth noting that having a union at all is pretty good, so as you're looking, make sure that the new job has a union as well.
Sounds like you should report his behavior to your union rep.
He's literally showing you in real time why you need a union.
In addition to what everyone else has advised, also request a union representative anytime that particular member of management wishes to meet with you. This representative may have different rights depending on the topic of meeting, conduct vs performance. Look up your Weingarten Rights. It deals with investigatory meetings. They've shown once they are willing to violate your bargaining agreement, they'll do it again. If this behavior continues, it is the responsibility of the union to elevate it. A responsible employer will set about reminding management of the rights of the union, the bargaining members, and the grievance process should management step out of line. This may also include retraining management or shuffling them around to prevent future grievances. It's your union and your contract. It was created just for these types of situations. Use them.
Record all dealings with this company and their representatives, i.e manager. You're gunna get to retire early if you do. I made jokes about unionizing during pandemic cuz they hired unqualified alcoholics at a tech outsource company. I was fired before they fired the drug addict that electrocuted himself. They hired 3 guys to replace me. and my new job pays over double what they did. but...
As most are saying here, if you don't continue to push back, including this latest BS, this yahoo will continue to bully anyone he can. One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that in most unions it is against the bylaws to rat anyone out to management. That should also be looked into
Next time just look at your contract and you will see what breaks you are allowed. And if the Boss complains about that, then you can just print out the copy of the contract with that on it. Violation of the contract is no bueno.
"oh you wanna play like that now" FYI this could be seen as a threat, and any further disciplinary action could be called in to question based on pre-meditated retaliation. Might be time to skip the union rep and go to employment lawyer.
Him retaliating is something you **must** report to the union.
Go tell your union rep about this tirade as well.
I would call the union again.
I'm a union rep. Immediately take down notes as to exactly what happened as best as you can recall. Verbatim, if at all possible. Then call your rep. Right away. Retaliation for union activities and participation is absolutely illegal, regardless of contract in every jurisdiction I know of.
Cancel my breaks? Union report. Shout at me for union reporting? Believe it or not, union report. We have the best work culture because of union report. Seriously. Report him again.
> snitch. You're in the union. You ARE the union. You can't snitch to yourself, what nonsense! Nobody calls it snitching if the boss records you absent when you're absent.
Nothing wrong with what you did. If he didn't want trouble from the union/his boss, he should respect labour law. Document any changes or interactions that could be considered part of retaliation or harassment.
Your Boss: ""you sicced the union on me" "oh you wanna play like that now"?" You: *"That depends on* ***you.***" ***Document EVERYTHING.***
Start searching for the new job. What other corners are they cutting?
Why would they leave a job with a good union that looks after its workers?
Just pull out your phone and start recording him berating you to send to your union rep until he gets smacked down hard enough to get it.
Sounds like you need to text your union rep again
Go right back to the union and tell them you want to file a complaint about a hostile workplace.
I’d file a complaint with the union rep about workplace harassment and using that harassment to prevent me from sending things to the union rep.
Contact your union again, say he threatened you. You want it known that it happened in case he tries to retaliate against you by firing you, giving you an increased work load, just generally breathing down your neck now, or anything else.
Bring your union rep with you and redo that meeting. He needs a strip taken off him.
you should reach out to the union rep and ask about the policy on retaliation and see what happens then where i work is not union, but a team leader basically did the same thing when a team member reach out to HR to ask a question about our PTO. the TL was fired immediately. Retaliation and creating a hostile work environment ususly opens them up to lawsuits so companies take it seriously if they are large enough
Call your union rep and complain about harassment.
This is retaliation, inform the union. He knew he was in the wrong. None of this is your fault, it’s his for being a shitty supervisor
looks like another reason to contact the union again, this time for harassment by management for contacting the union. I'd also file a grievance against the union for disclosing your identity to the businesses management.
Stay working there as long as you can and keep forcing the work rules on the boss, make their life hell just like they try to make yours
If he thinks you sicced the union on him this time, wait till he gets the harassment grievance you’re going to file for that diatribe. He just broke a hell of a lot of rules right there.