Chrysler workers who were fired or suspended two years ago after a MyFoxDetroit investigation found them drinking and goofing off during lunch break are back on the job.
MyFoxDetroit first aired the footage of the Chrysler workers in September 2010. Video showed them in a park during the work day, drinking alcohol from bottles covered in brown paper bags and smoking what appeared to be marijuana.
And the excuse?
“While the company does not agree with the ultimate decision of the arbitrator, we respect the grievance procedure process as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement and our relationship with the (United Auto Workers union),” the company said, according to MyFoxDetroit. “Unfortunately, the company was put in a very difficult position because of the way the story was investigated and ultimately revealed to the public.
In other words the problem isn't that people on the line assembling cars might be intoxicated, it is that a TV cameraman followed them around, videoed them consuming intoxicants in public where they had no reasonable expectation of privacy, and then watched them go back to work.
These employees from Jefferson North have been off work for more than two years. The time has come to put this situation behind us and resume our focus on building quality products that will firmly establish Chrysler Group's position in the marketplace."
So you would like the public to buy "quality products" built by persons who, it appears, were drinking and may have been smoking pot on their lunch break, then returned to build "quality cars"?
It would appear that Chrysler's definition of "quality" is a bit different than mine, and I suggest it should be different than yours as well.
Chrysler's labor agreement that permits this sort of "process" to take place is their problem.
My interest lies in purchasing a vehicle assembled by sober employees and if I cannot meet that expectation by buying Chrysler products I can choose to purchase a car made by a firm that doesn't have these problems with their "labor agreements."
The list of those manufacturers, it would appear, is comprised of models made by firms who assemble vehicles in right-to-work states with non-union labor or in overseas factories.
Incidentally, here's the video that started it all (thanks to the forum for finding it again ;-))
