Jimmy John's Resists Campaign to Reform Sick Day Policy with Illegal Firing of Six Workers

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.iww.org/en/content/jimmy-johns-resists-campaign-reform-sick-day-policy-illegal-firing-six-workers

Posted Wed, 03/23/2011 - 12:38pm by intexile

Sandwich Chain Seeks to Suppress Educational Poster on the Risks of Eating Food Prepared by Sick Employees

Jimmy John's Workers Union - Industrial Workers of the World

Contacts: Micah Buckley-Farlee, 612-845-9290 Mike Wilkow, 612-807-6633

March 23, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS- In an effort to silence employees who have blown the whistle on serious food safety hazards at Jimmy John's, the company fired six workers yesterday for putting up posters demanding the right to call in sick and paid sick days in order to avoid exposing customers to infection. Under current policy, Jimmy John's workers are disciplined for calling in sick if they cannot find a replacement, forcing many workers to make sandwiches while ill.



"It just isn't safe -- customers are getting their sandwiches made by people with the flu, and they have no idea," said Micah Buckley-Farlee, one of the fired workers, "and now we're getting fired for blowing the whistle on this disgusting practice. Rather than safeguard public health and do the right thing for their employees and their customers, Jimmy John's owners Mike and Rob Mulligan are trying to silence us. These illegal and offensive firings will not stand."

In addition to the threat of discipline for calling in sick, many workers are unable to afford to take a day off if they are ill because wages at the sandwich chain hover around the federal minimum of $7.25 and the company offers no benefits. The result of these pressures is that sandwich-makers often have to work while sick, creating an enormous public health risk. The issue of working while sick in restaurants has assumed increased concern from the public in recent years. A recent study performed by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy shows a marked increase in workers unable to take sick leave noting that of the 793 employees surveyed 72% said they worked while they had severe flu symptoms.

FULL story at link.

[XOKCowboy]

1. I love Jimmy Johns but I had to rec this for the workers

That just ain't right.

[udbcrzy2]

3. I like the Porker - ham with bacon

I suspect that it's like this at most of those $7.00 hourly jobs. I know Walmart has sick days, but you have to be absent at least 2-days before you can use it and it does not pay you for the 1st day.

[Tunkamerica]

7. totally, i worked at subway and blimpie. no paid sick days. calling in sick just makes

your co-workers hate you for making them work alone or your boss hate you for making him/her come in to work for you.

[Rincewind]

10. Jimmy John is an asshole.

He lives here, in central Illinois, and went ballistic when the State raised income taxes to help deal with the huge state deficit. He threatened to move both his family, and his national headquarters out of state (Florida was mentioned) because he is insulted that he would have to pay his fair share. According to some articles in the local news rag (The News-Gazette) he treats the headquarters personal that he deals with rather well, but if you work in one of his stores, well, you're fucked. He is also mad that the local building trades council is picketing a new store that he is building, because he didn't just hire non-union contractors, but out of state non union contractors. We have a lot of non union construction workers here that have bills to pay.

[Lucian]

2. Yeah, I'm not eating there ever again.

No wonder I'm sick.

x(

And shame on the owners of Jimmy John's for their work practices. That's so Walmartian.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. I am never eating there again.

The last time I ate there I had a tuna salad sandwich with RAW onions in it.

Because the onions were not cooked, I burped all day. That was unpleasant.

[Shiver]

5. I used to work at a Jimmy Johns in Milwaukee.

And this is all completely true.

[Ken Burch]

6. Where does this chain exist?

I've never heard of it, but I DAMN well wouldn't eat there now even if I had.

If nothing else, you'd think places like this would CARE about not having their customers get sick...even if they don't care if their workers live or die.

The Wobblies are right to take up this fight...

[Tunkamerica]

8. the contiguous 48 states.

and i would like to know which fast food companies do offer paid sick days. Or any restaurants that do because I've worked at 5 or 6 and never got paid when i wasn't at work.

[Ken Burch]

11. It sounds like this place doesn't even offer UNPAID sick days

(oh, and I checked Wikipedia...It's actually Alaska-my state-and Oregon-my birth state-that are the only places without Jimmy Johns).

[Tunkamerica]

14. you're right... this late my reading comprehension tends to suffer

[Urban Prairie]

9. These workers never tried to exercise their FMLA rights?

Go to a urgent-care doctor if you believe that you will be fired, yeah, it costs money to see them, but it certainly beats getting fired, and if you are that sick, and it isn't the "24" hr flu, then it often is covered under FMLA. Employers can get in trouble with the feds, if you have a valid FML form filled out and signed by a doctor.

[RiseInside]

12. Its not always that simple....

Without insurance you are looking at upwards of $200 to get any sort of care. I know that around here the only place you could go for a decent price shut down. Now you are forced to set an appointment or go to the ER. Each is going to cost you. Its not always as simple as just going to get some sort of care.

[old mark]

15. Many employers get around FEMLA every way they possibly can,

including many state governments. I worked for PA as a state employee and we had many people disciplined and threatened with being fired for using FEMLA...not as bad as losing your job, but if you have a chronic illness or a chronically ill family member, and you KNOW you will be harrassed every time you use FMLA for its intended purpose, it really adds to your stress.

The employers know this and work it to death. HR managers have yearly conventions to discuss ways to beat Federal and State regulations and harass and manipu;late employees who have the nerve to use them.
As a former AFSCME Steward, and husband of a wife with end-stage liver disease, I have seen this many times.

mark

[RiseInside]

13. Now on my list of places I will not go to

I definitely will not be going to Jimmy John's from this point forward and I will tell everybody I know to do the same.