Walmart employee forced to wear yellow vest after telling boss he’s gay

[LynneSin]

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0620/walmart-forced-wear-yellow-vest-gay/

Walmart employee forced to wear yellow vest after telling boss he’s gay

By Raw Story
Sunday, June 20th, 2010 -- 1:16 pm
A Las Vegas man who held a temporary job at Walmart says he was stripped of all his responsibilities and made to wear a yellow vest after telling his manager that he's gay.

Fernando Gallardo has filed a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission claiming that his boss at a Vegas-area Walmart confronted him about his sexuality, and then began treating him rudely and alienated him from co-workers after learning Gallardo was gay, reports The Advocate.

"I was completely ignored and shunned," he wrote in a complaint to the rights commission. "I had nothing to do all day but wander around the store wearing a yellow vest no one else had to wear, much like Jews had to wear a yellow star of David in Hitler's Germany."

The Advocate reports that within two months of Gallardo's forced admission, "his supervisor and two other managers stopped talking to him completely."

[RagAss]

1. If this is true....Cla$$ Action !!

[LynneSin]

3. I think it's Class Action only if this was standard practice amongst all Wal-Marts

But the guy still has a lawsuit - I think it was one asshole homophobic manager that happened to be working at Wal-Mart.

[madrchsod]

2. 0 to 3 recommends....

another reason never to shop at walmart

[Frustratedlady]

4. Years ago, I had a couple employees come in to update their resumes...

and they were talking about their asst. manager at Wal-Mart who had to wear a sandwich board around the store advertising lube jobs in their auto department because his department didn't meet their goal. The girls were crying about how humiliating it was for the guy. Because of this, both girls were looking for other jobs. They told me how horrible it was to work there.

I figured it had improved since then, but this instance tells me it hasn't. I never shop there out of principle, so I don't know.

[MountainLaurel]

5. Were they out of pink triangles that day? n/t

[Happyhippychick]

6. +1 - my same thought. Perhaps the Jews will have to wear armbands at Walmart next.

[Xenotime]

9. I like the way you think

[rocktivity]

7. He was made to wear a yellow best

because the vests with the pink triangles are still on back order.

x(
rocktivity

[Vickers]

8. Cha-CHING!!! n/t

[marmar]

10. WTF? What century do some people live in?

nt

[NM_hemilover]

11. We go to Wallmart once in a while, is there even the slightest

possibility, that the gay employee has an axe to grind ?

I read thru some of the posts to your thread, and nobody else has seen the wallmart guys out there collecting carts wearing yellow vests ?

Most all big box stores MAKE thier employees wear yellow or orange vests when out in parking lots, for much the same reason cops wear yellow/chartrusse vests when out directing traffic.

For safety, not necessarily because of a nazi fetish for outing jews and gays at the local wallmart.

The whole story is written from the point of view of "claims" made by the employee,..... maybe the employyee was just a whining, high maintenance tmporary tool, and the "boss" put him on parking lot duty instead of firing him, no carts = nothing to do.

Some employees are lazy, emotionally weak, and put more effort into looking for ways out of work, rater than just DO what they are paid to do, ...it's called thier job. Gay or not.

[gratuitous]

12. It's possible

But Wal-Mart's track record of employee relations certainly augurs for a negative interpretation of events. Fortunately, it's not up to anonymous posters on a small message board to determine the truth or falsity of the claims made, and Wal-Mart will surely have every opportunity to defend itself, if defense there be.

[NM_hemilover]

21. fair enough.

[Barack_America]

14. This is when you consider the weight of the evidence...

Of Wal-Mart being an ethical company or an unethical company.

I think you would get a fairly clear answer.

[NM_hemilover]

22. When I consider the information given in the article,

I see an employee with an axe to grind, and claiming to be oppressed like a Jew in nazi Germany.

(no offense or pun intended), ...but a drama queen is a drama queen and playing the nazi card is a tip off for me that he has no argument or factual basis, shock value is the intention of his claims and more over the article.

[Ignis]

29. That means you need to look outside the narrow confines of ONE article.

WalMart has quite a history of not being incredibly worker-friendly.

[NM_hemilover]

31. I haven't scanned the intertubes for articles,

but my spidey sense tells me that people who compare the trials of life today, regardless how oppressive they may seem,.......to the trials of Jewish people under Nazi rule are attention junkies, self indulgent and more specific assholes who need to be met with a heavy dose of skeptisism.


For every 100 horrible stories of worker abuse at the hands of wallmart "bosses" I would easily guess there are hundreds of thousands of employee/employer engagements on a daily basis that do not involve oppressive, bigoted, unlawfull or hateful outcomes. You just never hear anything positive, or at the very least non negative because nobody cares to read about that, good news doesn't sell news articles.

But.

Today thousands of wallmart employees had an uneventful day at work without feeling like they were oppressed = who the fuck cares.

Today a gay man is made to feel like a Jew in nazi Germany by havig to wear a yellow vest, and nobody will talk to him,.. he claims. = I'll bet you get my point.

[Dappleganger]

32. I do.

Loud and clear.

BTW, denial of one's civil rights IS a BFD. Walmart has a long history of unfair practices against people of color, women and anyone else outside the norm. Google it.

[NM_hemilover]

35. my opnion is that he is a drama queen/asshole.

The article is nothing more than a dramiatic ONE SIDED interpretaion of possibilities.

I don't believe everything the google tells me, there are people who make shit up. I will gladly read the link with more information about this story if you found one, not every OTHER horrible event perpetrated by wallmart...this one.

How B an Fing Deal is falsely claiming civil rights violations......easy ...it's no big deal at all to falsely claim civil right violations, because regardless of the story, regardless how one sided, regardless how fishy a story sounds there are people who will believe anything JUST to believe this entity or that entity is evil.

If nobody holds people accountable for false accusations then why the hell not accuse someone of radical things....like being treated like a Jew in nazi Germany for having to wear a yellow vest and being ignored by thier piers. Someone out there will pick up the standard and march right along without questioning the rest of the story.

The more I think of it the more I stick to my opnion, he sounds like a self indulgent over dramatic asshole.

[Ignis]

38. "it's no big deal at all to falsely claim civil right violations"

Really? Please elaborate on this claim.

[Dappleganger]

39. That is your opinion.

Which glaringly reflects favoritism towards Walmart, a corporation known for unfair employee/employer relations. I do not share that sentiment as do not MOST PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM. I know personally of too many employees screwed by this company to ever side with them, and there is no reason given for me to doubt this gay man's story.

Once again, civil rights are a BFD. If you fail to see that than there is nothing for us to further discuss. And you calling that many names when you don't even know him only emphasizes YOUR main problem.

[LostinVA]

48. "Drama Queen"?

Interesting choice of words.

[Bluenorthwest]

70. Words, words, words....

[lunasun]

77. yes let's stereotype more ! Some one has Walmart manager in their future nt

[Divine Discontent]

57. "self indulgent over dramatic asshole"

You sure do garner a lot of info about this guy from a simple charge that he was harassed by a manager who was anti-gay and asked about his sexuality, then upon finding he was gay, made him wear a yellow vest around the inside of the store.

His charge could be completely false, and he's just trying to use his being gay as a tool to seek retribution against a boss he didn't like. And, it could be entirely true - because I have witnessed in my life smart-assed jerk bigot "wannabe macho" straight men harass gay guys they see in public, or assume are gay at work.

I don't instantly attack his claim in post after post with cries of "drama queen", and "whiny self indulgent over dramatic asshole". It seems a bit much of a wild jump to go so hardcore against someone making the complaint to call them a flurry of names over such little information.


By the way, "self indulgent" is a very anti-Gay term that I've heard ministers use to claim Gay people are only Gay because they are after pleasure only, no commitment, no family, and are self indulgent in their desires and need to reject being that way. It's about one of the most laughable lines of bullshit I can imagine. Apparently there's a slew of preachers out there that can turn off and on their desires to sleep with other men.


But, back to self indulgent - it seems rather odd to have used that term in context to the story above. I can understand you saying "drama queen", and "whiny", even if I don't think it's right you so strongly intone the person voicing the complaint is lying, it's acceptable reasoning, but the "self indulgent" really seems very questionable.

[Mad_Dem_X]

64. +1

[NM_hemilover]

84. What ?

Two months after the "incident" they ignored him.....I would too he sounds like an asshole.
Correct his "claim" could be inflated, but claiming to be persecuted like a Jew in nazi Germany removes the doubt in my mind.
"self indulgent" is anti gay ? bullshit, sounds overly dramitic to me.

Fair enough on the use of "self indulgent" I guess, selfish, self centered, spoiled, might be better descriptions. I don't agree that "self indulgent", is anti gay, but what-ever.

I find it personally offensive, that anybody can claim to be persecuted like a Jew, and not one single person on this site has a problem with that. I guess it's just "descriptive", and good use of imagery to everyone but me.

I guess it would be Ok to say that a raunchy meat fart in the elevator makes me understand what the Jews felt like as they were being gassed.

[Divine Discontent]

96. I'm glad you agree on 'self indulgent' was not the right term to use in regards to what was in the

story. There was no grounds to call him that, and that begged the question about yourself, since you instantly went after the man making the accusations as whiny, drama queen, and an asshole - again with such little information about the story.

Yes, if he's making this up - he's an asshole, and a con artist. If he's not, he is being persecuted in the manner that is the most well documented shunning in history, the Jews being made to wear the Star of David, by having made to wear a yellow vest. It's possible it's all a load of crap, but it's just as possible it's completely true, because some men, especially in "meager" power positions have shown themselves to be complete jerks...

[Name removed]

106. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LostinVA]

107. I can believe using "drama queen" once was a mistake

But not when used again, over a day later, after being aclled on it. Tsk tsk tsk.

[NM_hemilover]

111. Can't drop a letter of my description,

or the "gotcha" police will swoop in.


Don't be offeended at his nazi comparrison, nor the two week time line it took to get there, not even the lack of the slightest hink of the other side of the story. His Jewish feelings of outrage took a full two months to mature, about the time his temporary status arrived I'd guess.

To much heat for me, I feel like a Jew in a nazi oven.

The only thing I got called on was somebody telling me that "self indulgent" is a gay slur. Don't worry, this is tiresome and boring, being lectured by a group of people who will justify anything in the name of hating wallmart. My skin is thick, I was curious what DU's thought would be, I got it, regardless of the facts TOLD in the story, wallmart is wrong because ....

[MajorChode]

58. I mediate discrimination issues as one of my duties

Typically what happens is the complaintant makes their claim which is generally truthful, but much more often than not exaggerated, and sometimes greatly. The company typically makes the claim that they did absolutely nothing wrong. Reality is usually somewhere in the middle. At least in my experience, I don't think there is a problem with "false" accusations. The vast majority of people who I have seen who have brought forward a complaint genuinely believe they have been faulted. They vast majority of employers genuinely feel they did nothing wrong. However, their perceptions may not always accurately reflect reality.

[NM_hemilover]

83. I can agree with your post,

I dropped too much blood in the water, questioning any accusation against Wallmart on DU. I'm unimpressed with anybody who claims to be persecuted like a Jew in nazi Germany, and tend to believe the horse shit is deeper on thier end.

Not claiming Wallmart is up for any employer of the year awards, but if it cries like a drama queen, exagerates like a drama queen, and the drama queen's point of view is the only one given, then I tend to believe it's and exagerating, over dramatic whiny drama queen.

Wallmart is not the borg, there are good and bad people that work for Wallmart, just like any other company, all Wallmart employees are not feeding on the souls of the public like some would have me believe.

I'm a project manager for a GC here in NM, overly dramic drama queens who claim to be persecuted like a Jew in nazi Germany are not something I come across, it takes a whole lot less drama than that for an extremely impolite invitation to exist the site. People like that are a morale cancer to a company, and defending them in order to show contempt for a corporation is laughable.

I agree that there are details yet to be told, but my experience tells me that the employee spends more time getting attention than performing his job, temporary or not, I wish the next company he infects better luck.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[theHandpuppet]

63. So quick to give WalMart the benefit of a doubt...

... even though they have a long track record of abusing workers.

So quick to attack and condemn an employee without any knowledge of his work record.

I'll follow your lead and say based on the evidence, you've told me all I want to know about you.

[Name removed]

95. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ignis]

33. Well then, it sounds like you should do your homework.

Honestly, finding news that paints WalMart as anti-worker, anti-women, anti-union, etc., is not difficult, so I don't understand how you can avoid that larger context when you talk about this one incident.

:shrug:

But.

Regarding your "fair and balanced" look at the overall woe or weal perpetrated by WalMart:

Nazi Germany experienced a flowering of the arts in many ways--provided, of course, that you were on the list of Approved Artists covering Approved Subjects in Approved Ways. But that in no way mitigates the horror of the concentration camps.

(Edit: Added a missing article.)

[NM_hemilover]

36. If I showed you articles of how the US government

screwed people over and over and over, would your conclusion be that every person gets screwed every time by every government employee ? And that any incident is above question ? I would not be surprised to hear you say.... yes.

Isn't this where as a DU member I say you are supposed to give me the links that prove this story is true?

The splattering of nazi history tells me you know how to use Wiki, that's about it.

[Ignis]

37. Why? @ "I would not be surprised to hear you say.... yes."

Kindly explain the rationale behind your assertion here.

[Ignis]

88. *tap tap* Is this thing on?

:shrug:

[Name removed]

99. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ignis]

102. Please provide evidence to support "or you would agree with me."

Otherwise, it's a baseless personal attack that I'll thank you to remove before the editing window is gone.

Also, you have yet to support your earlier smear of me, so I'll be waiting right here to watch you back-pedal or--if Satan happens to be ice-skating to work today--apologize.

:hi:

[NM_hemilover]

109. no apology comming ...sorry don't wait up for me.

This has also gotten tiresome, didn't sound like an attack to be, but I'm guessing I just have think skin.

I stand alone in my offense of this drama queen's nazi comparrison, and his two month wait to become offended, most likely at the end of his temporary status.

take care.

[TriMera]

113. I really think you should quit with the "drama queen"

crap, now. It's not helping your argument and it's very offensive.

[NM_hemilover]

118. offensive ???

I have no doubt that I have been alerted on several times, so I'm guessing that the mods understand that the use of the words "drama queen" is in no way a description of anything but the temporary wallmart employees method of over-reaction to get attention.

You are offended at my use of "drama queen", yet have no problem with his description of feeling like he was persecuted like a Jew in nazi Germany ?? Over wearing a yellow vest ??? really ???

Man it really is so heated here, I feel like a Jew in a nazi oven.

[Ignis]

114. Hey, if you can read my mind, I'd like to understand the technology.

Otherwise, you're just making stuff up.

It's really not that complicated. :shrug:

[KamaAina]

108. Here, then. Put this on.

:eyes:

[Bluenorthwest]

69. you just consider that he's gay and go frothy on that

Shouting 'queen' no less. Talk about your tip offs.
You might be unaware of the fact that gay people were made to wear pink triangles by the Nazi Party, most Americans are aware of this FACT. So 'no factual basis'. Right.
The slurs in your post tip your hand.

[Name removed]

92. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[revolution breeze]

15. Something fishy

They just happened to have one yellow vest lying around and singled him out to wear it? I see many Wal-Mart employees wearing yellow vests when they are picking up carts in the parking lot so they are more visible.

[NM_hemilover]

23. The article is written too one sided for me to give

it any real consideration.

Also like I said above, playing the " I'm oppressed like a Jew in Nazi Germany " card is a dead give-away of a cheesy argument at best. I think most DUers hate Wallmart, and would consider the facts on BOTH sides differently if say Target or Costco were mentioned.

I also believe people who use Nazi Germany as a comparrison to anything in general life of today, have no clue what they are talking about, and deserve pity for thier ignorance.

This story is quantified by lots of DUers as 100% factual from the eyes of employee, .......and Wallmart sucks so the must hate the gay guy.

[LanternWaste]

65. One article...

One article, a reference to Nazism, and your admitted lack of knowledge re: Wal-Mart's past-practices are all you need to reach a conclusion? That's.... not surprising anymore.

[bullwinkle428]

16. Yeah, because there are never any carts to retrieve from the

parking lot of a huge superstore! :eyes:

[NM_hemilover]

24. So do you think he is being treated

"like a Jew in Nazi Germany" ?

or is there a possibility that the over reactionary, nazi name calling temporary employee is playing up the drama for personal gain ?

[KonaKane]

25. When you weigh that with his obvious ostracization by boss and colleagues

I cannot see how you can reach any other conclusion than he was targeted because he came out. You don't seriously approve of such behavior in a place of business, by a boss or manager, do you?

[NM_hemilover]

28. I read the article, and there is no information

about his boss that wasn't given BY the employee who feels he is being treated like a Jew in nazi Germany. I do not approve of employee abuse in any form, but I'm also not inclined to believe one side of the story, especially when childish over-reactionary battle cries like comparing his Wallmart boss treating him like a Jew in nazi Germany.



Like I said below, maybe they all "shunned and ignored" him because he was/is a self indulgent whiny asshole. Gay people can be just as big an asshole as anybody else, and using the nazi/Jew comparrison removes all credibility in my eyes and up's the "asshole factor".

[KonaKane]

43. So you first assume he is a "whiny asshole" rather than a possible target?

Telling indeed.

[Name removed]

100. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KonaKane]

110. So because he made the nazi inference, he is a whiny asshole?

I'm not getting your logic here. All that you have in front of you is a news story in which someone claims they have been the target of homophobic ostracization in the work place; that they made a comment about how being forced to wear the yellow jacket was reminiscent of wearing the yellow star in Nazi Germany, and from that you derive that the person has no case and is just a whiny asshole?

Do you often make an entire elephant out of a few strands of hair?

[Prana69]

55. I think you are being deliberately obtuse here....

Let's suppose, hypothetically, that the store manager did indeed, make the employee wear a yellow vest after discovering he was gay.

Why do you suppose the manager might have done that?

To single the employee out as someone different? To make the employee stand out from the crowd as some kind of freak or undesirable? Someone to be ridiculed and humiliated?

You've gone from "I don't believe the employee's version of the story" to "well, even if the employee's story is true he is over-reacting because it's not like he was really treated like a Jew in Nazi Germany".

But you do understand that that was probably the intent of the Manager's action, don't you? The difference is one of degree, not kind.

And the comparison to the Jews in Nazi Europe is exactly the image that came to mind when I first read that it was a yellow vest that he was "forced" to wear.

D

[lunasun]

75. Walmart wants to make sure soft heads will not believe the story.....

and believe it was just an employee taking advantage of Walmart.
Yes this is a normal work atmosphere right? No complaints needed . How normal to have to respond to your manager's ?s about what you do in the bedroom.....why it's the employee being an asshole - yea right......noone in authority recognizes you anymore nonexistant and no work assignments, yes that is a normal work enviroment .
Of course then they can call him lazy too for the soft heads to nod yes to

""The Advocate reports that within two months of Gallardo's forced admission, "his supervisor and two other managers stopped talking to him completely."

Gallardo, who no longer works at the Walmart location, also claims the store management attempted to "bribe" some of the other temporary workers at the location with permanent jobs in exchange for claiming that Gallardo had offered up the information about his sexual orientation voluntarily.""

Some people want their soft head in the sand and do not believe these things happen for the reason they do.

That is why entities like the Nevada Equal Rights Commission now exist ; to help prove otherwise. They will help determine what the motive was of everyone involved. Of couse many soft heads will distain these comissions as just shoulders for the whiny to cry on and take advantage of big businesses with.

And by the way I think being gay and having a hispanic name in Nevada deserves two yellow vests from the creepy managment!!!:sarcasm:

[NM_hemilover]

26. forgot, maybe other employees "shunned and ignored " him

becasue he's a whiny self indulgent asshole.

[Lucian]

44. I work at Walmart...

and cart pushers have to wear yellowish-green vests so cars can see them in the parking lot. We also have to wear those vests when operating mechanical equipment, such as the walkie stacker, scissor lift, and forklift.

Don't get me wrong, I hate Walmart just as much as the next liberal (I needed the job), and I'm not defending them. But this is how the Walmart I work at operates.

[era veteran]

60. Good thing you are there to stick up for Wall Mart

" Stack it deep, stack it high. Watch those downtown merchants cry. " ( Company Song )...................... Pardon me please but fuck Wall Mart.

[lunatica]

66. Would you like do a Barton apology to WalMart?

Obviously WalMart is the victim here right, because it has such an outstanding history of treating its workers so well. Why it never practices any kind of discrimination!

:sarcasm:

[Dappleganger]

91. DUzy! nt

[Ignis]

116. ...

:spray:

[Barack_America]

13. But their prices are so CHEAP!

And their locations so CONVENIENT!

[boomerbust]

17. Hell

I'd wear a yellow vest if all I had to do is walk around the store for 8 hours. Sounds like a good gig.

[walldude]

20. So wearing a vest that basically says

I am wearing this because my boss thinks my sexual orientation makes me sub-human is a good gig? Good luck with your career...

[blondeatlast]

34. Feel free; I think the gentleman in the article will be living a VERY comfortable life

Sprawl-Mart settles out of court.

Enjoy your new position and do let us know which SM you'll be working so we can stop in and publicly mock you.

[WinkyDink]

18. $et. For. Life.

[unblock]

19. this is (sadly) perfectly legal

there is no federal protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

i don't believe nevada has anything either, but i could be wrong.

only if wal-mart specifically claims in its employee handbook to protect workers against discrimination on this basis does this guy have a legal case.


otherwise, sadly, it's legal to fire someone for being gay, or to otherwise treat them poorly for being gay.

[MajorChode]

56. Sexual orientation discrimination is illegal in Nevada

However less than half the states have such laws and you are correct in that there is no protection under federal law.

[unblock]

61. thanks -- can't keep up with the state-by-state changes...

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. Title had me thinking the boss was told he was gay by the employee

[mistertrickster]

30. Reason number 1,987,862 not to shop at Wal-Mart. nt

[TK421]

72. I quit counting a long time ago n/t

[TalkingDog]

40. So when is wear a yellow vest to WalMart Day?

You could go in, mill around, tell any customers who come up that you are gay, but proud to work at WalMart even tho they make their gay employees wear these yellow vests....

[madmom]

41. When I worked at Walmart, I had an acquaintance who was fired because

in a private conversation to someone else, she said the word "fagot". A gay member of our department(and yes he was out, everyone knew he was gay including management) heard it as he was walking by. The word nor conversation was aimed at him, but she was still fired immediately. So how does this fit into everyone's preconceived notions that it is all walmarts that are anti-gay? It really sounds like an asshole manager and a whiny employee.

[Cleobulus]

52. No one is saying that all Wal-Marts are anti-gay, just that this Manager is a homophobic asshole...

Wal-Mart is not a good company to work for, and it is company policy to be sexist in pay, abusive to employees, etc. Being anti-gay isn't necessarily a company wide thing, its varies greatly from store to store.

[madmom]

85. I think if you read some of the comments here, you will see that there are some

who are blaming walmart as opposed to the manager, who, I agree, is a homophobic asshole. As I said I DID work for walmart and they were NOT a bad company to work for, in fact I would work for them again over a few others I've worked for. Why is it so hard for people to realize that maybe they have changed isn't that what it's all about? Changing for the better? But by all means we must keep up with the hate.

[Cleobulus]

115. I worked at Wal-Mart myself, they stole OT from me, if they changed their habits...

I'll be surprised.

[Honeycombe8]

42. I don't believe that. Really. I don't believe it. There's more to this story than meets the eye.

[Cleobulus]

53. Why am I not surprised?

:eyes:

[Bluenorthwest]

76. And you say that based on what exactly? Be specific.

You have a strong point of view, but you offer no support for that view at all. Why is that?

[TexasObserver]

45. The good news? He's going to get a big payday.

This kind of screw-up results in a check with a lot of zeroes.

If the allegations are true as alleged, this ought cost Walmart about a half mil or more to settle.

[revolution breeze]

132. Wal-Mart will settle out of court

Wal-Mart goes out of their way to avoid litigation. I worked for a personal injury lawyer, in two years we had five claims against our local Wal-Mart, two of which were very dubious and the attorney was not sure he would win the case if it went to a jury. Wal-Mart settled out of court on all five. Too much anti-Wal-Mart sentiment.

[Ignis]

46. *sings* "Can you wear the vest, Fernando?"

:hide:

[TK421]

73. "Even though your man-a-gers uptight, your vest is bright, FERNANDO"!!

[Ignis]

87. "In the parking lot, FERNANDO!"

You were blogging to yourself and softly bumping this post up
I could hear the distant carts
And the sounds of car alarms were coming from the lot
They were closer now, FERNANDO!

:fistbump:

[TK421]

121. and you complained about the yellow vest, Fernando...

only to be heard with mocking voices and laughing jests.....

THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE STORE THAT NIGHT, THE MANAGER'S RIGHT, FERNANDO!!!!!!!!
THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE AIR, YOU SEE...THE LU-NA-CY...FERNANDO!!!!
BUT YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND OPEN- YOUR -MOUTH!!!
IF YOU HAD ONLY JUST HAD SAID NO-THING, THIS WOULDN'T BE A THING, FERNANDO!!!!!
BUT YOU JUST HAD TO GO AND OPEN YOUR MOUTH...........

[Ignis]

122. SING IT!

But now I have this damn song stuck in my head. :crazy:

[TK421]

124. in that case, here are some more ABBA links for your viewing displeasure!!!

just because, I am just awesome at that!!!! BEHOLD THE ULTIMATE ABBA TORTURE!!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saag5yKhv_s


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REElUors1pQ&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkOmcIl79s&feature=related


had enough?!!! have you?!!! SEE WHAT YOU MADE ME DO?@@!!! SEE WHAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT ME TO?@@!!!!$###

[Ignis]

127. I've created a monster, Igor--A MONSTER!

:scared:

Only...one...chance...to...defend...myself....

http://www.myspace.com/abbatributebandsworldwide

[TK421]

128. You just had to go the full nine, didn't you? Heartless bastard....I think I love you!

you know...in a professional, internet-posty kind of way

[Ignis]

130. Nice post, Monster.

Love ya too. ;)

ETA: Hah! And you're already in my buddy list. Shows that great taste and great memory don't go hand-in-hand. :(

[TK421]

131. Was I? must have been a memorable OP then...only thing I can think of now

:-)

[jervz]

47. So what Walmart says?

Unless he can prove his story then I don't think he has no case.

[Bluenorthwest]

81. Your syntax makes me doubt you

Could you rephrase in a complete sentence? You 'don't think he has no case' is a double negative, which actually states that you think he has a case.

[BrklynLiberal]

49. Wow! This appears to have all makings of a tremendous lawsuit!

[Jamastiene]

50. Wal Mart has an anti driscrimination policy against such things as that.

I have a gut feeling that he could have gone through the higher ups at Wal Mart and gotten his boss fired, and deservedly so.

[populistdriven]

51. WE ALL NEED TO WEAR YELLOW VESTS IN WALMART!

[Capitalocracy]

54. I love that idea nt

[Deep13]

67. Yes, but that would mean going to Walmart. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

123. ..to buy the yellow vest. Who else would sell such a thing?

[bobburgster]

59. Nazi Germany.....

The vast majority of times people use Nazi Germany, or Hitler, and his atrocities, for comparative purposes it does little to bolster their point. Those terms are so quickly thrown out nowadays, they tend to turn off many people to the actual transgression.

Granted, it was one manager who took this action, but the employee would have been better served talking about the Wal-Mart mindset that creates an atmosphere where such action can be rationalized as acceptable.


* Wal-Mart failed to pay workers when they missed all or part of their 15-minute rest breaks.
* Wal-Mart failed to pay workers when they missed all or part of their half-hour lunch breaks.
* Wal-Mart routinely required employees to work "off the clock" for no pay before and after shifts.
* Wal-Mart managers falsified time sheets to show that breaks were taken.
* Wal-Mart managers regularly engaged in the "one-minute punch" practice, depriving workers of pay for entire shifts.
* Provided poverty level wages
* Created unsafe working conditions
* Engaged in rampant gender discrimination
* Broke child labor laws.
* Encourage long-tenured employees to quit - allowing more costly workers to then be replaced with newer and cheaper employees (see wage caps)
* Wal-Mart routinely violates laws protecting workers' organizing rights

[ericinne]

62. Not that I'm sticking up for Wal-Mart

Not that I'm sticking up for Wal-Mart, but could it be, he was made to ware something like THIS:



or maybe THIS:



The Wal-Mart in MY town requires anybody working outside in the parking lot area to ware these brightly colored vests with reflective tape on them for their own protection.

Some employees have orange ones, some have yellow.

It's so customers don't accidentally hit them with their cars late at night.

[Bluenorthwest]

78. Gee, no one else ever noticed that before!

The question is not about the existence of the vests, nor about them being worn at times, but it is about if this employee was forced to wear one when others were not. Not if he 'wore one too'. That should be extremely clear from reading the OP. We have all seen safety vests. And that is what they are safety vests, so there will be standardized rules about when they must be worn. Because they are to be worn for safety reasons, when needed for safety. Not for the arbitrary whims of a manager.

[JonLP24]

97. That would explain why they have them

It doesn't mean that the story is incorrect (meaning walking around inside the store with one on as a purpose to single him out from the other workers) though which isn't what you're stating.

[anachro1]

68. Good luck

I am a medical professional working in a self identified "liberal" lab in CA. Once I got married to my partner of 22 years, HALF of our staff stopped talking to me or including me in work discussions. I am invisible to them, and this has been going on 2 whole years.

Here's the kicker - I am in San Francisco.

[mkultra]

71. This is work place harrasment.

[struggle4progress]

74. Rule #1: Don't talk about your sexuality at work; it's nobody's business

It'll be a great day when we have a tolerant society. But even then, it may generally be a good idea not to discuss your sexuality at work

[MrMickeysMom]

80. He explains that his supervisor forced this question upon him in front of others...

Now, what the fuck would I do, were I in his place and were homosexual?

Would I lie? He commented that he would not think to lie (admirable, even if naive)

Would I say, "That's personal and none of your business!" ??? Yes, and probably he would have had a case to have gone with to higher ups... I wonder what Walmarts process for doing that is all about? See the people who had not given up with this, and you'll read very few articles. Most people frankly cave to intimidation, something no one should have to deal with today.

Would I tell the truth? Okay, that's where we are today when following the path we've been told as children to follow.

No, I don't think this young fellow would have bothered to talk about his sexuality at all unless this shit happened.

[struggle4progress]

86. Such questions are, of course, inappropriate -- and it's inappropriate to respond to them

Walmart needs to be unionized

[Divine Discontent]

93. exactly, your last sentence is what I was thinking, too. It was clearly brought up & was derided as

being freakish or odd, or sick, etc.. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if some puffed up "mgr" at walmart got his kicks picking on a gay guy who was a subordinate! I hope someone, anyone will corroborate his story that works/worked there! If he's making it up, yes, I hope he's silenced, but we all know making 'fun of the gay' is a common practice at school and work - VERY common. I have stood up for so many people my head spins trying to think of them all over the years. Because people don't think I'm gay they rip on someone else, and I tell them that's wrong to make fun of them for their sexuality and point out would you like it if we made fun of your (insert the characteristic/skin/age/sex/etc) behind your back?
Rarely it's been asked if I was gay, and I've said yes to a stone faced persecutor but nothing comes of it for me. And I know quite a few straight people who do the very same thing I do. Most people don't like bullies, I think in this instance, if true, the people beneath him were scared of him because he was their manager.

[Cleobulus]

126. So wait, you are advocating for DADT in private businesses?

I say we should make it illegal to discriminate against GLBT people in the workplace, but that's just me.

[xchrom]

79. i hope that some one here realizes that lgbtiq people

had all the same dreadful things happen to them in nazi germany as any other targeted minority did.

but like roma people or catholics or communists -- it's less well known.

picking an lgbtiq person and making them wear an article of clothing for purposes of 'identification' and humiliation and targeted vulnerability IS what happened to lgbtiq people in the historical reference.

and um 'drama queen' as a criticism in this context speaks for itself.

[Bluenorthwest]

82. Thank you for that.

Said with precision.

[moriah]

105. Was the vest actually supposed to identify him as gay? That's the question.

It's policy for workers who have as a primary job duty pushing carts, working in the Tire and Lube Express area outside of the building, or people who help carry heavy things out to people's cars to wear a yellow vest. To make sure they are able to be seen by motorists, so they are less likely to be injured on the job (and avoid the corresponding increase in Workman's Compensation taxes/fees/payments).

If he was demoted to that position from, say, customer service manager and lost wages because of it, I could definitely see it a actionable discrimination. If they changed his duties from being a stocker to being a cart-pusher/isle walker (you know, the ones that annoy you by asking if they can help you find something) with no decrease in pay scale, it's going to be much harder for him to prove discrimination.

[mitchtv]

112. xchrom, you said it

as an ex union stewart , I have seen shit like this a lot, mostly it goes nowhere as you always have to prove the allegation, but drama queen, that's worthy of an ignore

[Ignis]

117. I disagree with "but drama queen, that's worthy of an ignore."

What it's worthy of is many, many Alerts.

[Cleita]

89. This is what our workplace has deteriorated to?

Hitler would be so proud of that Wal-Mart manager.

[moriah]

94. The "yellow vest" denotes a worker that pushes carts.

I've also seen them worn by the people who sometimes offer to help a person get larger or bulkier items loaded into their cars.

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=23867773&blogId=519449864

A Ode to the Yellow Vest

Oh yellow vest how I loathe thee.
Your smug attitude and refusal to remain untwisted.
Your unneccesary arrogance just because you have silver stripes

Oh yellow vest how I dream of burning thee.
With your constant need to latch onto any surface you can.
With your ability to produce the aroma of mildew from just the slightest bit of rain.

Oh yellow vest how I wish to rip you to shreds.
For your lack of style.
For your instant psychic connection to the CSM whenever we leave you behind.

Oh yellow vest...
Thanks for saving my ass from that truck that night.

[NM_hemilover]

101. No it doesn't,

Comon...join the fun ! It has the same meaning as being Jewish in nazi Germany, pink triangles and all.

[Ignis]

103. Better to burn out than fade away, eh?

[NM_hemilover]

119. Living on your knees conformity / dying on your feet for honesty.

[Ignis]

120. Sticking up for one of the world's largest, nastiest megacorps doesn't make you a rebel.

:hi:

[Radical Activist]

98. One more reason to boycott.

As if I needed one.

[keroro gunsou]

104. having worked at wal-mart

the only reason we gave an associate a different colored vest (other than blue) was for safety reasons, like if they needed to go on a cart grab in the parking lot or work during a high-traffic time like black friday. my store manager was a laid back guy, EXCEPT when it came to the uniform standard. the two times out of the year he relaxed on the uniform regs were for halloween (we got to wear costumes) and the month of december (festive hats). so long as we looked presentable, did our jobs, and didn't piss off the customers, we could have sold crack in the store and he probably wouldn't have cared too much.

that said, the man in nevada has a decent complaint of a hostile work environment, but proving his civil rights were violated might be a stretch. by making the reference to nazi germany and it's treatment of jewish citizen, he diminishes not only his claim, but what the jews themselves were subjected to. on that point alone, i think he's being a little over-reactive, bordering on summoning the drama....

given wal-mart's rep though, it's entirely possible. they aren't exactly known for being employee friendly on the whole, nor for hiring the best and brightest to run things. i must have lucked out.

[FLAprogressive]

125. THIS is why we need ENDA!!!!!

[mmonk]

129. That reads like an Onion piece.

This country is going further and further off the deep end with its right wing lunacy.