Flying_Mollusk Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Moulton woman says she lost job for sporting Kerry sticker on car By Clyde L. Stancil DAILY Staff Writer [email protected] ? 340-2443 MOULTON ? Lynne Gobbell never imagined the cost of a John Kerry-John Edwards bumper sticker could run so high. Gobbell of Moulton didn't pay a cent for the sticker that she proudly displays on the rear windshield of her Chevrolet Lumina, but said it cost her job at a local factory after it angered her boss, Phil Gaddis. Gaddis, a Decatur bankruptcy attorney, owns Enviromate, a cellulose insulation company in Moulton. Gaddis did not return phone calls from THE DAILY about the alleged Thursday firing. Gobbell said she consulted a lawyer, but then changed her mind about going to see him. She said she has cried about the incident and must do without income for three weeks while the state unemployment commission decides if she is eligible for compensation. Gobbell said she was averaging 50 to 60 hours a week on the plant's bagging machine. "The lady there (at the unemployment commission) said that she has never heard of a firing like this before," Gobbell said. Gobbell gave this account: "We were going back to work from break, and my manager told me that Phil said to remove the sticker off my car or I was fired," she said. "I told him that Phil couldn't tell me who to vote for. He said, 'Go tell him.' " She went to Gaddis' office, knocked on the door and entered on his orders. "Phil and another man who works there were there," she said. "I asked him if he said to remove the sticker and he said, 'Yes, I did.' I told him he couldn't tell me who to vote for. When I told him that, he told me, 'I own this place.' I told him he still couldn't tell me who to vote for." Gobbell said Gaddis told her to "get out of here." "I asked him if I was fired and he told me he was thinking about it," she said. "I said, 'Well, am I fired?' He hollered and said, 'Get out of here and shut the door.' " She said her manager was standing in another room and she asked him if that meant for her to go back to work or go home. The manager told her to go back to work, but he came back a few minutes later and said, " 'I reckon you're fired. You could either work for him or John Kerry,' " Gobbell said. "I took off my gloves and threw them in the garbage and left," Gobbell said. Though she is unemployed and uncertain if she will get her job back, Gobbell said, she doesn't regret her decision to keep the sticker on her windshield. "I would like to find another job, but I would take that job back because I need to work," she said. "It upset me and made me mad that he could put a letter in my check expressing his (political) opinion, but I can't put something on my car expressing mine." She was referring to a flier that she said Gaddis placed in employee envelopes to remind them of the positive impact that President Bush's policies have had on them. An employee at the plant who would not identify himself confirmed the contents of the letter. Gobbell provided a copy of the flier. It says: "Just so you will know, because of the Bush tax (cut): I was able to buy the new Hammer Mill I was able to finance our receivables I was able to get the new CAT skid steer I was able to get the wire cutter I was able to give you a job" It further says: "You got the benefit of the Bush tax cut. Everyone did." :banghead :banghead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarlinFan10 Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 I'm sure there was some other reason. But if there wasn't, this is unacceptable. It's a f***ing bumper sticker, she's not standing up on her desk and crying out how much she hates bush to all her coworkers. This still isn't as common as the hardships for conservatism students in the university system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Moneyball Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 I'm sure there was some other reason. But if there wasn't, this is unacceptable. It's a f***ing bumper sticker, she's not standing up on her desk and crying out how much she hates bush to all her coworkers. This still isn't as common as the hardships for conservatism students in the university system. 557683[/snapback] agree 100 % Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g8trz2003 Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal...chances are, the boss is just an arsehole....plain and simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradcore Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 That's so weak. What kind ass fires someone because of a political opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Accord Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 There's two sides to every story... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureGM Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Pretty sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacyofCangelosi Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Assuming the story is true, this is unacceptable. I wish a conservative would have posted this topic though, so people can see that regardless of political leaning, this happens to both sides and is totally unacceptable. Happens to conservatives very often in universities and happens to liberals as well in situations like this. Instead of being seen as a republican bashing article, which many are seeing it as, it needs to be seen as a freedom of speech is violated often in this coutnry and these abuses need to seize. Could this lady be lying? Of course, but thats not relevant to the political discussion at hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I'm assuming there is more to this story.... but political backgroud/views SHOULD NOT be basis for hiring/firing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 The story sounds incomplete. He wouldn't put out the flier or take such drastic measures such as termination without prior trouble on the issue. I want to hear the other side of the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_Mollusk Posted September 16, 2004 Author Share Posted September 16, 2004 They sure did give him a chance to speak his mind. And why wouldnt he put the flier out there? Its clear that part was coroborated. Sounds like this guy was uber political. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I want to see what happened before that prompted him to print the fliers. He just doesn't do that out of his own will. Someone did something and that was a response. I want to hear the entire story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lcyberlina Posted September 18, 2004 Share Posted September 18, 2004 The woman was hired by Kerry. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040915/D853SKCG0.html And the story is simple. The owner of the company is a staunch Republican and got upset when he saw her bumpersticker. He ordered her to get rid of it or "else"... Read the story... http://slate.msn.com/id/2106714 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beinfest4Prez Posted September 18, 2004 Share Posted September 18, 2004 Got one word for this: Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted September 19, 2004 Share Posted September 19, 2004 Got one word for this: Wow. 563662[/snapback] I agree, never heard of this before. Isn't it illegal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgator Posted September 19, 2004 Share Posted September 19, 2004 I agree, never heard of this before. Isn't it illegal? 563842[/snapback] http://slate.msn.com/id/2106714 Firing a person because you don't like his or her politics runs contrary to just about everything this country stands for, but it is not against the law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapeFish Posted September 19, 2004 Share Posted September 19, 2004 I agree, never heard of this before. Isn't it illegal? 563842[/snapback] http://slate.msn.com/id/2106714 Firing a person because you don't like his or her politics runs contrary to just about everything this country stands for, but it is not against the law. 563935[/snapback] I meant according to the CBA that her union had if she was part of a union. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan Posted September 19, 2004 Share Posted September 19, 2004 I agree, never heard of this before. Isn't it illegal? 563842[/snapback] http://slate.msn.com/id/2106714 Firing a person because you don't like his or her politics runs contrary to just about everything this country stands for, but it is not against the law. 563935[/snapback] Wow... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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