Avian Gamers Network

OK, guys, I need some assistance here. Our company here at work is majorly screwing us over, and I am looking to set up a union and smear their name. Basically, the story is this:

We are understaffed in our call center, and Wyoming does not have any real labor laws. They have taken messing with people's schedules. If we do not work eight hours in a day, they are not required to give us any more than one 15 minute break. People are working 7 and 7.5 hours without lunch, and are getting pissed off. I'm working on setting up a major walkout or a union, and I am needing any info, advice, or support that you guys can give me.

If we can get everyone to walk out, even without a union, the center would have to be shut down for a period of one month while they train replacements, and I don't think Time Warner Cable will put up with us not taking calls for a month, and hopefully they'd drop the contract. But I need to get something set up as soon as possible.

I'm also looking to smear the name of StarTek in the media, and I figure a good place to start is the web. So if any of you guys have ideas for that, please, let me know ASAP. I called the AFL/CIO today, but they are closed due to the hurricane. I'll call them again on Monday.

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Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

You walk out, you will be fired. All of you. They will bring in replacements, and if they lose the contract, you will not get your jobs back. Thats the brutal truth of it.

You should bring a list of requests to the management team, saying you are tired of being treated unfairly, and are considering doing something about it. Take it to your local media outlets.

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SW:TOR - Mantison Gunslinger, Ironmant Trooper, Manni Jedi Knight
WoW - Dalaran - Manni 85 Mage, Ironmant 83 Warrior, Mantison 80 Hunter
SWG - Chilastra Retired Mantison, Commando / TKA Master aka Trogdor !!!!

I'm aware that if we walk, without union support, we get fired. But if that happens, and we all walk, and the contract drops, then everyone in management gets fired too, and the center may close. The center generates tons of revenue for the city, and they have a vested interest in keeping us here, because they can't absorb the amount of people looking for work. This center only has the one client, so if we lost that contract, the center is pretty much done, and the company cannot afford to lose this center. It would drop their stock clear down to the bottom. The company would probably survive, but it would suck big time for them, and that is what I'm trying to achieve if they continue to dick with us.

I'm also looking into whistle-blower protection. I'm trying to think of a good way to go to the media, get the coverage we need, and still avoid having it get me fired at the same time.

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Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

Consult with a lawyer who is experienced in business law. They might be interested in getting a class action suit together. Who knows, they might help you for free, if you have enough people supporting you...

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SW:TOR - Mantison Gunslinger, Ironmant Trooper, Manni Jedi Knight
WoW - Dalaran - Manni 85 Mage, Ironmant 83 Warrior, Mantison 80 Hunter
SWG - Chilastra Retired Mantison, Commando / TKA Master aka Trogdor !!!!

Man I have been out of this kind of thing for quite some time now, but back when I was working I did have to dabble in this area of the law and work place environment. I am rusty as hell, and because I never worked in one state very long, most of the laws and workplace tactics I learned were forgotten shortly after I moved to the next project where the laws differed.

Usually I was involved in hiring unions in a effort to make sure my non-union company did not break existing plant/union contracts resulting in a plant strike. I have no experience in starting a union... the ones I dealt with we all well established and very old unions. Usually we were on their turf.

I can tell you that from what I experienced, Northern states are structured more with unions in mind. Usual as you travel south, unions get rarer and rarer thanks to the southern state laws.

I do know that If you are in an "employment at will state", you will find it very hard to fight your employer. Those states usually have little to no labor laws protecting the employee. Employment at will states can fire you with little to no reason.

Also I this type of thing takes a very long time to get started... and from what I gather from reading you post, you are looking for fast action/help. I am not sure you find any union solution that will be fast enough for you.

My brother’s best friend is a Human Resource manager for a very large construction company. I can try to open you a line of communication with him. He knows a tremendous amount of Louisiana labor law. I am not sure what he knows about other states.

Thanks for the info, Cyrus. And the term I was looking for was "Right to work" state. But yeah, if you can have him email me or something with advice, that'd be great. peterballou@bresnan.net

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Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!

Also my run-in with whistle blowing was complete BS. Much of the protection you may have heard about will not materialize when you need it. Or at least that is how it was in my situation.

Well, being a strike leader is dangerous in france, where the laws are very weighted his his facor, so I don't want to think what happens in the US. Most important pointis: get support, get professional support, and best of all, get a professional Union guy to front the conflict. He'll know what to do.

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Sluggy Dev'lya-Master Smuggler-Politician
Former Mayor of Avian City