A jury in North Texas ordered an ex-flight attendant to pay $5.3 million. She was found by the jury to have violated her rights as a worker to advocate against her union.
Southwest will have to pay over $4 million in back pay and her union will have to pay over $1 million.
Southwest Airlines fired a flight attendant for harssing her co-worker by challenging her position on abortion through the use of inflammatory images.
Carter worked for Southwest Airlines. She didn't like that her union president participated in a pro-choice rally with other coworkers. She told her via Facebook. She used gruesome images and video to make her point. Over five private messages, this happened. Carter added commentary as well.
This is what you supported during your Paid Leave with others at the Women’s MARCH in DC….You truly are Despicable in so many ways…by the way the RECALL is going to Happen and you are limited in the days you will be living off of all the [Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants]..cant wait to see you back on line.
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Wonder how this will be coded in the LM2 Financials…cause I know we paid for this along with your Despicable Party you hosted for signing the Contract….The RECALL [of the Local 556 Executive Board] is going to Happen we are even getting more signatures due to other [flight attendants] finding out what you guys do with our MONEY!!! Can’t wait for you to have to be just a regular flight attendant again and not stealing from our DUES for things like this!
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Did you know this….Hmmmm seems a little counter productive don’t you think….you are nothing but a SHEEP in Wolves Clothing or you are just so uneducated that you have not clue who or what you were marching for! Either way you should not be using our DUES to have Marched in this despicable show of TRASH!
Carter was told by Stone to contract her legislators if she wanted change. Carter said that was true.
First off I do not want your Propaganda coming to my inbox…that being said I Support the RIGHT TO WORK Organization 100% ABOVE what I have to pay you all in DUES! YOU and TWU-AFL-CIO do not Speak For Me or over half of our work group…We have a RECALL right now that we want adhered to with over the 50+ 1% and growing. WE WANT YOU all GONE!!!!!
P.S. Just sent The RIGHT TO WORK more money to fight this…. YOU all DISGUST ME!!!!! OH and by the WAY I and so many other of our FAs VOTED FOR TRUMP….so shove that in your Propaganda MACHINE!
Southwest fired Carter after she was told she couldn't make a political statement while at work and couldn't post ideological views on her personal Facebook page. Stone felt that he was beingharassed by the images and the messages.
Carter is claiming that she was retaliated against for her religious beliefs. Southwest had their motion for summary judgment dismissed by the court because they failed to state a claim.
After the union that Carter decried went to bat for her, Southwest offered to let her go. Carter was terminated after refusing to be muzzled as part of a re-entry package. There was a lawsuit after.
Regardless of your stance on abortion, there should be some understanding of Carter's convictions regarding the protection of unborn life.
The Vietnam and Iraq wars were protested by showing the gruesome reality of their deaths. Showing the gruesome images of police abuse is one way violence against people of color is protested.
It is important to note the idiocy of using shocking images and video to further an argument.
The pro-life camp's argument that nobody is forcing you to have an abortion is hollow. If you believe that a fetus is a vulnerable human life deserving of protection, then the idea that you can just leave it to the conscience of each person is not compatible with that viewpoint.
People don't like to be confronted with gruesome things, especially if they question their beliefs. Don't think for a second that I'm condoning workplace harassment. badgering a colleague is not constructive even if it is invited by Stone to attend a pro-choice rally in her own capacity.
Carter is being represented by a pro bono lawyer. Southwest claims that he tried to intimate Stone by serving her personally and that the process server had a holstered gun on his belt. Southwest claims that Gilliam was able to find out where Stone was staying so she could be served.
It was opposing Southwest's motion.
“Southwest’s emergency motion seeks to deprive plaintiff Charlene Carter of her chosen counsel and punish her attorney based on nothing more than wild assertions and rank speculation.”
The information about Stone's location was provided by two independent sources.
This issue was not dealt with by the union. Her poor spelling makes me look like Emily Post, but she doesn't find the images harassing. It is no surprise that a union president would march in the Women's March because she represents many women who want to protect their privacy from government intrusion. Not everyone was on the plane.
The case can be read here. The view from the wing gave his take.
What do you think about this case? Is this a case of impermissible harassment or the suppression of a minority opinion?
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