Employees or workers get paid by their employer for doing a specific job. Their job expectations and role responsibilities are outlined in their contract of employment and they will be paid accordingly for the work that they do.
Yet, Shell union workers were allegedly given an ultimatum: either turn up to President Donald Trump’s speech or miss out on a day’s pay – Indy100 reported. Whilst their attendance to the speech wasn’t compulsory, it was mandatory in order for the workers to receive the day’s pay, otherwise they were required to take the day off unpaid.
Union leaders received a memo laying down some strict ground rules about employee conduct whilst attending the speech. The memo, which was obtained by the Pittsburgh Gazette, read: “No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance will be tolerated at the event. An underlying theme of the event is to promote good will from the unions. Your building trade leaders and jobs stewards have agreed to this.”
Workers were required to show up at 7am and had to be prepared to stand throughout lunch, without actually eating lunch, in order to qualify for their pay – Pittsburgh Gazette reported.
Workers who chose not to attend the speech wouldn’t qualify for overtime pay on Friday. Shell Spokesman, Ray Fisher, told the publication that onsite workers have a 56-hour work schedule, with 16 hours of overtime automatically built in. So those who attended Trump’s speech and showed up for work on Friday would be eligable for time and a half overtime pay.
This incident sparked huge debates on Twitter.
It’s sad to see that @realDonaldTrump needs to build a crowd by forcing union workers to choose between attending his speech or losing overtime pay.https://t.co/0eWJcCawLY
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) August 17, 2019
WHOA.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) August 17, 2019
Amongst the MANY paid attendees at the #EmptySeatMAGATour, Shell workers were forced to attend for their pay.
And they were forbidden to show any signs of protest.
That doesn't sound like America.
It sounds like North Korea.#BoycottShell https://t.co/hSqIFXrCvw
Anything making attendance numbers go up TRUMP has no shame. Beg, steal or borrow it doesn't matter. #TheBigFakeOut RT@thehill: Thousands of Shell workers were given option to either attend Trump speech or lose out on wages: reports https://t.co/KGdeHUws4S pic.twitter.com/MtnUugkZja
— La Joy (@LaJoy1981) August 19, 2019
Shell workers slaves for Donald Trump
— Terry lamuska (@TerryLamuska) August 19, 2019
Anna