Hertz suspends 34 Muslim drivers in Seattle

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/hertz-suspends-34-muslim-drivers-seattle-165239854.html

AP – 3 hrs ago

SEATAC, Wash. (AP) — Rental car company Hertz indefinitely suspended 34 Somali Muslim shuttle drivers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for praying on company time, and the workers' union is trying to put them back in the driver's seat after what it calls a sudden policy change.

The drivers are required to clock out, under the terms of a settlement two years ago with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Hertz spokesman Rich Broome said.

"We felt it was reasonable for our Muslim employees who need to pray a couple times during the workday to clock in and clock out," Broome said.

It's not about pay — break time is paid time — but to ensure workers were staying within the 10-minute time slots, which has been a problem, he said. Muslim workers who clocked out were not suspended.

Employees told The Seattle Times it was a change in policy that Hertz began enforcing last week.

One suspended shuttle driver, Zainab Aweis, says she was not aware the rules had changed until she arrived at work Sept. 30 and managers told her and other women who were about to pray that several other employees had been sent home that day for praying.

"He said, 'If you guys pray, you go home,'" Aweis recalled.

"I said, 'Is that a new rule?' And he said, 'Yes.'"

The workers prayed anyway, she said.

"I like the job," Aweis said. "But if I can't pray, I don't see the benefit."

Teamsters Local 117, which represents the workers, is trying to get them back on the job and has filed an unfair-labor-practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Hertz for failing to notify the union in advance of what it called a policy change.

The union represents nearly 80 Hertz drivers who earn between $9.15 and $9.95 an hour. They receive no health benefits, vacation or sick leave. About 70 percent of them are Muslims. Observant Muslims pray five times a day.

On Wednesday, a few dozen people from labor and faith organizations protested outside the Hertz counter at the airport, waving signs saying, "Respect me, Respect my religion."

Edited October 7, 2011 by Why_Me

[mawilson 2,133]

What are they praying for anyway? The way these guys drive, everyone else should pray.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

What are they praying for anyway? The way these guys drive, everyone else should pray.

[Captain Oates 911]

What are they praying for anyway? The way these guys drive, everyone else should pray.

Good un Ma !

I am thinking of a suitable retort but they take a little longer and anyway I want the ME contingent to roll up their prayer mats nicely before they engage

[Captain Oates 911]

Pay for Pray - its the answer

Figure out how long they spend praying and then reduce their hourly pay by that amount plus a surcharge for lost profits (opportunity costing)

If they pray in company uniform there will be wear and tear on their trouser knees and that should be added

That way everyone is happy

[sandinista! 1,816]

I don't get why they didn't just clock out, pray, clock back in and move on. That's what I do when I need to do any non work related activity that's going to take longer than my paid break anyways, whether it's praying or going to Dutch Bros for a mocha. I don't get why it would take longer than their ten minute allotted break time to pray anyways, I can attest that when you don't dilly dally, a ten minute break is plenty of time to get that done. It's not rocket science here!

[Captain Oates 911]

I don't get why they didn't just clock out, pray, clock back in and move on. That's what I do when I need to do any non work related activity that's going to take longer than my paid break anyways, whether it's praying or going to Dutch Bros for a mocha. I don't get why it would take longer than their ten minute allotted break time to pray anyways, I can attest that when you don't dilly dally, a ten minute break is plenty of time to get that done. It's not rocket science here!

I pray for less than 10 minutes a year and I still get more Christmas presents than any Moslem

[sandinista! 1,816]

Aw, but you don't get any eid gifts, and there's two of them a year. It works out to a pretty good haul, present-wise :-)

[Captain Oates 911]

Aw, but you don't get any eid gifts, and there's two of them a year. It works out to a pretty good haul, present-wise :-)

yeah but I don't have to pray for my presents or for the drought to stop or for tornadoes not to destroy my house.

I just move somewhere where there is water and no tornadoes and save on tithing

That's coz I evolved and kept evolving while the religious people were created in god's image (Michael Moore) and then stood still or went backwards.

Anyone who loses pay because they are praying to a non existent concept from the desert needs to wake up and be enlightened - but before they do, I would like to sell them London Bridge

[MyLittlePony 340]

I pray to god they take the the normal routes and not over charge me on the meter.

[Dan and Judy 614]

Praying to get fired so they can collect unemployment for 2 years?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Praying to get fired so they can collect unemployment for 2 years?

I have 14 months of benefits left myself.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I pray to god they take the the normal routes and not over charge me on the meter.

amongst foreigners, does Hertz only hire those who have driven taxis/autorickshaws abroad?

(Indian way of how these work: "they get you to your destination oft FASTER than you want to get there despite of using the 'Mumbai to Pune via Kolkata'--or in Americanese, NYC to Philly via SF--logic)

[Danno 1,228]

I don't get why they didn't just clock out, pray, clock back in and move on. That's what I do when I need to do any non work related activity that's going to take longer than my paid break anyways, whether it's praying or going to Dutch Bros for a mocha. I don't get why it would take longer than their ten minute allotted break time to pray anyways, I can attest that when you don't dilly dally, a ten minute break is plenty of time to get that done. It's not rocket science here!

If they are not clocking out.... it stands to reason there is no hurry to get back -on the job.

[sandinista! 1,816]

How is that any different than anyone else on break, whether they're praying, texting their friends, or checking football scores on their iPhone?