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Grex > Agora47 > #116: The next chapter in the life of a Customs Officer. | |
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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 196 responses total. |
tod
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response 166 of 196:
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Nov 4 18:49 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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scott
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response 167 of 196:
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Nov 4 18:50 UTC 2003 |
If the whole aim is stopping terrorists, why all the discussions about
illegally-imported meat a few months ago?
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goose
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response 168 of 196:
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Nov 4 18:53 UTC 2003 |
A diversion...
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tod
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response 169 of 196:
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Nov 4 19:01 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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aruba
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response 170 of 196:
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Nov 4 23:09 UTC 2003 |
It sounds to me like the company line is "Stop the terrorists", but that
doesn't mean the inspectors don't have to do everything they had to do
before, anyway. Kind of like an "unfunded mandate".
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i
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response 171 of 196:
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Nov 5 01:26 UTC 2003 |
It seems pretty obvious to me that "Stop the Terrorists" is a message/
mission coming down from the political-level leadership in Washington,
and should be read "don't ever get caught looking like you might have
exposed even a sliver of the top brass's asses". It smells of small,
stupid minds inside the beltway, but differing with top command's list
of priorities is very definitely not entry-level Bruce's job.
I think the Bruce was canned for failing to humor Supervisor Chip O.
DeShulder. The reaction he reported from the Internal Affairs crew
(who'd know how seriously his offenses were normally treated) supports
this.
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happyboy
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response 172 of 196:
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Nov 5 08:48 UTC 2003 |
why did you get fired, bruce?
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tsty
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response 173 of 196:
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Nov 5 10:02 UTC 2003 |
fired or on suspension?
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bru
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response 174 of 196:
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Nov 5 15:10 UTC 2003 |
DIDN'T i GO THRU THIS EARLIER?
1. I handcuffed and helda suspect for the police while off duty. This was
a violation of Customs proceedure.
2. I missed a COMPEX (Computer Generated Exam) by failing to enter the
information into the computer in a timely manner. (everything was done
correctly, but just an hour later than it could have been)
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mynxcat
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response 175 of 196:
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Nov 5 19:01 UTC 2003 |
Why were you late? The reason I ask is because it could be important.
If you had a valid reason like you were sick or you had to rush
someone to hospital, yes, they should have considered. If, however, it
was more a matter of not thinking it urgent enough, like "I can get to
this later, it ain't that important), I can see why your boss would
have been peeved.
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happyboy
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response 176 of 196:
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Nov 5 19:29 UTC 2003 |
:)
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aaron
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response 177 of 196:
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Nov 5 20:09 UTC 2003 |
I can see why the agency would be concerned about the illegal arrest,
although I agree with those who suggest that if they viewed it as a basis
for discipline they should have acted sooner. (And no, it was not a lawful
citizen's arrest if no felony was involved. MCL 764.16.) However, I don't
think it is particularly unusual for employers to utilize past violations,
although not considered of sufficient import to justify termination at the
time they were committed, as a basis to terminate a probationary employee
whom they have decided (for whatever reason) they don't wish to retain.
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richard
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response 178 of 196:
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Nov 5 23:17 UTC 2003 |
bru, maybe you were singled out for other reasons, and whatever was in your
file was simply used as the excuse to fire you. Were you expendable
whereas others might not have been? Or to be more blunt, do you think if
you were a woman or a younger male or a minority, that you'd still be on
the payroll? Could you have been singled out not just because you had
entries in your file, but because you were a white middle aged male with
no seniority who had entries in his file? This "you can be fired during
probation for any reason" seems to me to be horridly broad language. They
can use that language to fire any people they need to get rid of in order
to show higher ups the correct demographic breakdown on the roster. It
seems like you give them permission to discriminate during the first year
or two years of your employment if they so chose to do so. Of course they
can't LEGALLY say that your age and race figured into your firing, but if
they can fire you "for any reason", they don't have to say anything do
they? Ask your union about the department's "firing" statistics,
demographic breakdowns about who got let go in past years among new
employees and why.
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tod
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response 179 of 196:
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Nov 6 19:34 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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tsty
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response 180 of 196:
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Nov 8 08:46 UTC 2003 |
treating people as if they are robots - or robotic in activity - is how
u.m. does thigns .. maybe u.m. has seeped into tsa/homeland robotics.
some colonel west (sp) got into court matrial troubel for saving his
paltoon/company/bataliion because he 'esceeded' teh ucmj limit for
pursuading a captive just a tad beyond the book-limit for purwuation.
policy is 95% of the rules, 5% are athe exceptions UNanticipated by the book.
book-only is hitlerian.
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jmsaul
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response 181 of 196:
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Nov 8 14:45 UTC 2003 |
Actually, it isn't. Officers and NCOs in the Wehrmacht had more latitude in
the field than they did in most WWII armies.
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rksjr
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response 182 of 196:
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Nov 8 15:37 UTC 2003 |
Has bru talked with an attorney regarding the possibility of getting his
job back? The technicalities that got him fired might be challengeable.
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tod
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response 183 of 196:
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Nov 8 16:06 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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bru
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response 184 of 196:
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Nov 9 00:46 UTC 2003 |
and the employee may be separated from the Service in accordance with this
agreement and applicable regulations."
This suggests the contract does indeed cover those of us on probation, and
if so, there may have been several violations of the contract by my
supervisors. I have forwarded this on to my union rep and she has forwarded
it on to the union lawyer. I hope some good comes of it.
Still waiting for the file from washington.
Spoke with a lawyer about chances of fighting this, adn he said it would cost
me $5000 + and he would have to have $2400 up front. He also said the odds
of winning were less than 50% if I was on probation.
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tod
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response 185 of 196:
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Nov 9 00:58 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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rksjr
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response 186 of 196:
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Nov 9 15:05 UTC 2003 |
Does the attorney who quoted the "less than 50%" "odds of winning",
specialize in federal civil service law?
If not, you might try to find one who does, and who therefore might be
able to offer better odds.
A google search of:
attorney "federal civil service"
yielded:
"Results 1 - 100 of about 4,800" sites.
A google search of:
attorney "customs employees"
yielded:
"Results 1 - 100 of about 674" sites.
A search using the terms:
"federal civil service" firing probation
might also be interesting.
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bru
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response 187 of 196:
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Nov 9 15:31 UTC 2003 |
he is local and deals in federal employment law.
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tsty
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response 188 of 196:
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Nov 9 18:46 UTC 2003 |
appealing throught the civil service commission usually results
in favorable outcomes ... is that your chose venue?
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richard
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response 189 of 196:
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Nov 12 01:56 UTC 2003 |
bru if you get your job back, in the long term those legal fees will seem
insigificant. you ought to think about retaining him. if you don't, you
might always wonder "what if..." Don't walk away from this not knowing yo
u fought it as hard as you could
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bru
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response 190 of 196:
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Nov 12 04:32 UTC 2003 |
yeah, so true. But I do not have the ability to come up with the 2500 he
wants up front.
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