Hertz fires Muslims for not clocking out to pray

SEATTLE - A Hertz spokesman says the rental car company is disappointed 26 Muslim transport drivers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport chose to be fired rather than agree to clock out for prayer breaks.

Spokesman Richard Broome says eight other drivers who had been suspended Sept. 30 were reinstated after they agreed to time their prayers.

Hertz suspends Muslim workers for praying on job

Broome says clocking out is a reasonable requirement because some employees had failed to return to work promptly after prayers. The drivers move rental cars for cleaning and refueling.

Teamsters Local 117, which represents the workers, said the two sides were unable to negotiate an agreement that would have allowed the workers to return to their pre-suspension status, under which they wouldn't have to clock out to pray.

Union spokesman Paul Zilly said the workers were given an ultimatum to sign the clock-out document.

The union has filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. The union also is filing religious discrimination charges with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The union represents nearly 80 Hertz drivers who earn between $9.15 and $9.95 an hour. About 70 percent are Muslims.

Observant Muslims pray several times a day.

Hertz said the suspended workers were violating provisions of a collective bargaining agreement and a settlement with the EEOC reached two years ago.

If Hertz felt some employees were abusing the break policies, it should have dealt with them individually, Zilly said.

The union said the break clock-out requirement is not in the contract and Hertz had agreed during negotiations last year that it would not require it.

[zyx-xyz]

As usual, another minority group living within the borders of the U.S. is jumping at the chance for Victimhood Status, and our courts (up to and including the Supreme Court) will surely be stupid enough to provide the accommodation. If company policy is to clock out for significant non-work-related activities (i.e., activities apart from urinating and defecating, otherwise known as bathroom breaks --- and in some places, such as working on an assembly line, even bathroom breaks are --- rightfully and appropriately --- limited), then, that's company policy. Don't like it? Quit and get another job. Or better yet, go to an Islamic-majority country where you can perform the required daily prayers ("salah") while in the middle of your performing your job. (Do you think there would be reciprocity? Have you ever tried to practice Christianity in, e.g., Saudi Arabia? HAH!) To put it another way, what in the WORLD are you doing here in the U.S.? GET OUT. LEAVE ON THE NEXT PLANE.

[ccdsswrkr09]

by rasin1 October 21, 2011 3:05 PM EDT
Why do you think their work days didnot extend to 9 hours usually? All of us know that most jobs now don't end exactly after 8 hours. There is so much slandering here. Why don't people look at themselves and their short comings first? Generalizing is so easy and so childish. Look at the hate crime recently in Alabama where a white teenager killed a black guy and caught on security cameras. Do you say think all white teenagers are that? I think blogs should be restricted to mature people.
____________________________________________________________

Um, where in my comment did I make a racist comment? I was talking about the breaks and whether people get paid for them or not. My comment actually had nothing to do with the actual act of praying, it was more so about the breaks themselves and whether people get paid for their breaks. So perhaps these blogs should be restricted to those who actually READ THE POSTS THEY ARE RESPONDING TO!

[JTR79]

Does anyone deserve to be paid $9+ an hour to pray? NO WAY!!!
What's happening to the Teamsters to make such a stupid demand?!

[rasin1]

I work at a hospital and see too much staff taking smoke breaks ON THE CLOCK. Added up they are easily more than 1 hour in an 8 hour shift. Shouldn't that be stopped?

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Not necessarily (and I'm no smoker), but they should only be paid for 7 hours in your example. Clarify a reasonable policy (most are poorly defined/enforced) and fire them only if they insist on taking breaks without clocking out.

[wolfmann4u-2009]

Kill all the Arab Muslim terrorists bastards and let God sort them out

[nomorelibs]

Why can't they pray on their 15 min breaks and lunch? How long does it take to pray when you do it 5 times a day?

[ccdsswrkr09]

by 123wrwf4 October 21, 2011 11:52 AM EDT
Just curious, how many of you remember Good Friday and all business closing for 3 hours? They took that away from Christians and that raised quite a fuss. In addition, how many people go on cigarette breaks frequently during the day and smoke and quickly return. Just saying....
______________________________________________________

In all the places I've ever worked where it is a typical 8 hour pay day, you are generally at work for a total of 9 hours, BUT PAID FOR ONLY 8 AS YOU GET 30 MIN FOR "LUNCH" AND 15 BEFORE AND 15 AFTER LUNCH. How you choose to spread out your 15 before and after is up to you, which is when all of the smoker's I've ever worked with take their smoke breaks. Usually they split them up about 7 min per break or less so around 2 smoke breaks in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I smoke and take one break in the morning, smoke during my lunch break, and one break in the afternoon, both of my smoke breaks take less than 5 min. Oh yeah, NONE OF THESE BREAKS ARE PAID BREAKS....so why should anyone taking a break get paid for that break again, I'm confused.

[obicera1]

When I had a job that had 15 minute breaks they were paid and typically occurred mid morning and mid afternoon. But I was in a Union and we got paid breaks. Maybe you should use the power of the Union to get paid breaks.

[ajvw]

just be the boss and take as many breaks as you want.

[BigMykul]

by ici2i October 21, 2011 11:06 AM EDT
I honestly hope you aren't as ignorant as your post would imply. Separation of church & state is a wee bit different than employees not doing what their paid to do while they praise their prophet. I suggest you try not to intermix the issue lest you attract other ignorants.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Where does one find this seperation of church and state. The Constitution states that Congress cannot create a religion, or forbid the free exercise of religion. Nowhere does it state that church and state must be seperate.

[uisignorant]

All part of the big lie.
The 1st amendment was not to keep the Church out of the State, it was to keep the State out of the Church. But revisionist are changing that too.

[dkcjlc]

Good for you Hertz! Stick to your guns. Shame on the Union. If you work you get paid, if you don't work you don't get paid. I agree with the poster that said if they want to be paid for prayer time they should start their own company. The next car I rent will be from Hertz!

[overthehill5]

YOU SOLD ME HERTZ! Avis is now number TWO!
If you'll loan me a bus, I'll drive those folks back to
where they came from...and I'll buy the gas!
Jt