Hertz suspends Muslim workers for praying on job

Two Hertz transport buses are seen outside its rental-car pickup area July 17, 2006, at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. / Getty Images

Updated at 1:30 p.m. ET

SEATAC, Wash. - 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 a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016429949_hertz07m.html">told The Seattle Times it was a change in policy that Hertz began enforcing last week.

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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."

[Jedediah61]

Somalis. The same folks who dragged our fallen soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu after Blackhawk Down. The same savages who pirate ships in the Indian Ocean and murder innocent people. The same savages who bring crime to once peaceful Minnesota. Why the hell are they being allowed to immigrate here??? Pat Buchanan is right. We are destroying a once great nation by allowing invasion from Third World parasites. And Islam...a nasty violent cult of death and hate. When will we wake up?

[taylorsucram]

I'm confused, don't Jews get special treatment for their religious holidays and observances?

Just asking.

[mask2697]

In case you missed it, these people are getting paid less then $1 above minimum wage with no benefits, most Jews and Christians are already citizens, have gone to school, and have a job with at least $30 an hour, well above minimum wage

[PourpaixPourpaix]

I pray at work all the time, too. Unfortunately, when I'm done, my boss is still in his office and all his fingers are still attached to his hands and not, well, other places. I'm sure I'd get fired too if they knew what I was praying about. That's life.

[hairynews]

American Indians hold their sweat lodge sacred, Hertz needs to build one on property to include them. Counter person needs to ask all customers if they believe in abortion before handing out keys.
I believe that I will be killed by a falling object and need to look up every few minutes on my job.

In Afghanistan they kill girls because they go to school, in China they are short a 100 million or so girls because of 1 child policy which favored boys, India sonograms pregnant mothers to be and aborts girls.

A woman in France wanted to take her driver license picture a few years ago wearing her burka, kid you not, google it. Her face was a black piece of cloth.

Culture and religion, religion and culture, Is there room in modern society for these practices? Do not ask me, I am too busy looking up.

[mask2697]

There is room for religion and culture, just not for forcing it on other people, if your child doesn't want to follow a religion its there choice...

[brsinai]

Muslims are not to use their faith and religious requirements affect their duties at work. They pray 5 times a day, but they are given latitude, according to their faith, to pray when it is convenient. Hertz did the right thing.

[saturn05]

The employees should be given due notice of policy changes, but why should any company give special treatment to any religious group? I am sorry you have to pray 5 times a day, that's your problem, figure it out with your breaks and lunch. It is like smokers, too bad you need a smoke, smoke when you have a break or on your lunch, that's it.

[6591Hou]

Work is work and church is somewhere else - good for Hertz.

[tsigili]

Either they want a job, or they want to just pray. You can't have it both ways, unless the employer chooses to be cooperative. In this economy, they DON'T!

[1notrub11]

Sounds to me like the union management failed to inform their members and reinforce the agreed to policies in an effective manner. It does not matter whether or not or when the employer chose to enforce them. It is still the policy. Their claim is baseless, in my opinion, not to mention ludicrous.

[curious2knownow]

I agree, if the union failed to inform their members of the policy then they need to be blamed. In any job, if an employee needs personal time during work hours, then too bad. If a Muslim needs to pray on the job, do it sitting on the potty during their 10 minute break like everyone else gets. Only because of Union negotiations do they get special privileges. I do wonder though, does none Muslims get time off privileges too? Why is it always the Muslims causing the problems in the world?

[phillistine]

Headline is typical in its misleading nature and you have to work to get to the truth. Spin is in. Hypothetical event: Barack Obama and John Boehner were in a foot race and Boehner won. CBS News reports: President Obama and John Boehner (R) were in a foot race today. President Obama finished a strong second while Boehner finished next to last.