Pennsylvania Shell employees were told that they must attend President Trump’s August 13 speech or take the day off with no pay.
What We Know:
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette released the memo that employees received about the event. “Your attendance is not mandatory. This will be considered an excused absence. However, those who are NOT in attendance will not receive overtime pay on Friday,” the memo stated.
- Curtis Smith, a Shell spokesman, told CNN, “It was understood some would choose not to attend the presidential visit and were given the option to take paid time off (PTO) instead. As with any workweek, if someone chooses to take PTO, they are not eligible to receive maximum overtime.”
- “Only those who showed up at 7 a.m., scanned their ID cards, and prepared to stand for hours — through lunch but without lunch — would be paid,” according to the newspaper.
- Workers in attendance were also told not to protest during the event. The Post-Gazette reported workers were told, “No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance will be tolerated at the event. An underlying theme of the event is to promote goodwill from the unions.”
- Trump took full credit for constructing the $6 billion plant. He stated, “It was the Trump administration that made it possible. No one else. Without us, you would never have been able to do this.”
- He made these comments despite the plant being approved in 2016 by the Obama administration.
- During his speech, Trump also said, “I’m going to speak to some of your union leaders to say, ‘I hope you’re going to support Trump.’ Okay? And if they don’t, vote them the hell out of office because they’re not doing their job.” Sounds like Trump is using threats to garner support.
Is this fair?
