"Corporate loyalty" gone berserk

[unixronin]

A Muskegon Suzuki motorcycle dealer has fired a mechanic for buying a Harley-Davidson, citing an alleged policy banning ownership of any competitors' products.  The fired mechanic claims no such policy had ever been declared.  The move seems to have backfired, as locals picket and boycott the dealership, calling the owner "un-American".

"I'm here because of freedom of choice," said labor activist Paul Stark, a former vice president of the Muskegon Labor Council.  "It's a shame when a guy buys an American product, he loses his job.  You should have the right to purchase what you choose.  Someone's got to stand up for the working man."

Comments

[lithinasi.livejournal.com]

Work has been leaving Muskegon in droves since even before 9/11, so it doesn't surprise me that employers try to control the lives of their employees like that. I'm sure we'd see a return of the company store if it were legal. Good thing it's coming back to bite them in the ass.

[smandal.livejournal.com]

It'd only be a crime if he were fired for buying this (http://www.mvagusta.com/_vti_g2_ver.aspx?IdVer=8&rpstry=27_).

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's not a crime, sure. I think it's a bad business policy though. If I owned a motorcycle dealership, say Honda-Yamaha, and I had a good mechanic who rode a Harley, I'd keep him. For several reasons.

First, because if I fire him for buying a bike that's not a Honda or a Yamaha, he's gonna bad-mouth me about it.

Second, because if I fire him for owning a bike I don't sell, it sends the message "Don't bring your bike here for service unless it's a Honda or a Yamaha." If I have a service department and I want it to make money, I want every rider in the area bringing their bikes to me for service, not just the Honda-Yamaha riders.

Third, am I gonna fire every employee I have who drives a car to work? Am I gonna make'em all go out and buy Honda cars? If I let employees drive non-Honda cars to work, but not ride non-Honda/Yamaha motorcycles, that's discrimination.

And last, because he's a good mechanic. If he does his job well, I don't care what he rides ... I don't care if he drives a frelling H2 as long as he's a good mechanic.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

(Not necessarily in that order, or any particular order.)

It's not all that unusual

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Several years ago I was in a class with someone who worked at a Disney store, and was trying to figure out how to get his niece a Warner Brothers toy that she wanted, since it would have been a termination offense for him to be seen in a competitor's store.

Re: It's not all that unusual

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not saying it's necessarily unusual. I'm just saying it's not right. If you feel threatened by your employees buying competitors' products, maybe you need to build a better product or sell it for a better price.