Trader Joe’s said the employee was not fired for raising security concerns, but for “disrespect he showed our customers”.
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A former Trader Joe employee said he was fired for advocating for increased corporate security precautions COVID-19, especially for asking employees to have the ability to remove unmasked customers from stores.
On Friday, New York resident Ben Bonnema tweeted that he had just been fired from his position as a staff member at Trader Joe’s 545 on the Upper West Side of New York because of a letter he sent to the company’s CEO asking for additional security measures against the coronavirus. He posted an image of the email in his tweet, which went viral and has been retweeted almost 40,000 times so far.
In the letter sent to the company’s CEO, Dan Bane, earlier this month, Bonnema cited new studies on the dangers of aerosol coronavirus transmission and asked Trader Joe’s to adopt more practices to improve filtration and air circulation, in addition to monitor CO2 levels in your stores.
Trader Joe has just fired me for sending this letter to the CEO, saying that I don’t share the company’s values. I think that defending a safer workplace is not a value for the company?
Bonnema also requested that new corporate policies be enacted to allow employees to prevent anyone without a mask from entering a Trader Joe’s and give employees the right to remove customers without masks or those who wear masks incorrectly.
“Recently, I was shouted at and cursed by a customer who would not wear his mask above his nose, despite [Trader Joe’s employees] already asking him to do that. He was allowed to finish his purchases and complete the purchase. “
“The ADA requires us to offer reasonable accommodation, which we do by offering to shop for them. If they refuse, we must not let them in, ”he wrote. He suggested adopting a “3-strike policy” to “remove uncooperative people from our stores”.
“These changes can only come with your approval,” he said. “We put our lives at risk every day when we show up for work. Please show up for us by adopting these policies.”
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Trader Joe’s spokesman Kenya Friend-Daniel refuted Bonnema’s claims that he had been fired for his letter in a statement to BuzzFeed News, saying the company “[had] never, and would never terminate the employment of a crew member for raising safety concerns. “
“Nothing is more important at Trader Joe’s than the safety of our crew members and customers,” she said. “During his short stay at Trader Joe’s, the suggestions of this crew member were heard and properly dealt with. The store leadership ended the employment of this crew member because of the disrespect he showed our customers.”
However, according to what appears to be a official notice of the termination of the employment contract that Bonnema posted on his Twitter account, it was his proposal on improving safety in the workplace, forcing the use of a mask that led to his dismissal.
“In a recent email, you suggest adopting a ‘3-strike policy’ against customers and a policy that imposes the same accommodations on all customers with a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask. These suggestions are not according to our core values. In addition, you claim that Trader Joe’s is not ‘appearing to us’ without adopting its policies. “
“Of course, you don’t understand our values. As a result, we are no longer comfortable with you working for Trader Joe’s.”
However, according to what appears to be an official performance review that Bonnema posted on Twitter, in August he received perfect marks in the “customer performance” and “values” categories.
In particular, the review praised its customer service. “We appreciate the dedication and care you give our customers every day, while continuing to have thoughtful interactions with them at the checkout and in the sales area … It is an absolute pleasure to have you with us. Keep up the good work.”
BuzzFeed News asked Trader Joe’s whether the documents shared on Twitter are legitimate and to clarify Bonnema’s stability and performance.
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Bonnema maintained legal representation to fight his “retaliatory termination” and plans to present his case to the National Council for Labor Relations, his lawyer Benjamin Dictor told BuzzFeed News in a statement on Sunday.
(Dictor is also a lawyer for NewsGuild in New York, which represents the editorial staff of BuzzFeed News.)
“Mr. Bonnema’s impeccable job history at the company is just further evidence that the company’s decision to fire him was an illegal attempt to threaten, restrict and coerce Bonnema and his co-workers to get involved in activities protected combinations, “he said. “Mr. Bonnema has the federal government’s protected right to defend safety at the workplace of his colleagues. It is condemnable to fire him for that.”
BuzzFeed News reporter Salvador Hernandez contributed to this story.