IAM Local W110 member Peggy LaFaive in Marshfield, WI is another example of how being Union pays big when an employer tries to unjustly fire a worker. Peggy is a CNA at Marshfield Care Center. In June of 2012, Peggy was accused of abusing a resident and she was immediately fired. As a result of the hard work and dedication of IAM District W3, Peggy was recently awarded reinstatement and made whole for losses of almost $26,000.
After investigating the facts, Local W110 steward Nancy Hoppe filed a grievance disputing just cause for Peggy's firing. It was blatantly obvious to Nancy and Chief Steward Julee Hahn that Peggy was fired simply because management didn't like her and her vocal support of her Union.
Marshfield Care Center tried every trick in the book to deny Peggy her justice. Expensive lawyers played games to try and make procedural arguments that simply cost more money and prolonged the justice that they surely knew would come if it ever got to an arbitrator.
Despite management's best efforts and thousands spent on anti-union lawyers, Peggy had her day in front of an arbitrator. No matter what spin or games the company tried, there was no way for them to make the facts support their firing of Peggy. Showing attention and compassion for residents is her job, and that's all she did.
The arbitrator didn't buy any of the company's twisted arguments.