A man who has worked 18-years as a staff of Walmart could not
understand why he got fired after returning $350 in loose cash 30
minutes after he found it in a store parking lot.
Mike Walsh, 45, found a stack of bills in early November while he
was cleaning the parking lot of the Walmart Neighborhood Market in
Niskayuna, New York, where he worked, The Albany Times-Union reports.
He claims he stuffed the cash in his pocket while he continued cleaning, and then turned the money over to a manager once he finished the job, according to The Times-Union's report.
However, he was surprised several days later when a manager showed Walsh a surveillance tape showing a 30-minute lapse between his discovery of the money and when he turned it in, and he was fired for "gross misconduct," according to Walsh's claims.
Now local and national worker-rights advocates have threatened fire after rallying around Walsh while calling Walmart's inhumane act as "completely bogus".
"We cannot allow America's largest employer to keep treating their employees as disposable and taking away their jobs for no real reasons.
He claims he stuffed the cash in his pocket while he continued cleaning, and then turned the money over to a manager once he finished the job, according to The Times-Union's report.
However, he was surprised several days later when a manager showed Walsh a surveillance tape showing a 30-minute lapse between his discovery of the money and when he turned it in, and he was fired for "gross misconduct," according to Walsh's claims.
Now local and national worker-rights advocates have threatened fire after rallying around Walsh while calling Walmart's inhumane act as "completely bogus".
"We cannot allow America's largest employer to keep treating their employees as disposable and taking away their jobs for no real reasons.
"Walmart MCAW stands with Thomas Smith, Michael Walsh, and everyone in New York and across the country in asking for answers and calling on Walmart to stop these unfair terminations." said Jess Levin, a spokeswoman for Making Change at Walmart, a union-backed group fighting for higher wages and better working conditions for Walmart workers.
Thomas Smith is another former Walmart worker whose recent firing spurred calls for a Walmart boycott. When reached for comment on Walsh's firing, Walmart spokesman Aaron Mullins said:
"I am disgusted for what you have done to Mike W. He turned that money in as soon as he was capable. You have no right to judge someone else's reasons for wanting to be sure things were handled as appropriately as possible. I don't think a good chunk of people would have even turned it in." Jennifer Marek wrote on Facebook.
Another person wrote, "Shame on you Walmart for the firing of Michael Walsh. If this is the way you treat your long-time, loyal employees, I will no longer be a long time loyal customer. My business will go to other stores, no matter how inconvenient."
Many in the area who are conversant with or have experienced Walmart's harsh treatment have voiced their support for Walsh as many say the company are looking for an opportunity not to compensate Walsh for the many years he has put in service. Walmart's treatment of its workers has been under increased scrutiny over the last several years with the rise of workers' rights campaigns backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
The groups, which have organized protests and strikes at Walmart stores across the country on critical shopping days, including Black Friday, publicize stories like Walsh's to fuel their campaigns for higher wages and better working conditions.
Source: Yahoo Business Insider
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