Couple questions regarding firearms, vehicles, and workplace.

(Seems as though I can't get a break anymore, if it's not the gorge encounters, its job loss)

Lil info; I worked part-time with SRG Guardian in Morehead, Ky, a factory that makes parts for various car makers.

I had always noticed the sign on the way in, noting among other things; "NO TOBACCO PRODUCTS" and "NO WEAPONS ON THE PROPERTY" ... But kindly ignored, the weapons one.

Just a couple days ago, I was informed via phone that my employment was terminated, for breaking a plant "safety rule". Appears someone saw me moving my Pistol from my dashboard, to my glove box, and felt "uncomfortable", thinking it wise to tell Plant management.

I know there's a state law that protects employee's from being fired for keeping a firearm in their locked vehicle, but that doesn't really help if you can't afford a lawyer to press a claim against a big company like Guardian... So, any suggestions? I know a couple people, friends, who work there and also keep firearms in their vehicles, I don't want them to be fired as well, but I kinda want that job back... (Really don't want to work full time at the station, those vollies make me want to go postal sometimes)

-Drake

im sorry to hear about this i had the same thing happend a few years ago. But i think mine happend a few days before the law changed . i wish you the best of luck

And rember us volly keep the fire truck going some days

Get all the paper work you can regarding your termination. Get it on record WHY you were fired. Filing a pro se suit wouldn't be that difficult and there are resources available to you to do such. If you have evidence that they fired you for having your firearm then it would seem to be an open and shut case, but given the recent happenings at UK maybe not so much.

Sounds like the employer is unaware of the law. If you let HR know about this law and let them know that you are aware of the law and the injustice suffered, you might be able to come to an understanding. Further, if you let them know that you are seeing what your legal recourse options are, they would almost certainly bring you back. If not, this would seem like a cake suit for any attorney, one that may take the case for free but would get a cut of the money you win.

langzaiguy said:

Sounds like the employer is unaware of the law. If you let HR know about this law and let them know that you are aware of the law and the injustice suffered, you might be able to come to an understanding. Further, if you let them know that you are seeing what your legal recourse options are, they would almost certainly bring you back. If not, this would seem like a cake suit for any attorney, one that may take the case for free but would get a cut of the money you win.

Click to expand...

Exactly what langzaiguy said. If you go to human resources, show them the statute, which is in the KRS237 chapter, you will be rehired. That being said, make sure your termination was for the weapon.

The important part here is documentation. You were fired over the phone? That's just cold. It also does not provide any documentation that can be used to substantiate the fact that you were fired for having a pistol in your car in the parking lot. You need that to be very clear. If you tip your hand without irrefutable documentation stating the actual reason you were terminated, they'll make up some other reason and they'll be careful to have another reason whenever they want to fire those other people who also have a pistol in their car.

If all you can get is a verbal, record it. A Sansa Clip MP3 player makes a good covert audio recorder.

If you can get them to admit that you were fired for the pistol and have a record of that, and then they change the reason for termination, that will look super bad for them.

Yes, "super bad" is a legal term. It's probably Latin.

Good luck getting your job back, although I'd have a hard time working for a company like that. I'm not lawsuit happy, but I think I'd have little compunction about suing them for wrongful termination and making them pay. It'd be a nice 2A message for other employers.