Nine fired for going to rally

Nine fired for going to rally
Others in local immigration march say jobs at risk

By News-press.com Staff
Originally posted on April 13, 2006

At least nine Bonita Springs workers were fired and dozens more Southwest Floridians are reporting losing their jobs after marching in Monday's historic pro-immigration rally in Fort Myers.

Some people who kept their jobs say they've been warned by their bosses: Skip work again and you'll be fired.

"My boss threatened me and said if I miss work again to not come back," said Jose Martinez, 25, a Bonita resident who works for a construction company he did not want to name.

Immigrant Latin United of Florida, the Arcadia-based nonprofit that helped organize the march that brought together 75,000 people, has received as many as 35 calls from people from Southwest Florida seeking help after losing their jobs for missing work to attend the march.

"It seems very unfair to us that these people asked for one day to express themselves the only way they can, showing the power of their labor, and were treated this way," said Jose Rodriguez, secretary of the organization.

Charley Bohley, co-owner of Rodes Fresh & Fancy Restaurant and Lounge on Bonita Beach Road, terminated nine employees. He said his employees, some of whom had worked there for a few years, had been warned in a memo two days earlier when word spread of the march.

When they arrived on Tuesday, they learned they had lost their jobs.

More @ http://tinyurl.com/mghpc news-press


Ahh this is soooooooo sad! The ACLU better stick their long pointy noses into this, ASAP!