I was an employee of BMW parts distribution center in Ontario, Ca. I had transfered from NJ along with 3 others. Local 495 is the Union that represents the employees of BMW. Gene was our shop steward and Rigo was the business agent. After we arrived in Ca in 2004 we had nothing but hard times from Mgt. They had endlessly harassed us and when we complained to our steward they just pushed it aside. After 1 1/2 years of working in Ca we came into work on a Tuesday morning and were ushered upstairs to the Mgrs office and told we were being permanently being laid off... We looked at each other stunned as BMW had another record year in sales and profit!!! They never gave us a reason except that they decided this was what they wanted to do. Our Steward (Gene) just sat there and never said a word! I have filed grievances on our behalf trying to find out how this can be done without just cause? Gene refused to acknowledge my grievance and also refused to question BMW on how they can just take our livelihood from us without just cause!!! I had put in many calls to Rigo our business agent and his response was Tom you know that is just the way it is! Meanwhile they were making the other employees work mandatory overtime and brought temporary employees in to pick up because we were let go. This is just the final straw in the lack of representation that we received from the Union, they did nothing to fight for our jobs, they allowed the company to destroy the life's of 4 individuals who uprooted their lifes to move to Ca. They are a disgrace to the Teamsters as I was a teamster with local 177 and very proud and I know damn well this would never have happened with local 177.. Oh and not sure if it is just a coincidence or not, but Gene is now a Local 495 business agent!!! Go figure!!
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