Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest

Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest Rather Than Read McCain Script Attacking Obama
By Greg Sargent - October 27, 2008, 5:18PM

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.

Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."

Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.

"They walked out," Williams says of her daughter and her co-workers, adding that they weren't fired but willingly sacrificed pay rather than read the lines. "They were told [by supervisors], `If you all leave, you're not gonna get paid for the rest of the day."

The daughter, who wanted her name withheld fearing retribution from her employer, confirmed the story to us. "It was like at least 40 people," the daughter said. "People thought the script was nasty and they didn't wanna read it."

A second worker at the call center confirmed the episode, saying that "at least 30" workers had walked out after refusing to read the script.

"We were asked to read something saying [Obama and Democrats] were against protecting children from danger," this worker said. "I wouldn't do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting."

This worker, too, confirmed sacrificing pay to walk out, saying her supervisor told her: "If you don't wanna phone it you can just go home for the day."

The script coincided with this robo-slime call running in other states, but because robocalling is illegal in Indiana it was being read by call center workers.

Representatives at Americall in Indiana, and at the company's corporate headquarters in Naperville, Illinois, didn't return calls for comment.

Cincy Fan 44 wrote:Cool! Maybe I can pick up some extra cash making those calls for them! Maybe I'll get lucky and get a chance to change the minds of some Obama Thumpers.

LTRT wrote:I guess they didn't need their job that bad, eh? Must being doing all right then to just walk off their job, wonder how many of them are driving Volvos?

meta4 wrote:

LTRT wrote:I guess they didn't need their job that bad, eh? Must being doing all right then to just walk off their job, wonder how many of them are driving Volvos?

If you would have read, they did not lose their jobs but were told they would not be paid for that day.

pez wrote:Such a call center should not exists in the first place... damn I cant wait for the election to be over...

Markwes wrote:

pez wrote:Such a call center should not exists in the first place... damn I cant wait for the election to be over...

I would agree if there was anything mentioned in their job description that said they didn't have to make a call that made them uncomfortable. I have doubts there was anything like that though.

This situation sounds strikingly familiar to a topic we discussed way back where a pharmacist refused to fill a prescription (morning after pill I believe?) because he was morally against it. I sure hope all the pro-choice posters who said he should be fired think the same in this case.

Markwes wrote:

pez wrote:Such a call center should not exists in the first place... damn I cant wait for the election to be over...

I would agree if there was anything mentioned in their job description that said they didn't have to make a call that made them uncomfortable. I have doubts there was anything like that though.

This situation sounds strikingly familiar to a topic we discussed way back where a pharmacist refused to fill a prescription (morning after pill I believe?) because he was morally against it. I sure hope all the pro-choice posters who said he should be fired think the same in this case.

Jugomugo wrote:I understand what you're saying about job description. In the pharmacists case, its his job to prescribe drugs that are available legally to Americans.

In the call center's case, it would depend on what they were told upfront.

Cincy Fan 44 wrote:

Jugomugo wrote:I understand what you're saying about job description. In the pharmacists case, its his job to prescribe drugs that are available legally to Americans.

In the call center's case, it would depend on what they were told upfront.

I think you got that turned around a bit. Pharmacists fill drugs prescribed by doctors...

meta4 wrote:This example is different because this task is not in line with the call center's line of business. I'm guessing there is no business relationship between what the call center does on a daily basis and being paid to make commercials for a political candidate.

If these were government employees would THAT change the rules? What if it was FWCS?

What stops a gas station owner from asking employees to also work at his lawn care business picking up leaves?

I think forcing people to say or write something that could be slander or libel would be a crime.

pez wrote:Dude... if you are employed at a call center you should walk off the job anyway, recognizing that on moral grounds no one wants to hear from you.

Canuck wrote:

pez wrote:Dude... if you are employed at a call center you should walk off the job anyway, recognizing that on moral grounds no one wants to hear from you.

I do feel bad for call centres employees, people are very rude to them.

I don't have it in me to be rude to them, I just politely tell them I am not interested.

pez wrote:Dude... if you are employed at a call center you should walk off the job anyway, recognizing that on moral grounds no one wants to hear from you.