Telefund Continues Unethical Behavior
I've only been in one fight in my entire life. It was at the end of the 6th grade and I stood up to the bus monitor who was picking on the little kids by flicking them in the back of the head and doing other silly things like that. I didn't hurt him. I just put him in a full nelson and wouldn't let him go until he promised to stop. He wouldn't promise, so I just held him there. The bus driver, of course, came back and sent me up to the front of the bus for being bad. But I felt really, really proud of myself to be honest.
The point is--I don't do violence. I think it's silly. I think the real battles are fought with ideas. Either my ideas are better than yours--and you should acknowledge that--or yours are better than mine, and I should acknowledge that. If you resort to fisticuffs before you've resolved the matter, I believe you've actually admitted intellectual defeat.
Which is why I found what happened at Telefund today so appalling. I didn't even want to go in today. They called ME to tell me to come pick up my hastily arranged final check. This is what happened:
I suspected that the company, in its haste to be done with
its relationship with me, would short the amount of time they paid me
for. When the number of hours was too low by almost half an hour and
there was no performance bonus (I have always received at least some
performance bonus), I believed my suspicions were confirmed. I asked
to see the log-in record on the computer or one of the days in
question. Some very quick math showed that I was correct. It was a
small error of "only" four minutes, but if that kind of error is
compounded on every shift, that means a lot of money in the long run
for both the callers and the company. Despite my math being correct,
the supervisors told me that I had to sign for the check and take it
because they weren't going to change it. I asked them if my math were
somehow incorrect. They didn't say, but told me I had to take the
check and leave and then threatened to call the police. I really was
incredulous because I did not once raise my tone of voice or say
anything other than what I wanted to do was make sure I was paid for
the correct number of hours. They repeated that I had to leave and I
said I would but if they wouldn't discuss it with me I needed the
number of their supervisor or main office to resolve the disputed pay.
As one supervisor wrote down the number for me (incorrectly, as I was
to find out later), the other either did or pretended to dial the
"police" and started talking about an ex-employee who was "acting
aggressive and threatening". I could only shake my head in disbelief.
I just wanted to discuss and resolve the dispute in a rational manner.
Once I was outside, sitting on a public bench, I called the police
myself to make sure a false report had not been made. That's when the
male supervisor came down the stairs and started pointing at me and
making glaring gestures telling me I had to "vacate the area." I shook
my head politely and told him that I was on a public street making a
phone call and he went back inside but again put his phone to his ear
as if he were going to call the police again.
I have never been so poorly treated by a company or its
representatives. They are probably used to these tactics functioning
to keep employees from asking legitimate questions about their pay and
treatment. But they never had an employee who wasn't afraid of them and
who also isn't afraid to sit at the front of the bus if it's for something he didn't
do wrong.
I would ask anyone who cares about progressive causes to look into Telefund. They really are a despicable company. First, check out my longer blog (and some interesting discussion it generated) over at Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/11/780683/-Say-No-to-Telefund!-Progressive-Fund-Raisers-Deserve-Progressive-Treatment-%28now-w-poll!%29
Then, you can see just how many progressive groups are in bed with this unethical company here:
http://www.telefund.com/clients.html
Then you can find out how to tell Telefund what you think of them here:
http://www.telefund.com/contact.html
Lastly, if you belong to any of the organizations on that very long list, contact their member services divisions and let them know they're utilizing an anti-progressive and downright unethical company.
Help stop Telefund now!
The point is--I don't do violence. I think it's silly. I think the real battles are fought with ideas. Either my ideas are better than yours--and you should acknowledge that--or yours are better than mine, and I should acknowledge that. If you resort to fisticuffs before you've resolved the matter, I believe you've actually admitted intellectual defeat.
Which is why I found what happened at Telefund today so appalling. I didn't even want to go in today. They called ME to tell me to come pick up my hastily arranged final check. This is what happened:
I suspected that the company, in its haste to be done with
its relationship with me, would short the amount of time they paid me
for. When the number of hours was too low by almost half an hour and
there was no performance bonus (I have always received at least some
performance bonus), I believed my suspicions were confirmed. I asked
to see the log-in record on the computer or one of the days in
question. Some very quick math showed that I was correct. It was a
small error of "only" four minutes, but if that kind of error is
compounded on every shift, that means a lot of money in the long run
for both the callers and the company. Despite my math being correct,
the supervisors told me that I had to sign for the check and take it
because they weren't going to change it. I asked them if my math were
somehow incorrect. They didn't say, but told me I had to take the
check and leave and then threatened to call the police. I really was
incredulous because I did not once raise my tone of voice or say
anything other than what I wanted to do was make sure I was paid for
the correct number of hours. They repeated that I had to leave and I
said I would but if they wouldn't discuss it with me I needed the
number of their supervisor or main office to resolve the disputed pay.
As one supervisor wrote down the number for me (incorrectly, as I was
to find out later), the other either did or pretended to dial the
"police" and started talking about an ex-employee who was "acting
aggressive and threatening". I could only shake my head in disbelief.
I just wanted to discuss and resolve the dispute in a rational manner.
Once I was outside, sitting on a public bench, I called the police
myself to make sure a false report had not been made. That's when the
male supervisor came down the stairs and started pointing at me and
making glaring gestures telling me I had to "vacate the area." I shook
my head politely and told him that I was on a public street making a
phone call and he went back inside but again put his phone to his ear
as if he were going to call the police again.
I have never been so poorly treated by a company or its
representatives. They are probably used to these tactics functioning
to keep employees from asking legitimate questions about their pay and
treatment. But they never had an employee who wasn't afraid of them and
who also isn't afraid to sit at the front of the bus if it's for something he didn't
do wrong.
I would ask anyone who cares about progressive causes to look into Telefund. They really are a despicable company. First, check out my longer blog (and some interesting discussion it generated) over at Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/11/780683/-Say-No-to-Telefund!-Progressive-Fund-Raisers-Deserve-Progressive-Treatment-%28now-w-poll!%29
Then, you can see just how many progressive groups are in bed with this unethical company here:
http://www.telefund.com/clients.html
Then you can find out how to tell Telefund what you think of them here:
http://www.telefund.com/contact.html
Lastly, if you belong to any of the organizations on that very long list, contact their member services divisions and let them know they're utilizing an anti-progressive and downright unethical company.
Help stop Telefund now!