Explaining Why I Left A2K for Awhile

I am not saying a word. Keeping my head in my work and gathering evidence.

Uh, huh.

Okay, this is getting a bit sticky. The other day her and the shipping manager and the plant manager and I had a meeting. I use a freight broker for my freight quotes because this guy saves us money. In 8 loads, he saved us an average of $269.70 a load. Her and the shipping manager were doing all they could to get the plant manager to get me to stop using them. He saves the company money and me time because I don't have to "quote shop." I tape recorded the meeting. The HR person was in there taking notes so she could write up what we discussed and we'd all sign it.

Today she asked me to read the notes and sign them. I told her I couldn't sign them because she had typed that Dave has said not to use freightquote.com anymore. But, that is nowhere near what he said. He said don't use them for full live load trucks. This is his response from the recording, "I'm all for saving money. It's a great idea. We just need to be very, very careful. You (meaning me) need to keep an eye on this." I told him I would. He said, "All right. Very good." I wormed out of signing it by telling the HR lady that's not what I heard him say (what she typed) and I wanted it changed. She said I should write up that I probably misunderstood and she would attach it to the notes. I told her I did not have time to do it today.

I knew what he had said and I came home and listened to the recording again and I quoted in this post exactly what he said. Now, there is no way I'm going to say I might have misunderstood when I have proof I did not because I am not going to lie. I won't lie to make them look bad or to make me look good. But, I don't want them to know I have any recordings. I can't sign that paper when I know it is a lie.

What do I do? I can call the attorney tomorrow but what if she comes to get my signature and my "I might have misunderstood" note?

She went in and asked the Plant Manager if he had said what I said and he said no. He said that he said I wasn't to use them anymore. He lied.................AGAIN. They are all lying and I have the proof but have no clue what to do if she gets to me before I get to my attorney.

I've been through that in another context. I 'facilitated' a lot of community meetings for the city about local construction issues, and this all involved a lot of rant trading, which I and a couple of others managed to calm down, well, mostly, and pin point the points of view so that everyone got heard and opinion noted.. I kept vote notes. Very trying. Anyway, a neighbor acted as secretary for the meeting as a whole, and she kept getting stuff wrong, not on purpose, was just behind in following. I'll never do that kind of meeting thing again, but if I did, I'd have a tape recorder.

Don't know what to say in your case, but if you just write what you said here, and show the the hr person, who'd then show it to the guy, I would hope that would be corrected.

Have you checked with your attorney about taping conversations?

in some states taping someone without their knowledge can get you in trouble. and in some states, it is inadmissible as evidence...

Sure did and I researched it before I ever started doing it. You cannot record unless at least one person knows it is being recorded and consents. I do qualify as one person who knows and consents. Also, you can only do it if you have no illegal intent, which I do not have. The attorney told me I was correct about that. In some states you can record phone conversations if one person knows or consents and that can be the person with the recorder.

But, I don't want them to know yet that I have any recordings. I want as much evidence as I can get and if they know I record they won't be trying to screw me over. Well, they'll still try to do it but they won't make it blatant like they are now.

The thing is, I immediately went right back to work after this meeting using freightquote.com. So, according to all of their "recollections" of what was said, I'd be directly disregarding what the Plant Manager told me to do and definitely subject to termination. If I sign that paper.............it's over. At least, that is what I'm thinking.

Oh, I was very depressed when I left work. They hired a new young girl and the mother and daughter were doing their "showering them will welcoming kindness".

Good point - I hadn't thought that far, not meaning Arella should tape.. I was just wishing I had taped those meetings years ago, for my own peace of mind re the mistakes of the secretary. On the other hand, people wouldn't have spoken as freely, at first maybe a good thing, but the point was to get data on neighborhood opinions and they did flow. We ended up with a worked out consensus, with naysayer numbers noted. (I managed to get opinions repeated, so there was no big blow up re the notes.)

Good news from that, I'm still friends with a neighbor who lived through that with me.

just realize that you are playing hardball now.

good luck...

Oh, I know. If they knew I had these recordings I'd be gone in a heartbeat for sure. Now, I have talked to HR and said this is off the record just because I needed Miss B as a friend. I never taped a single one (only been three) of those conversations and would never use a word she said in them either.

I can't do any of this wrong. I can't do what they do in any way. The jury/judge looks just as hard at the defendant in these kinds of cases. I can't give them a reason to harass me and I won't. It's not in me anyway to harass people.

another unpopular thing I'm going to bring up. on the eyes wide open premise...

the odds of you retaining your job and being happy with it after the **** hits the fan are remote, IMHO...

even if you win, things are gonna get real weird for a while. maybe forever.

folks don't like whistle blowers. especially rich folks...

You write up your disagreement with the minutes of that meeting, stating you cannot sign the minutes as they were written because your recollection of what was said differs substantially from what you given to sign.
You then simply write what you recall Dave saying at the meeting.

You are entitled to recollect what was said at the meeting--that is not a "misunderstanding" nor should you admit to a "misunderstanding". Simply say you recall the events differently.

And, you cannot insist the HR person change the minutes--particularly since Dave won't back you up on what he said. Just add your statement and your recollection of what was said to the existing minutes of the meeting. You might also request another meeting so that the matter can be again discussed and clarified to everyone's satisfaction, including yours. That would make the most sense.

Obviously, say nothing about the recording. You should be entitled to privately record things for your own personal use, such as to enhance your memory of what was said. But you really shouldn't bring the recording into a discussion of who said what--particularly at this stage of the game. Just tell them you have an excellent memory.

Why these people lie and play such absurd games makes no sense.

"You might also request another meeting so that the matter can be again discussed and clarified to everyone's satisfaction, including yours. That would make the most sense."

agreed.

Be sure to get a copy of the minutes of the meeting so you can show your attorney the difference between what was said at the meeting (from your recording) and what was then written down that they asked you to sign.

I've been thinking. This may very well be what gets me fired and if you think about it, it would be fine. I can't say (and be truthful) it's my recollection. That is deceptive. I flat out know exactly what was said. If I hadn't of listened to the tape again tonight I might have convinced myself it was my "recollection". I am going to flat out state I KNOW it is not what was said (what she has in those minutes) and I am not going to sign it. Let them fire me for that. That would be wrongful termination and for that I have an ironclad case. I still don't know what a labor attorney can do with the other. I will call Johnny's attorney we saw the other day in the morning and get his advice. But, if they get to me first then I just will refuse to sign it. I cannot knowingly lie or sugarcoat it to make it sound like I'm not really lying when I would be.

I don't care a thing about working there anymore rockhead. I don't want to work with people that do such things. I won't quit though. They'll have to fire me.

Doesn't matter what happens to me. That new young lady that started today is on a road she has no idea about. Maybe this can be stopped before she is hurt.

Oh, I'll get a copy of the meeting minutes and everything in my personnel file. I have all of my complaints I have filed in there.

If you heard that in the meeting, and confirmed your recollection by listening to the recording, that is indeed your recollection.

I agree with Roger. It is your recollection--you simply verified it, for yourself, by listening to the recording.

You can quite honestly say you recollect the meeting differently. Not "misunderstood" what was said, but simply remember it differently.

Just add that statement, along with what you recall Dave saying at the meeting, or what you know he said, to the minutes before you sign them.

Otherwise you are calling the HR person dishonest in what she wrote, or saying she was the one who misunderstood what she heard, and why get into that?

If they fire you, let it be over something else. Add a statement to the minutes of the meeting, which reflects what Dave actually said at the meeting, and sign it.

And I do think you should request another meeting, just to be sure that the matter that was under discussion is fully clarified and that everyone is in agreement about what should be done by you in the future regarding that Web site..

firely, the flat out truth is what she put in those meeting minutes is a lie. Once I listened to that tape it is no longer merely recollection. It is now fact. I cannot and will not say I misunderstood or my recollection is. I KNOW FOR A FACT and saying anything other than that is a lie. They have been playing games with me for almost two years. I am not going to play games with them. I am hoping I can get in touch with the attorney first thing and my being confronted about this before that does not happen. The attorney will know what to do. But, if it's a lie, then it's a lie. I am not going to sugarcoat it and say it is not a lie. They all very well may think they heard Dave say what they are saying but he never said it.

For nearly two years, I have been thinking I am insane because they kept telling me no, we didn't say that so I questioned my sanity only to find out I heard exactly what I thought I heard.

I understand what you are saying but to me, this part isn't black and white. Something is the truth or it is not. If it's misunderstood by someone it doesn't change the fact whether it is true or not.

I will sign my statement but I won't sign those meeting minutes. I'm not using them anymore. Dave says not to now and I won't. His loss really. They saved us a bunch of money and could have saved us a bunch more.

Arella Mae, listening to that tape only reinforced what you knew had been said at that meeting. It's not as though you had no memory of the meeting without the tape--all the tape did was convince you you were right in what you remembered.
It is not a lie, at all, for you to say that you recall what was said at the meeting as being different than what is in the minutes.

It would be a lie to say you misunderstood what was said, which is why you should not say that.

You seem to feel you are being pushed into lying, but if you just say that you remember what was said, and it differs from the minutes, and that you have confidence in your memory, that isn't a lie in any manner or shape or form. You do have confidence in your memory--because you have your tape to back you up, even if they don't know that.

I understand what you are saying, but you really don't have to refuse to sign the minutes if they include your statement with your version of what you heard, and what you know to be true.

Since you have a lawyer now, it might be easier for you to write your statement, including what you heard Dave say, have it appended to the minutes, then sign below that, so it is clear that you are not just signing the minutes as they were presented to you--your signature will include your "correction" and it will be below both the minutes and your statement . That way, you wouldn't just be signing the minutes. I think that would be easier on you. Then, I'd let the lawyer do battle with them. Give yourself a rest.

Have you tried calling the attorney tonight and leaving a detailed message with his answering service? That way, it will be the first thing brought to his attention in the morning and he can respond immediately if he chooses to do so.

Are you looking for another job?