An elevator construction crew’s notorious party that included a stage, stripper pole and a case of beer at Vancouver’s Trump Tower construction site was revealed last month. The incident came to light after the foreman who shut the lunchtime event down was refused employment when rumours of the incident spread in the industry.
The story was laid bare in arbitration documents last month. Foreman Guy Redmond claimed he was unfairly denied employment after word of him refusing to disclose which of his workers were responsible for bringing strippers and beer to a lunchtime potluck party in a lunch shack.
Redmond has worked in the elevator construction trade since 1994 with no disciplinary actions or safety violations. On Oct. 3, 2014, Redmond’s 16-man team had planned a lunch time potluck party which was approved by their employer, Fujitek. The beer and strippers were not.
Redmond arrived late to the event, which took place in a lunch shack in the underground parkade on the second level down, due to a project issue. He testified he found loud music, a stage with a pole, several women and a case of beer. He told the court he began shutting the party down and threw away several open beers.
Following the incident Redmond met with Fujitek officials. When asked to say who organized bringing women and beer onto the site, he refused, saying he was running the job and would take full responsibility.
He was told to take a voluntary layoff or be fired, the documents read. Company officials said there was no issue with his work performance and he would be considered for employment in the future.
He left on Oct. 10. But as rumours of the incident spread, his connection to it impacted him when Kone Elevators refused to hire him as required by his union’s collective agreement.
When the International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local 82, took Kone to court, the employer argued that Redmond’s refusal to co-operate with a safety incident investigation could pose a safety risk.
The union argued that Redmond has an exemplary employment record in the industry with no discipline of any kind. They stated that the incident gained notoriety in the industry and Kone relied on these rumours in making a hiring decision.
The union noted that such a decision must be based on hard evidence. Kone never interviewed Redmond and received the information third-hand. The union also highlighted the fact that Redmond shut the party down, took away the booze and apologized to management and contractors. Arbitrator Robert Pekeles sided with the union.
"The employer did not speak to Fujitek. It did not speak to Redmond. It relied on rumours," wrote Pekeles. "I fully appreciate that this is a refusal to hire case, and not a discipline case. Nevertheless, some inquiry into the actual facts was necessary. In these particular circumstances, I conclude that the employer’s rejection of Redmond was arbitrary and hence unreasonable."
The 63-storey Trump International Hotel and Tower at West Georgia Street is nearly complete. Holborn Group is building the project.
The project faced another controversy late last year after Donald Trump, a leading potential presidential candidate in the United States, announced his plan to ban all Muslims from entering the country as a response to terrorism.
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and councillor Kerry Jang expressed shock at the comments and said they didn’t want Trump’s name on a building representing the city. Holborn Group CEO Joo Kim Tiah released a statement saying the company is focused on construction and not U.S. politics.
Vancouver’s Trump Tower has been dogged by controversy since Donald Trump entered the U.S. presidential race last year.
Photo: Warren Frey"
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed