Opinion ID: 2971784
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Factual History Relating to Smith

Text: Prior to working at SEIU, Smith worked as the assistant business agent, an intern organizer, assistant director of organizing, and then organizing director for one of SEIU’s local union affiliates. In May 2000, Condra recommended Smith be hired by SEIU as a senior organizer. Smith, however, was hired as a senior organizer in training. SEIU provided evidence that Smith was brought in at this lower position because (1) she had only three years and four months of professional organizing experience,1 (2) her experience was at a local affiliate with an uneven record of training and developing organizers, and (3) her experience was limited to nursing homes. SEIU felt that Smith’s experience best qualified her for the 1 Smith claims she had five years of experience, but over a year and a half was in an unpaid capacity. SEIU does not view volunteer work as a substitute for full-time paid organizing experience for hiring and promotion purposes. No. 03-1916 4 even lower organizer position, but decided to hire her as a senior organizer in training based on Condra’s recommendation.2 Smith claims that Condra recommended Smith be given a two-step promotion to organizing coordinator in March 2001, when she was still a senior organizer in training.3 Condra then recommended Smith be given a one-step promotion to senior organizer, which she received in July 2001. In August, Robin Clark, a white woman, was placed in a coordinator position for the central region. SEIU offered evidence that the coordinator position was opened to allow Clark to return to her previously held coordinator position after serving with an SEIU local union affiliate for one year. On September 28, 2001, Smith’s employment was terminated. The termination letter gave numerous reasons for the termination, including: [Y]ou acted disrespectfully and high-handedly with coworkers, to the point that your coworkers asked for a meeting with the Central Region Organizing Director this past July to discuss problems they were having with you. The most glaring example of your inappropriate behavior occurred on July 13, when you got in to [sic] verbal altercations with co-workers Rashida Khermohamed and Demetrius Davis. When Rashida stated that she wanted to talk to her supervisor, Tony Condra, you pointed your finger in her face saying, “Bitch, this is my Mother Fucking man . . . and if you want to talk to Tony, you have to go through the chain of command. Talk to me and I’ll talk to Tony. I’m your Mother Fucking supervisor and this is my Goddamn man, so you 2 SEIU offered evidence that two white applicants with more experience than Smith were hired as organizers. Maria Wickstrom was hired as an organizer in 1999. She had seven years of professional organizing experience with the AFL-CIO. Stella Lindsay was hired as an organizer six months before Smith was hired. Lindsay had 12 years of professional organizing experience with the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and the Union of Needletrades Industrial & Textile Employees. 3 The parties dispute the particulars of the recommendation. SEIU claims Condra asked Woodruff to authorize the creation of a “roving” organizing coordinator position that he would want either Smith or Gabe Morgan to fill. Woodruff states he rejected the idea of such a new position. Smith claims approval for a roving organizing coordinator was not necessary because travel was an expected part of all coordinator positions. No. 03-1916 5 better talk to me.” When Demetrius Davis tried to intercede, you then turned on him. Your treatment of both Rashida and Demetrius was totally unacceptable. Furthermore, you were not Rashida’s supervisor, and she was not required to go through you if she wanted to talk to Tony. The termination letter also stated that Smith had misrepresented information about Khermohamed to Byron Hobbs. As a result, Hobbs wrote a memorandum to SEIU on July 31, 2001, asking that Khermohamed be removed from his local affiliate. After he learned Smith’s representations were false, he rescinded the memorandum. Smith’s termination letter stated: “Your conduct not only was dishonest, but also undermines your relationship with coworkers and your and SEIU’s relationship with locals.” Finally, the letter accused Smith of failing to participate in training programs or discuss her development plan, failing to work honestly and respectfully with leaders and staff of the Local 73HC, and failing to cooperate and meet with Nancy Cross, who was investigating the July 13 and other incidents on behalf of SEIU. When Debbie Schneider made the decision to terminate Smith’s employment, she had the following information available to her: (1) Cross’s report, which concluded that there was “no credible information as to what was said to whom” on July 13; (2) a letter of complaint from Khermohamed describing the July 13 incident; (3) a letter from Davis corroborating Khermohamed’s account; (4) a memorandum signed by five organizers who contradicted Smith’s allegation that Khermohamed accused Hobbs of sex discrimination; and (5) a tape recording made by Davis of a telephone conversation between Davis and Condra in which Condra asked Davis to give a false account of what had occurred on July 13.4 In the taped 4 Smith does not challenge SEIU’s claim that the tape is admissible in federal court. No. 03-1916 6 conversation Condra told Davis “there’s two things I want you to deny . . . [a]nd I’ll cover your ass.” Condra wanted Davis to “put a letter together . . . and say that you never had a controversy or a conversation with [Smith], or any kind of disruption with [Smith] – (inaudible) - - that day . . . and you are clueless that you don’t know what’s going on . . . .” Later, Condra corroborated Smith’s statement that Davis was the aggressor in the incident. Sharon Nelson, an African American woman, was hired as a senior organizer after Smith was discharged. Smith claims that Nelson was promoted to senior organizer with less experience than Smith had when she was hired as a senior organizer in training.