These Employees Were Fired for Participating in #ADayWithoutImmigrants

An estimated 100 workers nationwide were fired after participating in “A Day Without Immigrants” demonstrations last Thursday. According to NBC News, the employees range from restaurant and catering staff to construction workers, manufacturing employees and nannies.

The movement was meant to serve as a reminder of the importance of immigrants in the U.S. economy. However, business owners did not grant workers the permission to take the day off and have fired them based on a  “zero tolerance policy for no show/no call incidents.”

A restaurant chain in Long Island, New York, Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen Restaurant and Caterers, fired 25 employees upon returning to their jobs on Friday. The company alleges that while some of the workers went to protest, others decided to work. This caused disputes among employees and threats made against those who showed up to work. A spokesperson for the restaurant said the threats were the actual cause of the dismissals. 

In Catoosa, Oklahoma, the I Don’t Care Bar and Grill fired 12 Hispanic cooks after the strike. This incident went viral since the owner, Bill Mcnally, fired some of the employees via a sarcastic text message that read, “You and your family are fired… I hope you enjoy your day off and you can enjoy many more. Love you.” While the kitchen staff thought they were terminated unfairly, the restaurant claims their absence was a violation of the no show/no call policy.

Other restaurants, however, closed their doors on Thursday in support of their workers. Though many of the protestors are Latino, the movement is rapidly drawing in immigrants of varying ethnicities who wish to take a stand against attacks from the new White House administration.