A Christian bus driver is facing disciplinary action after circulating a petition backing traditional marriage at work during his break.
Arthur McGeorge, 58, from Consett, County Durham, was approached by his manager at the Go North East bus depot and told not to bring the petition into work.
Mr McGeorge was also accused of being 'homophobic' and told to apologise for the ‘offence’ that he had caused. After refusing to back down, Mr McGeorge now faces a formal disciplinary procedure.
He said: “I’m not prepared to be told what I can discuss in my breaks.”
The petition was launched by the Coalition for Marriage, a broad based coalition which seeks to defend the current legal definition of marriage as that between a man and a woman. It has attracted more than 180,000 signatures in a matter of weeks.
23 Comments
McGeorge is a brave and passionate man. He is willing to risk losing his job for what he believes. He is willing to buck the rules set forth by his employer in order to stay true to his principles. He believes this petition is more important than employment. I am sure that if disciplinary measures are taken, he will except them graciously for he trusts his actions were right.
Under most employment guidelines you may not be permitted to circulate petitions of any sort on company premises’. But if the employer did, in fact, pronounce the employee to be a particular thing based on his stated position on a given topic then the employer has committed a human rights violation as defined by the international court.
It has been my experience that employers who cross the line often try to cover up their transgressions by initiating disciplinary procedures in an attempt to mitigate potential damages.
He is neither brave nor passionate -- he's a bigot. And I wish NOM would keep out of my country's affairs. It makes me sick to the stomach to see such a hateful, backward American gate group with its filthy paws in the affairs of a fair, liberal and happy nation -- the anithesis of much of bigotted middle-America.
I really don't think it's appropriate to circulate ANY petition at your work. I'm glad that the manager politely told the bus driver that.
I have to say that as an employer I wouldn't want my business getting muddied in political waters by employees circulating any kind of petition. Whether or not I agree with the petition in question, this company is there to provide transportation to all people, regardless of ideology.
To me it sounds like his employer asked him not to bring the petition to work (as to not alienate people who disagree with him) and he refused so he faced disciplinary action.
Why does this have to be about persecuting Christians? I'm sure if he was disciplined for refusing to stop bringing a petition to legalize gay marriage, you'd be all for it.
It appears that the English govt. is willing to make martyrs of their Christians. Well, the Pilgrams would commiserate.
"I'm sure if he was disciplined for refusing to stop bringing a petition to legalize gay marriage, you'd be all for it."
Not on his break. He was on his own free time. That's his personal business. He ought to be free to think and say his own opinions when he's not on company time.
It's interesting to see what the pro-ssm side thinks of this. All of you who are so interested in those crystal ball predictions, this is it. This is what they want to see. Shut up, and don't have religious opinions in the public square or you lose your job.
At least now they're being honest.
Ouch, a little totalitarian are they? Agree with us, or lose your job. Sounds fair... if you live in Russia-- but I thought the UK was still a step up from the Kremlin.
Seriously? Disciplinary action? That's a little heavy handed. What about freedom of speech?
Guess they didn't teach the manager to accept man-and-woman marriage in driving school.
--Victor Golf Charles
@McAllister - there is some merit to what you are saying - but it remains to be seen what the policy of the company really is. If written is it enforced universally - if not written hard to justify on the fly. Problem is he was called homophobic - that is where the judgment is made. That is where the bad animus of the employer, policy or not, is revealed.
“I’m not prepared to be told what I can discuss in my breaks.”---
Bravo. Take the fascists all the way to Brussels and if you lose there then tell them to put you in prison.
Soon enough the fascists will find themselves out of power.
While at Boeing we had a fellow employee told by HR (Human Resources) he had to take down the American flag with sign that stated "Support our troop" because other employees might be offended at the site fo a blatant partisan position.
The employee began drafting a letter to his representatives by lunch time and when HR found out about it the next morning they called the employee up for an emergency meeting; the new HR representative appologised and begged the employee not to mail his letters.
As it turns out; our freedom of speech does not end at the front gate...
Mary- Freedom doesn't mean you can violate your employer's rules. You guys really don't get it do you.
It's the employer's rules to call people names like "homophobe"? I doubt it.
Is this the kind of "tolerance" you preach Thomas?
Just a couple other points:
"What about freedom of speech?"
This was in the UK, they don't have freedom of speech like we do.
"“I’m not prepared to be told what I can discuss in my breaks.”"
Are you wearing a company uniform like most all bus drivers do on your break? If so, that could be seen as passing a petition supported by the company, and I could see why the company would take issue.
Anyway, I do take issue with him being called homophobic. I don't believe that all people who are against gay marriage are bigots or homophobic. I also don't think that this is necessarily an attack on his religion. This really sounds like a company policy issue, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, comes of this.
"Seriously? Disciplinary action? That's a little heavy handed. What about freedom of speech?"
Even in America, your boss can regulate you speech in many areas. This was not the 'public square.'
Even if he's on break, he still represents his company. He has to do as they tell him even though a gay employee would probably not be held to the same restriction.
On break or not, if he was either in uniform, on company property, or on a bus owned by the company it was inappropriate, regardless of what type of petition he was circulating.
Now, if he was NOT on company property, and was NOT wearing a company uniform, then he may have cause for complaint.
I've never worked for any company that allowed politics to enter the workplace.
Being free and saying what you think is NOT the same as asking others to sign a petition that they might find offensive.
I know this is going to fall on deaf ears but. I think a lot of posts are missing the point. This man has a right to believe whatever he wants to believe and to gather signatures, but he does not have the right to do it on his employer's property, lunch break or not. He is still on the company's property, that is the bottom line. Anything an employee does while on the company's property reflects on the company whether negative or postive. It is the company's perogative to say what is allowed to take place on their property. Company's have rules and regulations that are put in place and have to be followed by the employee's and if there not followed the company has the right to discipline the employee. This is not a case of religious intolerence its a case of an employee not abiding by company rules.