The lesson to be learned from attending this morning's session of the NLRB vs. News-Press hearing is that if you think you might end up testifying in court or some other similar proceeding, stop writing e-mails!
Take Bob Guliano, the fired assistant city editor at the News-Press. After he was let go for what he alleges was his refusal to violate the National Labor Relations Act by disciplining reporter Anna Davison, and for what the paper alleges was his less than satisfactory performance as a manager, he testified that sent a couple of e-mails to owner Wendy McCaw "because he wanted to complete the assignment I came to Santa Barbara to do, help her improve the paper."
One of them was a very long two-page e-mail in which he said a variety of things about Travis Armstrong, Scott Steepleton and Yolanda Apodaca. It concluded:
P.S. I hate flying but if my plane crashes I'll try to come back and see you as a friendly ghost if I can. But if I can't I wish you the best. I'll let you know I'm present by rearranging your jewelry in a clockwise position on your dresser bureau. :)
Sincerely,
Bob G. :)
In a different e-mail he wrote to Wendy he said:
I do have a back up plan if you don't want to hire me back to help you fix the paper. My dad suggests the Spanish Army or the French Foreign Legion. Is that what they call tough love?
I did see the movie Four Feathers with Beau Bridges and Jane Seymour and I also enjoyed the one about Laurel and Hardy joining the French Foreign Legion. They made it exciting and fun. :)
P.S. I'm telling you this because I still care about you and wanted to finish the job I started , even if I have to do it as a non-employee. Actually I can speak more freely now that I'm not working there.
I know it's not one of my more insightful observations but I'll say it anyway. These are not the kind of communications that are helpful to one's case. (Well it is helpful to Wendy's case.) In fact watching Barry Cappello cross-examine him was a little like watching the star student in high school biology dissect a frog. Luckily for the Union, Guliano was not a Union member and they don't have to spend a lot of time justifying the time and manner in which he communicated with the boss whom he alleges ordered him to the proverbial guillotine.
In fact Guiliano is somewhat on his own having the position in this case of being his own distinct party to the proceedings, a management employee who claims he was fired because he refused to participate in his employer's anti-union activity.
Guliano's testimony concluded this morning. He was followed on the stand by former senior writer Melinda Burns who will resume her testimony this afternoon.
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