(Arkansas, at will state) I was working as a lead operator in middle management for a company for 10 months. I was wrote up on 4/3/06 for disruptive/harassing behavior because I confronted another lead operator about her discriminatory behavior towards an operator. I had explained to the plant manager about this lead operators behavior toward this operator and also told him how the shift supervisor was not doing anything to help protect this operator from the discrimination and harassment. The plant managers response was, " Now your picking on MY shift managers?" I should have known then that my days were numbered at that plant.
On May 26,06, I reported to work for the grave yard shift. This wasn't my normal shift but I needed extra hours and this was approved in advance by my supervisor. I was called into the office before the shift started and was told by the 3rd shift supervisor that I was terminated by the company and handed my letter of termination. I was shocked! He couldn't tell me why I was termed or anything, he just said he was doing what he was told to do. So, I opened the letter and read it. The letter stated I was terminated as of 5/21/06 for disrespectful behavior towards my supervisor. The last day I worked, I had had no contact with my supervisor so I was really puzzled as to how I was disrespectful towards him. This letter was typed on 5/26/06, the day I was scheduled to work 3rd shift. I had been in the plant earlier that day for 10 minutes waiting for my check and no one said anything to me about being terminated. I was just totally shocked and humiliated about this whole thing. I was escorted out the door by the 3rd shift manager.
I applied for unemployment the following Tuesday and stated on the unemployment application that I had no idea why I was terminated, other than what my letter of termination alleged. I got a phone call about a week later from an unemployment hearing officer. She told me that my ex company stated to them that I flipped off the weekend 1 shift manager on May 17 at the Walmart store in our town. I nearly fell over! I told the hearing officer that the w1 shift manager was in no way shape or form ever my shift manager as I worked weekend 2 and that May 17 was my husbands and mine 21st anniversary and that we weren't even at Walmart that day. She told me that I would be getting a decision in a few days. I recieved my letter of decision and it was found in my favor because the act didn't happen at work nor did the company provide proof of it affecting the company.
I'm thankful I won my unemployment claim but i'm also hurt that I was fired in the way I was. I never flipped anyone off, it's just not my nature and people flip people off all the time during working hours on the plant floor and yet they signalled me out, off of work property??? Somethings not right with this. I have family who still work for this company and I do know many employees who see this kind of behavior going on inside the plant on a daily basis.
This all stems from when I confronted another lead for her discriminatory behavior and my talk with the plant manager. Does this sound like retaliation and how should I handle this? I don't care about money, I just think this company was wrong and they need to realize they can't go around treating their employees this way. Thanks for any advise!

