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Marijuana Party Candidate Claims Company Fired Him For
Pubdate: Fri, 27 May 2005
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Kamloops Daily News
Contact: http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
MARIJUANA PARTY CANDIDATE CLAIMS COMPANY FIRED HIM FOR ELECTION RUN
The Marijuana party's Shuswap candidate believes he lost his job because of
his election attempt.
But the company president vehemently denied that accusation.
Chris Emery says he was shocked when he received a letter from the
president of Nexterra Energy Corp. on the day before the May 17 provincial
vote, informing him he was terminated.
"It's the only negative thing in the election campaign, but it's a huge
negative thing," said the part-time musician and father of two kids aged
eight and 11.
On May 16, Emery went to work at Nexterra's Kamloops operation, where he
had been the lead operator since the plant opened a year-and-a-half ago.
"We had an unexpected visit from our chief engineer. He's my boss. When the
first opportunity we had to be alone, he called me aside and said he wanted
to talk to the Marijuana Guy," Emery said from his Blind Bay home.
"He didn't really say much. He handed me a letter from the president of the
company."
That letter from Jonathan Rhone at Vancouver head office informed Emery he
no longer worked for the energy company.
"My employment was being terminated without cause," he said. "As of the ink
drying on that page, I no longer was employed. I no longer had benefits. My
medical coverage ceased at noon that day. I didn't think they'd do
something like that."
Emery said Nexterra officials gave him no warnings or any kind of negative
response about his decision to run for the Marijuana Party.
"Just over two weeks before that, I got a letter of praise from the
president of the company and a very generous gift," he said.
"My performance at work wasn't an issue. My performance in the campaign
wasn't an issue until the last day."
Company president Jonathan Rhone said in retrospect, the timing was bad. He
was adamant that Emery's job loss had nothing to do with politics.
"It's nothing to do with his candidacy whatsoever," he said. "This is
really a non-issue. We've made some changes in the company and he's been
terminated without cause."
Emery said he checked with his chief engineer before making his political leap.
"There was an opportunity there if that was going to be a conflict or there
was a problem with it. I was completely transparent. I gave them full
disclosure of my intention to run before legally entering the election," he
said.
"I never used the company name or caused them embarrassment. And there was
only one abbreviated work day with the senior engineer's approval," he
said, referring to a half day he took off to attend an all-candidates'
forum at a seniors' home in Salmon Arm.
"Never did I use pot or allow it to be used by anyone while I was managing
the pilot plant in Kamloops."
As B.C. residents were casting their ballots on May 17, Emery was drafting
a letter to Rhone raising those points. He sent it via registered mail the
following day.
"It's all fun and games until somebody loses a job," quipped Emery, who
became known as the quick-witted comic relief during the Shuswap campaign.
"My whim here in the campaign was to make my case to the public and to the
candidates for ending prohibition."
Emery said he's had no response yet from the company, though Rhone said a
reply was sent via registered mail.
The Nexterra president said Emery has been told his politics were not the
reason behind his dismissal.
"Absolutely not. We've indicated. He's asked us that and we've indicated
that. It's nothing whatsoever to do with his candidacy," said Rhone. "It
was not an issue at all. I am emphatic about that, because it's not an issue."
Emery has a lawyer through the party and is looking at suing Nexterra.
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MAP posted-by: Beth