The Honorable Richard McDermott
Note for Hearing with Oral Arguments
Friday, January 18th, 2002 at
9:00AM
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
|
LARRY PITTMAN, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Defendant |
No. 99-2-52345-8 KNT DECLARATION OF Gregory cody IN support of CO-plaintiffs Note for Hearing with
Oral Arguments Friday, January 18th,
2002 at 9:00AM |
I, Gregory Cody, one of the plaintiffs in the above captioned case, declare as follows:
I came to work for King's Command Foods as an employee on February 21st, 1997. There were no black female employees.
Yolanda Eskridge came to work at King's Command Foods. I know for a fact that Mariana Inman did not work the swing shift; Yolanda was the only Black female working the swing shift at King's Command from the time she started to the time they terminated her unfairly.
When Yolanda was terminated, I heard Tim, King's Command's night supervisor, stating earlier that evening that someone was going to be fired. Jody Lambert and Kelly Bryant also have knowledge that Tim, the night shift foreman, was going to fire someone.
I know that Terrance Davis also applied for other positions within King's Command Foods, as well as myself and Keith Kern. I know Mike Pittman was trying to get a full-time position at King's Command Foods. I know Mary Coleman didn't get a promotion until after this law suit was filed. I had applied for the higher position of machine operator several times, but King's Command gave the position to new employees.
I was also threatened with a three-day suspension, without pay, for supposedly making the wrong batch of meat. It was determined I didn't do make a mistake, it was the formula that was wrong. I had to bring it to the attention of the company that their formula code was wrong. Even though I had wrongly been belittled and threatened with a suspension, I did not receive an apology or anything else from management.
I heard Robert Thomas, the King's Command's Lead Grinder, curse Keith Kern on a regular basis I know Keith complained to management lots of times about how Robert Thomas was treating him, but nothing was ever done.
I've also heard Kirk McCoy, another one of King's Command's supervisors, curse Keith Kern and Larry Pittman at times. I heard Kirk McCoy tell Larry Pittman he was nothing more than a "LABOR BOY." I was totally embarrassed for Larry, and myself, too. I couldn't help but wonder what they called me behind my back.
After I had first started working at King's Command Foods, I was temporarily placed in a position for about two weeks. This was a higher position that had a higher pay scale. The company paid me the higher scale for the first week, but not the second week. I asked Terry Smith, King's Command's Plant Manager, about not getting the higher pay. He told me I wasn't supposed to get the higher scale because I was still on probation. When I got to work the next day, Terry Smith went up to my brother, Darrell. Darrell told me Terry Smith said "the people upstairs say I should fire your brother because he got loud with me." Darrell told him, "Why are you telling me this? Go talk to him."
One day, Terry Smith pulled me off the job to go his office. When I got to his office, he asked me if I wanted to go out and smoke some week. I was shocked, and said "WHAT?" He said he was just playing with me. Robert Thomas, King's Command's Lead Grinder, was right behind me and heard everything. I couldn't help but feel like he was trying to set me up for something. Why else would he pull me off the job to go to his office? Terry Smith made me feel like scum.
I certify under the penalties of perjury under the laws of the State of Washington the foregoing is true and correct.
Dated this day of January, 2002.
______________________________
Gregory Cody, Plaintiff
If the back button does not take you there, click Home to go to the Index page of this Pittman et al v. King's Command Foods, Inc. Website.