A former staffer has sued energy giant CNRL for unlawful dismissal after she was fired for allegedly communicating about the company’s mandatory vaccine policy on social media..And the lawyer for Naomi Smart, James Kitchen, sent a letter to CNRL officials warning if they continue to fire people under the mandate they can expect hundreds of lawsuits..Smart, a heavy equipment operator, is suing for $200,000 for two years of lost wages and another $75,000 in punitive damages..Smart, of Pincher Creek, joined CNRL during December of 2020. Her suit notes one week before her firing she was selected to train for a promotion to a supervisory position..She was fired Oct. 26, 2021. CNRL, like many companies, governments and police forces brought in mandatory vaccination programs and said staff had to be jabbed against COVID-19..The suit claims 1,100 CNRL employees and contractors disapproved of the policy for a variety of reasons..“Ms. Smart was blindsided by the sudden termination and emotionally devastated,” the suit reads..“Knowledge of Ms. Smart’s termination has spread throughout the oilsands industry. Despite being fully qualified, she has not received any offers of employment in response to her job applications. The Defendant’s unlawful conduct has rendered Ms. Smart nearly unemployable in her field.”.The lawsuit said it was likely Smart’s firing came about after she was active on social media with CNRL staff groups..“Ms. Smart did nothing wrong, both in the contractual and moral sense. But, the Defendant did not like what she was doing, wanted her to stop, and wanted to scare everyone else into stopping as well,” the suit said..In his letter to the company, Kitchen notes they plan to fire hundreds of other staff days before Christmas..“Should CNRL persist in its reckless enforcement of its ideological and irrational demand that all employees receive the COVID vaccines, it will also face a series of human rights complaints for wantonly denying dozens of bona fide requests from Christian employees for accommodation pursuant to the protected ground of religion,” Kitchen writes..“It goes without saying that effectively firing hundreds of employees three days before Christmas is cruel and further highlights that CNRL’s mandatory COVID vaccination policy has everything to do with ideology, virtue signalling, and coercion, and nothing to do with science, health, or safety. Aside from sticking your fingers in your ears or burying your head in the sand, you can no longer ignore the COVID vaccines do not significantly reduce infection or transmission of COVID..“As CNRL has now learned, no amount of coercion will compel the remaining hundreds of employees who know better to receive the COVID vaccines, including extending deadlines, threatening to withhold bonuses, or effectively firing employees at Christmas..“My clients again invite CNRL to see reason, cease unlawfully threatening its employees, and rescind its absurd COVID vaccination mandate. This letter serves as a final notice that failure to do so will result in proceedings being brought against CNRL in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.”.CNRL does not return phone calls from the Western Standard.You can read Kitchen’s letter to CNRL here..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
A former staffer has sued energy giant CNRL for unlawful dismissal after she was fired for allegedly communicating about the company’s mandatory vaccine policy on social media..And the lawyer for Naomi Smart, James Kitchen, sent a letter to CNRL officials warning if they continue to fire people under the mandate they can expect hundreds of lawsuits..Smart, a heavy equipment operator, is suing for $200,000 for two years of lost wages and another $75,000 in punitive damages..Smart, of Pincher Creek, joined CNRL during December of 2020. Her suit notes one week before her firing she was selected to train for a promotion to a supervisory position..She was fired Oct. 26, 2021. CNRL, like many companies, governments and police forces brought in mandatory vaccination programs and said staff had to be jabbed against COVID-19..The suit claims 1,100 CNRL employees and contractors disapproved of the policy for a variety of reasons..“Ms. Smart was blindsided by the sudden termination and emotionally devastated,” the suit reads..“Knowledge of Ms. Smart’s termination has spread throughout the oilsands industry. Despite being fully qualified, she has not received any offers of employment in response to her job applications. The Defendant’s unlawful conduct has rendered Ms. Smart nearly unemployable in her field.”.The lawsuit said it was likely Smart’s firing came about after she was active on social media with CNRL staff groups..“Ms. Smart did nothing wrong, both in the contractual and moral sense. But, the Defendant did not like what she was doing, wanted her to stop, and wanted to scare everyone else into stopping as well,” the suit said..In his letter to the company, Kitchen notes they plan to fire hundreds of other staff days before Christmas..“Should CNRL persist in its reckless enforcement of its ideological and irrational demand that all employees receive the COVID vaccines, it will also face a series of human rights complaints for wantonly denying dozens of bona fide requests from Christian employees for accommodation pursuant to the protected ground of religion,” Kitchen writes..“It goes without saying that effectively firing hundreds of employees three days before Christmas is cruel and further highlights that CNRL’s mandatory COVID vaccination policy has everything to do with ideology, virtue signalling, and coercion, and nothing to do with science, health, or safety. Aside from sticking your fingers in your ears or burying your head in the sand, you can no longer ignore the COVID vaccines do not significantly reduce infection or transmission of COVID..“As CNRL has now learned, no amount of coercion will compel the remaining hundreds of employees who know better to receive the COVID vaccines, including extending deadlines, threatening to withhold bonuses, or effectively firing employees at Christmas..“My clients again invite CNRL to see reason, cease unlawfully threatening its employees, and rescind its absurd COVID vaccination mandate. This letter serves as a final notice that failure to do so will result in proceedings being brought against CNRL in the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.”.CNRL does not return phone calls from the Western Standard.You can read Kitchen’s letter to CNRL here..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.,dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com,.Twitter.com/nobby7694
