Worker fired for concealed weapon wins appeal

Labor Daze

By Frank J. Saibert

Frank J. Saibert is a partner in the labor and employment practice at Nixon, Peabody LLP. He represents public- and private-sector employers nationwide in labor relations and employment matters. He is past president of the Chicago chapter of the National Human Resources Association and a former Lyons Township committeeman. He can be reached at fjsaibert@nixonpeabody.com.

Posted January 15, 2019 3:49 PM

Ameren Illinois Co. operated a facility in downstate Galesburg. It hired Brian Knox in 1998 and promoted him to crew leader in 2015.Knox was represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 51.In June 2016, Knox engaged in a series of heated arguments with his supervisor, Gabriel Jones, pertaining to work schedules. Knox’s co-workers later told Jones that Knox owned multiple guns and regularly carried concealed weapons.Shortly afterward, Ameren officials, accompanied by a deputy sheriff …

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