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07-27-2007, 10:00 PM
| | Junior Member | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: washington
Posts: 1
| |  Harrassment
What is the name of your state? washington
Can a union print a slanderous poem in their news letter regarding individuals at work? Can the union then post this poem on their union board without repercussions? It has created a very hostile work enviroment for some individuals at work who are trying to become a permanent employee for this orginization. What recourse would these individuals have?  |
07-28-2007, 12:15 AM
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,804
| | | Can a union print a slanderous poem in their newsletter regarding individuals at work and then post this slanderous poem on the union board? No. Not unless they want to open themselves up to a defamation suit.
A libel suit (when something defamatory is written it is called "libel" - slander is spoken) has a fair chance of success if five conditions are met: publication (or communicating to at least a third person a defamatory statement), identification (pointing a finger at someone), the defamation itself (words that injure reputation or, in some cases, cause emotional distress), fault (words that were communicated that were known to be false), and injury (a monetary loss, an impairment of reputation, personal humiliation, mental anguish and suffering).
Many abusive or defamatory words are treated as statements of opinion, or rhetorical hyperbole, and are therefore not considered libelous, however, and truth is always considered a defense against defamation. Fair comment and criticism are defenses against defamation, as well.
Lawsuits are expensive and time-consuming, and there is never a guarantee that a suit will be successful. You should show the poem to an attorney and get his/her advice.
Depending on the content of the poem, it could potentially be harassment, too. I will let others on this forum address that.  |
08-18-2007, 11:58 PM
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,289
| | | You can also contact the NRLB and file a complaint, or at least see what they have to say.
They are in the blue pages.
__________________
It's not paranoia if someone REALLY IS following you around.  |
08-19-2007, 10:49 AM
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 21,162
| | | Keep in mind that that the general public considers slander may well not be, legally.
Additionally, the term, hostile work environment, has a very specific meaning under the law and nothing you have posted meets it. | |
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