Manager who threatened to fire employees over 'much-needed break' quickly learns their lesson

The management often takes the employees for granted and it leads to exploitation up to some level. However, they do not understand how unity among employees can actually work against them. u/fireice1992 shared on Reddit how the employees taught their plant manager a lesson when they threatened to fire them. He wrote in a post that about 10 years (or over) ago, his father helped him get a job at the manufacturing company he worked at. 

"I worked hard and instantly joined the union they had. After working there a few years, I was working as an operator and I knew all the machines we had and was learning how to repair/maintain them all as well," he wrote. He revealed that the company loved to make the operators work overtime, like 60+ hours a week. But the employees managed their work and "the union got us double time after 60 and anytime on a Sunday. The only caveat was we were allowed one weekend a month that we did not need to work and we all usually agreed on the weekend or drew lots," shared the employee.

He then said that one month, the work was so hectic that every machine operator in their company was working 7 days a week and at least 12 hours a day. "We came to the last weekend and assumed that meant no work and a much-needed break. Until the plant manager posted that we all had mandatory OT again. We demanded our representative to sort it and ended up having an all-hands meeting," the person wrote. 

The plant manager began to misbehave with them and called them lazy. Not only that, but also the manager said the employees "should be begging to work more, and our union representative slapped down the contract with that part highlighted." The manager threatened everyone that whoever did not turn up that weekend should find a new job. "We all looked at each other and nodded, confirmed the representative heard that and went back to our machines," the employee shared.

The following Monday, they all agreed not to turn up at work and ignore all the calls over the weekend. "Apparently, the union already started on them for wrongful termination and violation of the contract. Then we all said, 'Per our meeting, you fired me, so no, I am not coming in,'" the employee wrote. Later, the employees' unity worked in their favor as they "were 'rehired' with a higher pay and the union demanded an amendment to the contract that limited work weeks to 6 days up to 70 hours a week." Also, when the employees returned to the workplace on Thursday, they learned the company had fired all the upper management and hired a new team. Before concluding the post, he clarified that they got overtime after 40 hours a week and double time for anything more than 60 hours. 

People loved the way they together handled the situation. u/particular-car-8520 commented, "That's not malicious compliance....that malicious destruction of a terrible system. You and your crew are awesome and the fact everyone was in makes this the most malicious compliance I have seen in this sub." u/therapini wrote, "What a powerful testament to solidarity and the importance of standing up for your rights! It's inspiring to see how you and your coworkers banded together under overwhelming stress to advocate for fair working conditions. It underscores the magnitude of collective action." u/Swiggy1957 shared, "This is why, union representative or not, everyone needs to know their contract and know it well."