Welcome to exNWA.com
Today's Date:
This site is dedicated to the Honorable people, those who did not cross the picket lines at Northwest Airlines, commonly referred to as SCABair. Now that Delta and NWA are one carrier, Delta now picks up the moniker of SCABair, because they employ the same SCABS that NWA had.
This site is intended for use by the Honorable. This is where the voice of the Honorable will be heard, along with other things of interest. This site is independently owned and operated and is advertisement free. Enjoy. Make sure you refresh your browser to view the latest updates.
Week-end edition
In her job description, they forgot "SCAB"
Disabled worker sues Delta over termination
Former technician injured twice on job, lawsuit says
By Gita Sitaramiah
A former Delta Air Lines employee in the Twin Cities has filed an
employment discrimination lawsuit in federal court against the company,
claiming she was wrongfully fired because of a disability she sustained
on the job.
Nancy Grozdanich-Lipinski, a facilities lead technician who was
terminated Oct. 20, seeks at least $150,000 in compensatory and punitive
damages. The Inver Grove Heights woman had worked for Delta and the
former Northwest Airlines since 1997.
Lipinski wants her job back, said Ashwin Madia, her attorney. "We're
still unclear why they let her go in the first place because she loved
her job and excelled at it," he said.
Delta, which acquired Eagan-based Northwest in 2008, said it doesn't
comment on pending litigation.
Lipinski has made a claim under the Americans with Disabilities Act and
the Minnesota Human Rights Act. She filed a charge of discrimination
with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and on May 3, the
EEOC issued a notice of right to sue.
According to her lawsuit filed this week, Lipinski started work for
Northwest in 1997 as a maintenance technician in the facilities
department. In September 2005, Lipinski accepted the supervisory
position facilities lead technician. During her tenure, she received
multiple awards for safety and attendance, letters of recommendation
from vice presidents and supervisors and advanced certifications, the
lawsuit said.
On July 20, 2007, Lipinski suffered an injury to her lower back on the
job. She underwent physical therapy and surgery multiple times between
July 2007 and April 2008. Lipinski was diagnosed with lumbar
degenerative disk disease and placed on permanent medication
restrictions, allowing her to lift, push or pull no more than 40 pounds
and requiring that she not engage in constant repetitive lifting,
bending or twisting, the lawsuit said. She told her supervisor about the
permanent restrictions and continued to perform her job functions
satisfactorily, according to the suit.
On July 15, 2008, Lipinski suffered a neck injury on the job and was
diagnosed with thoracic pain, cervical spinal stenosis and cervical
spondylosis. Between July 2008 and January 2009, Lipinski underwent
physical therapy multiple times but continued to earn accolades from
managers for her work performance, the lawsuit said. Ultimately, doctors
deemed the neck injury permanent but decided against any new work
restrictions.
The company held a disability accommodations meeting on Feb. 16, 2009,
to discuss the permanent restrictions that had been in place for a year.
The lawsuit alleges that she was handed a new job description with more
detailed job functions and told she was to be put off the property until
she could meet the new job requirements. The new job requirements
included occasional pushing/pulling with a force up to 50 pounds, the
only function Lipinski was unable to perform. She said she felt she
could continue doing her job, but she was escorted off the property and
her manager took her keys and security badge.
In a letter from a Delta representative on Feb. 20, 2009, Lipinski was
told her permanent restrictions affected her ability to perform certain
essential functions of a facilities technician. Delta put her on a
six-month medical leave of absence and terminated her employment on Oct.
20, 2009. Lipinski learned of her termination while talking to a Delta
representative on the telephone about returning to work, according to
the lawsuit.
After filing the EEOC claim, Lipinski received a call from a Delta
employee, saying Delta had made a mistake on termination and that
Lipinski had two years to look for a job within her restrictions, the
lawsuit said. But Delta has continued a line of procedural posturing and
has "constructively discharged" Lipinski, the lawsuit alleges.
Oooops...
Woman Convicted of Drug Fraud Joins Obama
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia - Charlottesville resident Leslie
Macko was once employed at ACAC in the Albemarle Square Shopping Center. In
April 2009, she lost her job as an aesthetician in the spa at ACAC. President
Barack Obama called on Congress last week to extend unemployment insurance.
Macko stood next to the President of the United States as his example of the
need to extend jobless benefits. CBS19's Jessica Jaglois has learned that Macko
was found guilty of prescription drug fraud in March 2009, one month before
Macko lost her job at ACAC.
Donate to exNWA.com:
Donating to exNWA.com is made easy by going to the "donate"
page. There you will find a PayPal link that makes it easy to donate.
One does not even have to be a member of PayPal to make a donation. Use
your charge card or send an electronic check. You may also mail us your
donation. We appreciate any donation
you can make to keep this site on the internet. Of course your donations are
not tax deductible. This site survives on the generosity of our viewers.
Our beautiful USA
Snake River in Grand Teton N.P., WY
.
