Subject: POLITICAL SCIENCE: PUBLIC OPINION : BUSINESS SOCIAL AND CORPORATE
RESPONSIBILITY: The Power of Some Friendly Public Persuasion to Effect
Change
I am posting this story as an example of the media in conjunction with the
internet to effect quick and decisive change through the interaction of
television, the internet and the medium of email. The effect of the
internet and email to bring change like this to a television news story's
outcome, speaks very loudly to the need to widen the internet audience or
reduce and end the digital divide. It is not just the need to educate and
widen the horizons of those outside of the net, it is to empower these
people politically and in the arena of social issues.
Here is the post that I sent to Net-Gold.
This post is a gleeful update to a rather unhappy very recent post.
Link to the original post:
From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Wed May 18, 2005 11:21 pm
Subject: DISABILITIES: EMPLOYMENT : BUSINESS: SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:
ISSUES: Friendly's Unfriendly to Disabled Worker in Cost Saving Move
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6140>
The update is testimony to the power of the media to effect change in a
situation that calls for such change. My post about this was aimed at
getting a much wider geographic audience aware of this disabled worker who
was ostensibly fired to save the corporation money (under ninety dollars a
week) despite wide testimony to his excellent work and pleasant attitude
from a large number of restaurant staff and customers. This even got the
mayor of the town incensed, and rightfully so. So this is what
twenty-four hours and the media in the form of Channel 10 in Philadelphia,
WCAU the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia, achieved. By the way where were
the other major media in terms of covering this story.
I congratulate the management and staff of WCAU-TV for bringing
this story to the public eye and the impact can be seen in this update.
Man With Down Syndrome Gets Better Friendly's Job
NBC 10 Viewer Response Overwhelming
POSTED: 8:15 pm EDT May 18, 2005
UPDATED: 8:03 pm EDT May 19, 2005
WENONAH, N.J. -- NBC 10 viewers' reaction to the story of David O'Hara, a
man with Down Syndrome who was laid off by a South Jersey Friendly's,
prompted the restaurant to rehire him.
<http://www.nbc10.com/news/4505630/detail.html>
Friendly's corporate headquarters contacted NBC 10 News on Thursday to say
that it had changed its mind about letting David go. The restaurant is not
only going to give David back his job, they are going to create a new job
as a greeter and a busboy.
Employees of Friendly's said they couldn't wait to welcome David back.
O'Hara, 54, happily worked at his local Friendly's as a dishwasher for 13
years. He has Down Syndrome and worked three hours a day, five days a
week.
When he was recently let go, his coworkers and the customers got upset.
"He's so friendly with everybody, and it's his life, it's what he lives
for to come here every day and wash dishes," said Lori Marks, a Friendly's
customer.
NBC 10's Bill Baldini called Friendly's corporate headquarters Wednesday
and it said that David was let go as a cost-saving measure because it is a
slow store.
So, Baldini did the math. David made $5.93 an hour. He worked 15 hours a
week. So Friendly's was saving $88.95 a week.
----------------------------------------
The complete article may be read at the URL above.
This news story may seem small compared to news from Iraq or updates on
Social Security or Judge selection from Congress. Tell somebody with a
disability who has received unjust treatment from an employer and see just
how small that person thinks this story is. I personally think that this
event in Philadelphia needs to be known internationally as employment
issues for those with disabilities are of international concern, and
justice and fairness to disabled workers are very important. I
congratulate WCAU in Philadelphia also known as NBC-10 for the courage and
intelligence to carry this news and the follow up to this news story.
Posting about such news on the internet is also very important as making a
geographically wide audience aware of unjust or unfair treatment of
disabled employees and employees and consumers in general at the hands of
employers and businesses is important knowledge for the public and
widespread proactive public opinion can facilitate reversal of such
situations. The Philadelphia region's response to this situation is
certainly a huge success story and example of public opinion at work and
of media facilitation of this public opinion response.
----------------------------------------
These recent Net-Gold posts may also be of interest to some members of
this group.
From: Soundara Rajan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri May 20, 2005 9:47 am
Subject: HEALTH : CHILDREN : eight-point guide : obesity risk factors
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6162>
From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri May 20, 2005 9:35 am
Subject: TRANSPORTATION: PUBLIC URBAN AND PASSENGER : CRIMINAL JUSTICE:
SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE: Using Databases Available on the Internet to
Find a Literature About Cameras on Buses
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6161>
From: "David P. Dillard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri May 20, 2005 8:18 am
Subject: BIOMECHANICS: RESOURCES : DATABASES: MEDICAL HEALTH BIOSCIENCES
BIOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY: Databases and Research Guides for the Field of
Biomechanics
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6157>
From: Judy Decker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Fri May 20, 2005 7:51 am
Subject: Art:Religion: Learning Judaism Through Art
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6156>
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri May 20, 2005 8:24 am
Subject: JOURNALS: RESEARCH: WAR & CONFLICT: Conflict Studies Journal
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/6159>
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold>
<http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/ringleaders/davidd.html>
<http://www.kovacs.com/medref-l/medref-l.html>
<http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html>
<http://www.LIFEofFlorida.org>
World Business Community Advisor
<http://www.WorldBusinessCommunity.org>
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