Too hard on the multi-billion dollar a year company. Fuck Coke. This shit is basically what happened to Matt Damon's character in Elysium. Except not cancer.

[–] otter 65 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (4 children)

It's so much worse than the bit in the headline (emphasis mine)

After spending 35 years as a factory worker for Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, Hopkins says his bosses terminated him last month in a five-minute phone call with no benefits and no severance.

On Jan. 8, 2024, Hopkins says a 907 kg overhead sliding door malfunctioned while he was trying to open it. The force "tore the flap right out" of Hopkins' shoulder joint, also damaging his arm and neck.

"Insane pain. It was really, really bad," Hopkins told Go Public. He says he repeatedly warned a Coca-Cola Bottling supervisor and the maintenance department about the door months before the injury. He says nothing was done.

Hopkins believes his employer's lack of action led to his injury and ultimately his termination. CBC News asked Coca-Cola Bottling about that. It did not answer those questions.

The company offered him a one time "gratuitous" lump sum payment of $2,511.20, "in recognition" of his 35 years of service and to support his transition away from Coke Canada Bottling.

But the payment was conditional on Hopkins signing a non-disclosure agreement and releasing the company from liability.

After decades on the job, Hopkins says the offer felt insulting, so he turned it down.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 4 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Wow... that is way worse.

Reading the headline alone, I would have thought they terminated him since he couldn't work and gave him some money like 50k and benefits for 5 years of recovery or something. Still shitty for someone working there that long but not nothing.

No benefits and $2511.20? Wtf were they thinking.

I hope there's a paper trail about him reporting the door needing maintenance so they can drop the decimal then add 4 more zeros.

[–] underisk@lemmy.ml 10 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

How the hell do you come up with a figure like $2511.20? Are they really calculating the cents on the dollar for a hush money payout what the fuck? Can’t even round up to the nearest dollar; damn right it’s an insult.

[–] Phil_in_here 30 points 5 hours ago

Guys, Coke only increased their profits by less than 3% to less than $30 billion last year. If they paid out every one of their 70 000 employees for every horrible, preventable workplace accident the same $2500, that'd add up to $175 million. So if every single employee was injured like this every 2 days, and they had to pay out $175 million every other day, they'd actually lose a bit of profit by the end of the year. So you can clearly see how they came to that very reasonable and carefully considered sum as a basis to protect their business from financial collapse.

[–] BCsven 26 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Geez. A lawyer will get him a wrongful dismissal and get him termination pay, severance and a lump sum. It will be a big payout I expect for 35 years, and their actions.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Lawyer to jury: "We're not even sure how coke calculated the $2511.20 but it is an insult to the 35 years our client put in at the company. But we respect that they somehow did arrive at it, so we ask you to fix the problem but use their number by providing $25,112,000 in damages."

[–] panda_abyss 33 points 5 hours ago

You break it you buy it.

If you critically injure a worker on the job, who is following all reasonable precautions, you should be liable to pay them out what they could have earned in their whole life, plus medical, physio, and pain and suffering.

I hope this guy can sue and get what he’s owed plus enough that Coke and all other companies think twice on ignoring maintenance and this type of dismissal.

And everyone should stop buying coke products.

[–] yucandu@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

lol they thought this was America

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.world 8 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

So fucking glad I switched to prebiotic/probiotic sodas and sparkling water.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere 6 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Or, you know, just water.

[–] daychilde@lemmy.world 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Water is not holy. All of the drinks they mentioned are nearly all water. If putting stuff in water means you drink enough to keep you hydrated, good on anyone doing that.

The myths and misinfortmation on this topic get really old and tiring.

It's like if someone said "Burgers are healthy, but only if you don't put anything on them except bread and meat. No cheese, no condiments, no vegetables, ONLY BREAD AND MEAT". It's a stupid analogy because people complaining about others drinking water with stuff in it is also stupid.

Now sure, if you're drinking milk, juice, regular soda, fancy coffee drinks - things with loads of sugar. Well, you gotta account for those calories.

But otherwise: Water, whether or not you put small amounts of things in it, is hydrating and healthy.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk 1 points 42 minutes ago

Hydration is woo bullshit. Thirsty? drink water until not thirsty.

Hydration is a construct of the beverage industry.