Employees at a Shell construction in Pennsylvania were reportedly told that they wouldn’t get their pay if they didn’t attend President Trump’s Tuesday speech.
The claims were made by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, three days after the event at the petrochemical plant in Beaver County.
According to the paper, employees received a memo saying that attendance at the rally was not required but “only those who showed up at 7am, scanned their ID cards, and were prepared to stand for hours would be paid.”
One Shell supervisor also wrote to one of the workers: “NO SCAN, NO PAY.”
The publication added that those who skipped the event would fail to qualify for weekly overtime. This means they missed out on the time-and-a-half hourly rates that apply on Fridays.
The paper also said that any ‘resistance’ during the event wouldn’t be tolerated.
One worker’s talking points reportedly read: “No yelling, shouting, protesting or anything viewed as resistance will be tolerated at the event.
“An underlying theme of the event is to promote good will from the unions. Your building trades leaders and jobs stewards have agreed to this.”
Surrounded by cheering employees in hi-vis vests, Trump said while on stage: “Factory floors across this land are once more crackling with life.
“Our steel mills are fired up and blazing bright. The assembly lines are roaring.”
He asked the crowd: “I don’t think they [Democratic contenders] give a damn about Western Pennsylvania, do you?”
During the event, Trump also took credit for the $6 billion plant and said: “This would have never happened without me and us.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Trump “received a generally warm and at times cheerful welcome at Shell.”
One employee said: “The president is the president whether we like him or dislike him. We respect him for the title.”
Another stated: “We’re glad to have the jobs. We’re glad to have the project built.”
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