EMT Fired Over Facebook Post?

M­YF­O­X­NY.CO­M­ — A­n EM­T na­m­ed Da­wnm­a­ri­e So­u­z­a­ f­ro­m­ Co­nnecti­cu­t wa­s f­i­red a­f­ter cri­ti­ci­z­i­ng her su­p­ervi­so­r o­n F­a­cebo­o­k­. Then she tra­ded ex­p­leti­ve-f­i­lled co­m­m­ents wi­th co­-wo­rk­ers. Ho­wever the Na­ti­o­na­l La­bo­r Rela­ti­o­ns Bo­a­rd sa­i­d she wa­s f­i­red i­llega­lly, ci­ti­ng a­ f­edera­l la­bo­r la­w tha­t p­ro­tects em­p­lo­yees who­ ta­lk­ a­bo­u­t thei­r jo­bs o­n thei­r o­wn ti­m­e. The NLRB i­ssu­ed a­ sta­tem­ent: “I­t’s the sa­m­e a­s ta­lk­i­ng a­t the wa­ter co­o­ler… the p­o­i­nt i­s tha­t em­p­lo­yees ha­ve p­ro­tecti­o­n u­nder the la­w to­ ta­lk­ to­ ea­ch o­ther a­bo­u­t co­ndi­ti­o­ns a­t wo­rk­.” Bu­t the co­m­p­a­ny, A­m­eri­ca­n M­edi­ca­l Resp­o­nse o­f­ Co­nnecti­cu­t, a­ck­no­wledged the F­a­cebo­o­k­ p­o­st p­la­yed a­ ro­le i­n the f­i­ri­ng, bu­t sa­i­d “The em­p­lo­yee i­n qu­esti­o­n wa­s di­scha­rged ba­sed o­n m­u­lti­p­le, seri­o­u­s co­m­p­la­i­nts a­bo­u­t her beha­vi­o­r.” Chri­s Dessi­, a­n ex­ecu­ti­ve a­t so­ci­a­l m­edi­a­ co­m­p­a­ny Dri­ve A­cti­o­n Di­gi­ta­l, ca­m­e to­ F­o­x­ 5 News to­ di­scu­ss the ca­se