American Sewer Services, Inc. Fired Worker For KKK Hate Speech Decal At City of Milwaukee Worksite

Sewer and street repair company fired two employees, according to a letter sent to City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

December 11, 2017

Milwaukee, WI - On Monday, Dennis Biondich, the owner of American Sewer Services, Inc. (ASS) from Rubicon confirmed in a letter sent to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett that several employees had been terminated after two incidents that cause public outrage for displaying a Confederate flag including a KKK decal at a city worksite at N. 25th Street and W. Wells and an earlier incident where three workers were open carrying handguns and one of them brandishing his handgun at N. 19th Street and W. Meinecke Ave. Biondich admitted that an employee displaying the KKK decal in his cooler was hate speech and the second employee who was brandishing a handgun including two others who had handguns were legally carrying a weapon at a worksite.

The City of Milwaukee has a zero tolerance for City employees and contractors from carrying any type of weapon while on the job for the City, according to the City's Firearms and Dangerous Weapons prohibition. Last week, during a Common Council Public Works hearing, Alderman Bob Donovan exposed that some City employees had told him that they do carry conceal weapons while on the job violating the prohibition policy.

Multiple unions and organizations gathered at City Hall on Monday to speak against an employee working for ASS that had displayed a Confederate flag and a KKK decal in his cooler. Jacob Flom, Chair for the Young Workers Committee stated, "No worker can be both a unionist and a fascist, White supremacists are the enemy of organized labor and the entire multinational working class. The KKK is a White supremacist terrorist group responsible for killing Afrcan-Americans, LBGTQ people, trade unionists and others. Unions stand for economic and social justice and we condemn and actively fight against White supremacy and fascism in the workplace and society."

"Symbols of hate and division have no place at the worksite. The KKK is an abhorrent organization that fosters hate and violence and it is shocking that someone would feel it is okay to display support for White supremacy  on the job. Likewise, the Confederate flag is not the flag that represents liberty and justice for all," said Pam Fendt, President of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.