Tag: drinking

Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Middle East

Vettel drinks champagne on the podium in Turkey

Ruh-roh. It looks like Sebastian Vettel hasn’t quite ingratiated himself with his hosts in Istanbul, though there’s no telling what (if any) repercussions might ensue.

According to reports, Vettel was told before the start of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix that, if he were to win, he would not be allowed to drink the champagne. Not because alcohol isn’t permitted in Turkey – while in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain the traditional bubbly is replaced with a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage in deference to the ban on alcohol under Sharia (Muslim law), Turkey, while predominantly Muslim, is a more liberal country. No, the instructions were given specifically to Vettel because of a new Turkish law that places the minimum drinking age at 24. And Vettel (both the youngest race winner and the youngest world champion in F1 history) is just 23. As you can see above, drink champagne he did.

Now Vettel isn’t the youngest driver on the grid this year. Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari and Sauber’s Sergio Perez are all younger, but given their track records compared to Vettel’s… well, let’s just say the bookies weren’t giving even odds on that particular bet.

The restrictions in Turkey extend as well to a ban on advertising alcohol, forcing some teams to temporarily jettison their liquor sponsors (much as they did when tobacco advertising was banned in certain countries, but not others). McLaren, for example, is sponsored by Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, as Force India is by Whyte & Mackay, while Sauber is sponsored by Jose Cuervo tequila. (Ferrari is apparently no longer sponsored by Martini, while we assume Vettel and Webber simply left the vodka out of their Red Bulls for this round.)

Will Vettel face some sort of punishment at the hands of the Turkish authorities? We’d hate to think what that would entail, but one way or another, he’ll be legal by next year’s grand prix. That is, assuming the race takes place again next year; an increase in the fees by Bernie Ecclestone could mean that this year’s was the last for Istanbul Park.

Vettel gets in trouble in Turkey for driving, then drinking originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Chrysler fires 13 workers involved in drinking on the job, suspends two

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Chrysler, UAW/Unions

Chrysler workers enjoying their break

A group of Chrysler employees have been in the news lately, causing a bit of a black eye for the automaker. Originally, a Detroit Fox affiliate snagged video of the UAW members really enjoying their break – by smoking weed and drinking beer. Chrysler reacted to the news swiftly, by identifying and suspending 15 employees who were ID’d in the clip. Now, after taking time to investigate the entire incident, Chrysler has put the hammer down – 13 of the Jefferson North Plant employees have been fired and the other two get an unpaid, one-month “vacation.”

It’s a shame that this happened, but it’s good to see Chrysler respond so quickly. The automaker has issued a brief statement on the matter, which you can read after the jump.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Followup: Chrysler fires 13 workers involved in drinking on the job, suspends two

Followup: Chrysler fires 13 workers involved in drinking on the job, suspends two originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Followup: Chrysler workers caught drinking during lunch suspended without pay

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler

Chrysler Workers Drinking

Chrysler has announced that all 15 of the employees who were apparently caught drinking and smoking pot during their lunch break by a Fox 2 News Detroit crew have been suspended indefinitely without pay. The workers from the company’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant were spotted drinking heavily during their lunch breaks over a ten-day period. Chrysler says that all of the individuals had been identified and relieved of their duty within 36 hours of the company learning of the problem.

The company also says that while the video seems pretty cut-and-dry, it must adhere to its protocol when it comes to removing those workers permanently. Chrysler also stressed that each of its vehicles goes through an extensive quality control system and that it doesn’t condone the behavior documented in the news report in any way. Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant employs a total 2,500 workers.

To see Chrysler’s official response, click past the jump. To read more about the story, head over to Fox 2 Detroit’s website.

[Sources: Chrysler, Fox 2 Detroit]

Continue reading Followup: Chrysler workers caught drinking during lunch suspended without pay

Followup: Chrysler workers caught drinking during lunch suspended without pay originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Plants/Manufacturing, Videos, Chrysler, UAW/Unions

Chrysler plant workers enjoying an extended break

Chrysler workers enjoying a break – Click above to watch video after the jump

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away…? Some members of the UAW, employed at Chrysler’s Jefferson North Plant in Detroit, feel the need to do just that. The team at My Fox Detroit received a tip about some auto workers who were using their breaks to catch a little buzz before heading back to the line. The video, which you can watch after the jump, shows several plant employees meeting in a parking lot and throwing back some cold ones. The camera also catches a few folks enjoying some of Michigan’s finest herb. Maybe this is how you respond to working after winning the lottery?

Make the jump for the video and responses from Chrysler and the UAW.

[Source: My Fox Detroit]

Continue reading Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video]

Chrysler UAW employees work hard play hard; busted for drinking, smoking weed during break [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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