It is hard to describe the nonsense that has been going on in The Walrus Restaurant for the last few months! But let me describe a few things to you to show you how deplorable the working conditions were getting.
I have allergies. A couple of the cooks began wearing this obnoxious perfume that was literally poisoning me! One of them honestly tried to cut back on it. But the other continued to drown himself in it and constantly come as close to me as he could so it would bother me. It took a great deal of effort to get the management to curtail this behavior. They seem to think that the young people should be able to do whatever they want to do, and if something bothers somebody else that is too bad.
There has been a constant problem with knife safety. Time and time again the cooks have been told not to put sharp knives in buckets or pans and pile stuff around them so they can't be seen, to bring them out and put them on the counter telling the dishwasher they are there. Most of the cooks were obliging on this. But two of the young cooks simply refused to follow procedure, and there were many times I was scratched or scraped by sharp knives that were hidden in the dishes.
Sunday before last, November 8th, I cleaned the rolling rack by the storeroom door that is used to store certain items on. I put on clean trays, checked everything on it and ran through anything that was dirty. Thursday I was passing the rack and noticed an awful smell. I looked to find that the clean racks that I had put on the shelf were gone, and trays with chicken fat on them had been put in their place, the items stored there put back on them. It was claimed that this was an accident. No way! The person doing it had to take everything off the trays, take the clean ones out, put the dirty ones in, and put the stuff back. But some of the young people working consider this kind of thing humorous, they can't get their work done, but they can do things like this.
The Sunday I was fired we have steam table pans on a shelf in which the utinsels are stored. Putting a utensil away I noticed the pans were full of broken glass. People had been taking utensils out of it all day. I dumped the utensils out, cleaned up the glass, ran everything through the dishwasher. Things like this were constant. People just ignored hazards and left them there.
There were incidences where I had cleaned an area and the next day it was obvious that it had been deliberately dirtied, just nonsense stuff but constant.
Breakage has been ridiculous! Very little has broken during the day, but at night stock just disappears.
All of these things seem minor, but they add to a constant irritation, that only a few people are doing the work while others smoke and drink all day.
And speaking of drinking, there is a constant problem now of intoxicated customers coming thorugh the work area to go out back and drink with the employees. And, intoxicated employees hanging around in the work area on their time off, drinking.
There's also a problem with horseplay. The day before I was fired two cooks wrestling drove into me and caused me to bang my knee with the tray I was carrying, scraping it. There is very little effort made to stop this behavior. Sometimes it almost seems encouraged. But it makes it very difficult for the people trying to do the work.
This final incident where I was deliberately attacked is only the tip of the iceburg. I was quite upset when I complained about people throwing stuff, and that I was to be hit with nothing, it wouldn't be allowed, I got an obnoxious letter from the owner saying I was disrespectful to the other employees. It simply shows the attitude prevailing in the restaurant.

It is with deepest regret that I must contact you, but my situation is getting desperate. Below is a letter I have sent to senior citizens in the Bismarck area, asking them to assist me in this struggle for justice. I am having trouble contacting any agency that is responsible for such things and registering a complaint. I do not know what federal agency would cover physical assault in the workplace, but I would like to get ahold of them and make them aware of what has happened. I have had some success with contacting the local code enforcement people and making them aware of some of the unacceptable behavior in the restaurant. But I hope you will agree with me that physical assault on a senior citizen is acceptable under no circumstances, and someone being fired because he responds to such an assault is even more ridiculous. The permissive attitude that is infesting America is totally unacceptable! Young people cannot be allowed to do these things in the name of humor or play. This young lady has disabled me. I desperately need work but it will be very difficult for me to work for some time. This situation is not right! And I would very much appreciate your assistance in seeing that I receive justice. No human being should be treated like this. That society is permitting it is unacceptable. I will let you know that I am a Spiritist minister, that I oppose homosexual marriage and drugs including marijuana. I believe this is part of the cause of the harrassment I was receiving at the restaurant, which is also unacceptable. Other people have a right to express their opinions and not be criticized because they say something is unacceptable. It seems to be a growing opinion in The United States that only some people can express their opinions and others may not. This is also something that must be dealt with. If there is any possibility that someone in your staff in Bismarck could lend me some assistance in reaching some of the people that should deal with this situation, I would be most grateful, and I am sure God will bless you.