Complaint Review: Assembler's Owner Mike Giaccone - Chattanooga Tennessee

I was an Area Manager for a company, Assembler's,Inc. Based in Chattanooga,TN. From Sept.2004 to 2/21/06. There are several problems with what has gone on here.....but the main issue is this, on 2/21/06 I was terminated by Mike Giaccone /Owner of Assembler's,Inc. for the following : "company credit card abuse"--the charge of $1100.00 was made in the month of December 2005 for Deliveries made for our Sears stores which we service. There where between 20 to 27 pickup/Deliveries made for 7 different Sears stores in my area from Dec. 1st 2005 to Dec. 31st 2005. On or about Nov. 15th 2005 I called Mike Giaccone/Owner Assembler's,Inc. to discuss the issue of deliveries for my Sears stores.

At first Mike expected me to use "My personal truck" which her knew I didn't own a truck I'd been driving the same personal vehicle since I started this job (I go to chattanooga every week since I started to pick up paychecks for my guys from Knoxville). He knew that hadn't changed and it is not a requirement for this job (refer to area managers handbook) Anyway,After an hour long conversation Mike says I'll up the limit on your c/c to cover the rental just make "d**n" sure you cover the rental out of the delivery charges & the out-of-area charges.....and I had to pay for the gas (and could not turn in reciepts to be re-payed for it)which I argued and he said well if you don't your fired.

This is not the 1st time this has happened to an Area Mgr. (more on that later)... So, I go to Enterprise on Dec 1st 2005 and rent a vehicle capable of carring anything Sears would have for us. Everything goes great we have the biggest Dec. in this companies history. I beat every other Area by as much as $10K which is a big deal in this business. So, nothing said, no problems.... until January 25,2006 I get a call from Mike Giaccone... he is frantic... screaming at me making threats and such , insulting me calling me stupid etc... I finally say Mike what the H is going on? He says what the h do you mean by renting a vehicle for $1100.00 for the whole month of December 2005?

I said Mike 1st off calm down & secondly I covered it & then some out of the Delivery charges & out-of-area charges as you said .... he says quoting here: "You didn't get anybody else on board with you on this" " This is fraud & I'm taking you're next 2 paychecks to cover the loss" I said are you kidding me?? You said to do whatever was the cheapest to do because the other area's were renting as well with u-haul and it was costing a fortune!!

I don't care he said, I said whatever and hung up....(note: this is how Mike does business alot of insults etc...) well that was it for me...I turned in a notice on that same day stating that I was leaving the company on March the 1st , that he should run an add for a new manager asap. That I would help train & hire the new seasonal crew as expected then I was gone. Now what you don't know is this.... I / my AREA Knoxville,TN/TRI-CITIES,TN Asheville,NC..... had the biggest year that this company has ever had my budget for the year was $154,200.00 (to be for the whole year) we did $229.147.99 which crushed our budget of $73,947.99 roughly. Now the reason I'm writing this is that I was to get a BONUS outta all this...I do have it in writing (and on tape)....what is called a 4%/8% Plan. Which means I get 4% of $154,200.00 & 8% of the profit which is $73,947.99, follow? It states in the manuel that an area mgr. is to be employeed from Jan. 1st thru Dec. 31st of said year. Which I was. now that's about $12,000.00(roughly)before taxes. I have every single report from Jan 1st thru Dec. 31st 2005 showing every single expence & every dollar we made and were it came from, I landed Mike 26 new clients, some of which are Inter-National clients (big money).

I was to get my review & what I would get on my bonus check on Feb. 24,2006....

I was fired on Feb. 21,2006 you do the math. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what is going on.

Now , only myself and one other Area Mgr. made bonus ot of 4.

I have proof that the company had the biggest year it has ever had, including the comapny before (they filed banckruptcy and changed the name) so, like 8 years.

He didn't want to pay me my vacation time so I went to the labor board....and a call was made then I got a check for one weeks vacation.He still owes me a weeks salary as well. He also refused to pay me any back "mileage" for the last 2 months.

There is a lot more to this story.... the funny thing is that 2 other Area Mgr's. turned in a notice to quit and one of them was fired as well. Please advise. The only reason I'm writing to you is this. I was depending on that money to help pay for treatments & surgery of my better half of 7 years, well she has cancer and has been in treatments since January 2006... Mike new this as well, he also new that I had to file banckruptcy in Sept.2005 because of the health problems as well. He knew I was counting on this.. that's why I pushed so hard to do a good job! Hell, I'm ruined I'm about to lose the roof over my head. I have found work for another company that starts in April, but there must be something I can do!!??Pleae Help!

Anthony

Knoxville, Tennessee
U.S.A.