Kerry Bigelow, a fired Chapel Hill sanitation worker, lost a second appeal to get his job back.
After a 3-2 vote, the personnel appeals committee recommended to Town Manager Roger Stancil Wednesday that Chapel Hill not change its stance on Bigelow, who claims he was fired because he organized with a union for workers’ rights.
In its decision, the committee said that they were convinced by evidence the town provided for the reason it fired Bigelow, regarding three violations: insubordination, threats and intimidating behavior against members of the public and co-workers.
The committee did not address Bigelow’s fourth violation of unsatisfactory job performance, stating that neither side presented significant testimony.
Jim Curis, a member of the personnel appeals committee, said the group cannot comment on the process but members had a lengthy deliberation on the decision.
“We worked very hard on our decision and spent many hours on it,” he said.
Bigelow and his ex-coworker Clyde Clark were fired from their positions in the Chapel Hill solid waste department at the end of October after being placed on paid administrative leave for five weeks in September.
Al McSurely, a lawyer for both men from the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said he was disappointed with the hearing.
He said the panel did not answer the question of whether workers have the right to organize a union and challenge unsafe and racist situations.
