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FOX 4 News muckraker Becky Oliver spied on Lockheed Martin workers during their lunch breaks and videotaped them drinking beer, then approached them later in the parking lot, at their homes, or at the bank and put a camera in their faces.

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Lockheed Martin Workers Caught Boozing It Up On Break: MyFoxDFW.com

This creeps me out. Becky Oliver creeps me out. I wouldn’t want to hang out with her unless she wore a muzzle.

Hiding in bushes with long lenses and videotaping guys drinking beer at lunch doesn’t seem right.

Years ago I was working at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and was sent to the General Motors plant in Arlington to write about a looming strike. I couldn’t get inside the plant and so I hung out in the parking lot. At lunchtime I noticed workers coming out to their cars. I approached several cars, and each was filled with men drinking beer from small ice chests.

Most agreed to interviews on the work issues, although they were concerned about being seen drinking beer. I didn’t feel compelled to include that fact in the story. Adults drinking beer at lunch isn’t illegal. And if it’s a problem, it’s between that person and his employer, not me.

If somebody tipped me off, like they did Oliver, about guys drinking beer during lunch at Lockheed, I wouldn’t feel compelled to go hide in the bushes and spy on them. I’d feel dirty. Maybe I’m a different kind of reporter than Oliver. I hope so.

11 COMMENTS

  1. So they should just be allowed to get drunk at lunchtime and then build airplanes that American pilots fly into battle? Nonsense! They should all be fired!

  2. Those jerks ought to clean up their mess they make. The littering pissed me off more than the drinking. But thos guys are Union so they can do whatever they want and show up to work drunk and make $25 an hour to stand on an assembly line and tighten a screw every once in a while, all at taxpayer expense.

  3. I agree with Bill in that the littering is the most upsetting part.

    I don’t have a problem with Becky’s reporting. It’s likely to bring about positive change in the work place.

  4. @JLT — I checked out that link and it is a similar report. But it looks like the Detroit auto plant supervisors took it more seriously than Lockheed supervisors — the Detroit workers who were seen drinking and getting high during their lunch break were all suspended without pay. We’ll see what Lockheed does, if anything.

    By the way, the Detroit reporter says “I hate to be a buzz kill…” as he approaches the drinking auto workers. I wrote my headline long before I checked out your link, so I am not a copycat like Becky Oliver.

  5. I have just been informed about an incident in Mineola, Texas at a day care, where a child was litterly beaten and kicked by the Administrator of that day care. They are required, as I understood it, to keep a 24 hour surveilance tape which was erased that captured the incident. Before removing the video evidence, the day care worker that approached the Director of the day care, copied it on to her cell phone and took it to him to show it to him, who fired her on the spot for reporting it. The person that hurt and beat the child has not been arrested, has not been removed from the day care, nor has the day care been shut down to protect other children. There is no rason why this has not been brought to the table and justice served. If this Country continues to shut its eyes and promote injustice, then we have no one to blame but ourselves. I have been told that if anyone can help us, it will be you. I don’t know anything but what was told to me directly from the best friend of the mother of the child.

  6. This is ridiculous! If the plane crashed that one of these individuals was working on and killed YOU, would you suggest that Becky’s spying was inappropriate? would you even form your mouth to say to the workers “have another drink” if one of your family members was on one of those planes and they crashed. You sound like someone who is doing something and is afraid to get caught. Although, “spying” may be invasive, I would rather have someone spy and save a life, than not spy and 100s end up dead…

    • Rob said, “If the plane crashed that one of these individuals was working on and killed YOU, would you suggest that Becky’s spying was inappropriate?”

      Actually, I would have nothing to say, because I would be dead and wouldn’t care.

  7. Anyone working on the manufacturing line at Lockheed and deciding to drink during work hours should be fired. Contrary to what this article states, “Adults drinking beer at lunch isn’t illegal.” – when you work in the factory and are required to keep FOD from getting into the aircraft, you should absolutely NOT BE DRINKING. I assume the pilot that dies in a crash due to FOD would have quite a bit to say about men drinking during a time that they are to be working on multi-million dollar (tax dollars) aircraft. Don’t be absurd here – these men should absolutely NOT be drinking during lunch. The author of this article clearly has no idea about the working environment at Lockheed Martin.

  8. My husband is a AP mechanic that worked at Lockheed Martin during Becky’s interview. He worked with these inconsiderate alcoholic men. That’s is what’s a shocker. These men were not sent for treatment or had to report to AA for 90 days. Anyone that has to alter their persons bad enough that they cant wait to do in the privacy of their own homes has a problem. By their own selfishness to indulge on company property against policy that was discussed in their hiring and training classes. SHOULD be fired on the spot. Lets face it they got busted. Could have jeopardize thousands of lives and millions of our tax dollars. They worked in Dept. 145, Col. 2B-C-5B-C. for 15 + years. Beno and his coworkers were sent home with pay for 3wks WTF until the hear died down. To this date my husband was laid off with 500 others after his loyalty of over 15 years. He has not been called back regardless of numerous attempts to contact his Union Committeeman, Human Recourses and his immediate supervisor. He has paid in unions dues $11,340.00. I will quote him now ” That’s what the good ole unions for.”

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