Rec Centre protecting a trainer who utter threats

[EvilTofu]

I have been going to the gym at my local rec centre for the past 10 years. 3 years ago, this trainer yelled at me when I confronted him for being late every time. He's usually 2 minutes late, plus 3 minutes changing into indoor shoes, plus 5 minutes getting the staff to open the door, we always start 10 minutes late. For a 30-minute class, that's unacceptable.

Back in 2014, this man yelled at me saying that I didn't smile during class. He said, "2 minutes late is not late." (He was 8 minutes late that day). He said angrily, "I gave you a good workout! You didn't even smile! You looked like my ex-girlfriend's sister who wanted to fight me when she was drunk. I'm not afraid to hit a woman. You wanna fight? I will fight you! I will fight you!"#feminism?

He then told me another trainer told him that I called him stupid. In which that trainer was my former personal trainer. I think he lied to prevent client poaching. He would not hear any of it because that's his best friend. I was so intimidated that I was crying. I asked my former personal trainer to come forward to sort things out with his best friend. He ignored me. He even changed job the following year. (Grown men shouldn't get that upset because they heard a rumour someone called them stupid, right?)

I stopped going to their classes and only stick with the safe list of trainers I trust and admire. Since the PT who changed jobs, he given his best friend all his hours. So the hostile trainer is there every day of the week. At first he was overly nice. I really thought they have sort things out and we can all be friends again. He utter mild racist jokes, like when I say I have multiple injuries and always in pain, he said, "That's because you are made in China." It's a joke if he's friendly, but he's hostile when we are alone. Often exclude me from participation, gossip to other friends so I was treated poorly by other younger trainers as well.

I have complained to management several times a year for the past 3 years. They just keeps getting new superiors. I talked to the last superior on Aug 26th, and she didn't return my calls for weeks. She left the job 2 weeks ago. Turns out she planned to dump it on the next guy, which it how it has gone on for so long. I finally met with the new superior and the manager today with the sit-down meeting.

It was frustrating. They never want to meet for the past 3 years. I only get them to talk to me because I got so angry that I posted what happened on Twitter. I identified the hostile trainer's name on twitter. The manager was so rude. He just put his phone in front of him. Looking away when I was talking. He didn't want me to record the meeting. (I wanted to record our conversation because it always goes back to me not having proof.) The new supervisor was very nice. She was helpful. But she's so new that she doesn't really know any of the people. In the end, the manager said I was harassing the trainer by posting his name on Twitter.

It was such an unproductive 90 minute meeting. In the end, I took down the tweets but they are not going to do anything because "we can't fire or remove someone just because a member doesn't like him." I am welcome to go back at my own risk.

No proof.

It's not like I wanted him fired. It wasn't his fault, he was manipulated by his best friends. I wanted him to be moved to another centre, there are so many other locations. Of course, they implied that I was the stubborn one. Why do I keep insisting on coming here. Why can't I go to GoodLife or Planet Fitness? The answer is that because I did nothing wrong. It has gone on for 3 years because I was a kind person who believes in people. I could have called the police, but I thought we should resolve it as peaceful as possible.

They are rewarding bad behaviours. Their employees knows that the managers can't be bothered to do anything unless there's proof. Yet you are not allowed to film or record inside the gym for privacy reasons. Many younger trainers don't even wear uniforms on Sunday mornings because there isn't any supervisors. They do their own workout in peace when people don't know they are employees. Yet they are signed in to get paid.

I was not allow to tell you who it was and where it was. Even if they are all true, they said it was harassment if I post online. I think that's why he didn't want me recording the conversation. I thought it was a protection for all 3 of us. I would certainly be telling the truth on a recording! Turns out they came to the meeting didn't intend to help. So if I post the recordings online, they would all be in trouble.

I reminded them that I could have gone to the police, uttering threats is 18 months in prison and $5000 in fine. But they said, "You are free to do what you like. We can't tell you what to do" in such a way that they know I don't have proof. They could just call up the people at the gym that day! They have sign-in records. It's all digital. Of course they won't help.

I lost faith in humanity, in government. I will no longer support any funding to parks and recreation, schools or other public works. Government subsidies shelter criminals. There is no justice.

[Ciel]

Good for you for trying to get some matters resolved to reflect punctuality, professionalism and respect for others.
Too bad that you had to name someone on Twitter-there is a rule against that as current events related to Hollywood unfold.

It seems the trainers do not know the relevant policies in your city regarding conduct or rather appropriate vs inappropriate conduct with rec users. Not to mention not being on time-human resources matter and I'm sure the finance department would love to get into the cost of lost time paid out but not fully earned by staff on City payrolls (unionized or not).

I don't even know how cities help contract or part-time staff be familiar with policies especially if their jobs may not involved set time to just read everything online in their first week on the jobs on City computers. When I was a temp in the pre-Internet days, I supposedly had to know policies. I happened to bump into tons of union job comments when I was doing something like breaking down boxes for the blue box in the lunchroom. Or wanting to have a tool on hand in case something was loose-a FT employee was the first to always make a remark about union work but never on how I was to proceed. I learned to be more discreet and just get on with things as the regulars basically had their jobs and benefits while I had a short period of time and was expected to fit into the exact role I was assigned.

All I can say is be assertive about matters like you have been and when you are aware of incidents, jot them down in a little notebook and alert the supervisor of the area/rec centre of incidents. The turnover aspect of the supervisors shows that prior job holders did not feel comfortable addressing the matter nor even make the effort to separately follow up with the trainers about the incidents. Something is off in that whole division but it's not your role to clean up rec dept.

I found the complaint process for Brampton. http://www.brampton.ca/en/City-Hall/...guidelines.pdf