Vicksburg man says he chose safety over his job; employer says his claims are false

A disagreement over working conditions at a Vicksburg store has resulted in one man being unemployed and a public spat on social media.

Dimitri Fevrier managed the CPR cellphone repair store on Halls Ferry Road for roughly 18 months. Fevrier claims that the store’s owner, Jerod Welch, would not supply the necessary disinfecting supplies, gloves or masks necessary to keep himself, his employee, Dwight Hunter, and customers safe during the COVID-19 crisis. Not being willing to work in what he considered unsafe conditions, Fevrier chose to leave his job about a month ago.

“We didn’t have the necessary (personal protective equipment). We didn’t have the equipment that we needed,” Fevrier said. “I told my employer that I did not feel safe.”

Fevrier and Welch went back and forth over cleaning supplies in this message thread. Click to expand. (Image courtesy Dimitri Fevrier)

Prior to Fevrier leaving, Welch asked him in a message if he had looked for the necessary supplies.

“I don’t feel it’s my responsibility to find any of these items,” Fevrier said. “It’s his responsibility.” Regardless, Fevrier said he attempted to purchase supplies at Walgreens and CVS pharmacies without much luck, a fact supported by a message to Welch.

“I have attempted several times to obtain all of the above,” Fevrier wrote, referencing Lysol, wipes and hand sanitizers.

“My safety, my employee’s safety, my newborn’s safety, my 4-year-old daughter’s safety, my employee’s mother’s safety … none of that was a priority,” he said. “The only thing that was a priority was making sales.”

Fevrier locked the door and put up a sign that he was offering service but not inside the store. He claims that they had one of the best days ever, even with the lobby closed. When ordered to reopen the lobby, Fevrier and Hunter both decided to put their safety ahead of their employment and left.

Welch, who owns five CPR stores in the area, says the disagreement centers strictly around Fevrier refusing to keep the lobby of the store open in direct defiance of Welch’s orders. He characterized Fevrier’s claim that the store had inadequate supplies “absolutely false.”

After Fevrier decided to leave, Welch said he manned the store for a few days before putting someone else in charge. He claims all the supplies in question were already in the store.

“There were unopened boxes of gloves. There were masks. There was plenty of antibacterial spray,” he said. He also said that as store manager, it was Fevrier’s responsibility to ensure the items were available.

“What was not in the messages that he decided to share with everyone are the conversations prior to that,” Welch said. He told Fevrier repeatedly that the lobby was not to be closed, a claim supported in Fevrier’s text message.

“For the 3rd time, WE ARE NOT CLOSING THE LOBBY,” Welch wrote.

“In none of the previous conversations did he ever mention being low on cleaning supplies,” Welch said, including on a conference call that morning where Welch says he offered to get any needed supplies for any store. “It was after the fact that he closed the lobby” that Fevrier brought up the supplies, Welch said.

Welch did not speculate as to why Fevrier is making his claim. “Maybe he did feel that was a safer option,” he said.

“What I have to look at is kind of overall what I feel is best for my business, my employees and my customers,” he said. “I generally did not feel that we could do an adequate job by having customers shut out of our lobby.”

CPR and similar stores are considered essential under state and federal COVID-19 guidelines, as they provide communication services and repairs. That means the stores did not close during the recent statewide shelter-in-place order.

Welch insists that his store guidelines go beyond what authorities recommend. He limits the number of customers at any one time to three, for example. Along with two employees, that is half the 10 people allowable in his stores. The stores followed all CDC, state and local guidelines pertaining to the spread of COVID-19, Welch said, including stocking “a more than adequate supply of antibacterial spray, masks and gloves.”

“We look at as a blessing that we’re able to continue to stay open during this time,” he added.

“If he did not feel safe—I addressed it with all of my employees—if they did not feel safe then it’s 100% their right to not work. But in this particular case, he closed the doors not allowing my business to do business,” Welch sald. “We couldn’t do the job we needed to do. That was impeding my business.”

For Fevrier’s part, he said his motive in bringing the story to light is to protect other employees of the CPR stores and ensure they have what they need to feel safe during the pandemic. He has yet to find a new job or collect unemployment.

“I’m just trying to figure this thing out day by day,” he said.

See our live interview with Fevrier on our Facebook page.