CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Stealing a competing team's signs on the baseball diamond is part of the game. So is swiping a base. Filching data from a competitor's computers? That can lead to litigation about theft of trade secrets and corporate spying. Reds' majority owner Bob Castellini has just such a mess embroiling one of his business subsidiaries in Arkansas. It is unfolding as the baseball team opens Spring Training with a strong mix of returning players and new faces. Castellini has every reason to feel good about the 2010 Reds. What about Castellini Co. subsidiary RWI Transportation? An amended complaint filed last week in a Faytettevill, Ark., Circuit Court claims RWI employees received unauthorized data from TransManage Worldwide's computers. Maybe the case won't make it to second base. But here's a sample from the lawsuit:
" . . . knowingly and with intent to defraud exceeded his authorized access to TransManage Computers and furthered the intended fraud and obtained valuable information from TransManage computers. RWI . . . by assisting in . . . conduct and receiving the valuable information as a result of [name deleted] conduct, knowingly and with intent to defraud, accessed TransManage computers without authorization and furthered the intended fraud and obtained valuable information from TransManage computers."
The dispute involves a former TransManage employee who was taking a new job with RWI. He allegedly e-mailed a closely held customer list to his new boss at RWI. Both companies ship freight. TransManage contends that accessing the data and transmitting it via computer to a competitor violates the Arkansas Trade Secrets Act, the Arkansas Computer Related Crimes Act and the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
According to exhibits attached to the amended complaint filed Feb. 19, the former TransManage worker e-mailed a list of 22 customers and 47 agents to himself on a Yahoo account. Two days later, he e-mailed the list to his boss at the Castellini Co. subsidiary. The lawsuit does not say if RWI undertook a pillaging spree for TransManage customers and agents. It does claim the Castellini competitor "sustained damages." It alleges that non-compete agreements were broken by workers who went to work for Castellini's subsidiary.
The case is filed under No. CV-09-3651 in Benton County., Ark. Circuit Court. RWI wants it dismissed. Fayetteville lawyer Peter (Tripp) Estes III filed the amended complaint for the plaintiff.
From what we have been told, 2 more customers gone this week from this small company; into Bob Castellini's pockets.
ReplyDeleteWe have contacted them and will be doing a story beginning of next week. We have been told that they are going to issue a press release on Friday or next Monday.
It appears that RWI Transportation is now talking up the former Transmanage employees on their website, the very same guys that are at the heart of the court complaint.
We are not sure if this is stupidity of plain brazenness on their part.
According to Transmanage, the actions of RWI Transportation only appeared to escalate after notifying RWI Executive Management on 11/24/09 of the alleged actions.
The Daily Bellwether will be the first to receive updates.
RWI Transportation - Unathorized Phone Tapping, Hostile Work Enviroment, Shady Executives
ReplyDeleteKnown phone tapping occured several times, when the director of training was caught nothing was done about it. But after further pushing the issue the person was demoted to a sales role. The person should have been FIRED!!
No moral standards, no concept of culture, and a group of uncaring people.
If you are considering working for RWI Transportation in Wilder, KY or any of their branch offices, please think again!! In my lifetime I have never seen a more incompetent, hostile, and insanely ignorant group of Corporate execs in my life.
The hostility leaks from the top down to the very bottom of the company. Everyone seems to have some type of chip on their shoulder. Issue after issue with no resolve.
The entire company is ran by a over-reaching, overly aggressive, power hungry HR director and a few sidekicks. The company is ran as a dictatorship. The employees concerns, issues, and some very serious ones go unresolved. Heartless group of people. The President is routinely left out of the mix and not privy to much of what goes on.
The only people that are happy are the directors. Daily you see politics at work. They are able to piss on the salespeople below them in order to gain business. Routinely the Director of Sales and Marketing was able to take accounts from salespeople. It was either taking the salesperson to long to close the deal or for the mere fact this particular director wanted the account in order to put more money in his own pocket. This individual is paid on what he brings in. He handles the sales lead system for the entire company and can routinely take leads from fellow salespeople. Talking about a conflict of interest. Handles the sales lead system and can manipulate any way he sees fit.
If you decide to leave RWI be very cautious because they will find a way to sue you. They are sue happy and proud to intimidate employees by flexing their legal muscles. RWI would boast about having limitless amounts of legal support and would find a way to take the employee for all they were worth if they decided to leave or cross them.
There is also other major issues that I am not at liberty to speak about.
The turnover rate is high, very high!!
Intimidation tactics, hostile workplace, and employees treated as 2nd class citizens is too much for any normal person to bare. There is many, many more former and current employees that are in the same boat and need to stand up.
Never, ever waste your time with RWI Transportation and Logistics in Wilder, KY or any of their outside offices.
You will never hear of RWI receiving any type of citizenship award or any award for that matter.
They are a joke, period......