Local Army National Guardsman sues Target over 'no show' firing

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard has sued Target Corp., saying he was wrongly fired from one of the chain's Pittsburgh-area stores for violating its "no call, no-show" policy while he was on a two-week training assignment in Virginia.

Andrew Lanier claims in his federal lawsuit that he told his supervisors about the training duty in late October 2011.

But Lanier said he was told he had been fired for not calling off each and every day he was gone.

Lanier and his attorneys said that violates the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which is meant to safeguard the civilian jobs of military personnel who are called away for mandatory duties.

Target was working to respond to the lawsuit, in which Lanier seeks at least $75,000 in damages, including back pay and reinstatement.

WPXI