Someone that didn’t have power to fire, fired me. And now I am in breech of contract.

Location: Oregon

On 06-01 I started working in this workplace, with a 2 year contract. This type of work requires custom tools per worker, which the company pays for.

The contract says that if you willingly don’t work the time, without proper reason (health reasons or other manager approved situations) you are responsible to reimburse the company. This applies if you miss 20% of your hours in a 31 day span.

And you are liable for any overtime paid to others that have to finish your job, if you don’t work with the proper reason.

If you get fired, you aren’t responsible for the cost of tools or overpay. And with permission can take the tools with you.

On 07-02 I got in to an conflict with a coworker. The reason for the conflict had risen when he tried to give me tasks that weren’t my job to handle.

He made a complaint to one of the managers (I had a direct manager, who this person wasn’t), and I got fired. Reason being as this wasn’t the first complaint about me, which in theory wouldn’t surprise me.

On 07-10 I got a call from my direct manager asking why I wasn’t in for a week. I explained the situation, and he said that the other manager doesn’t have power to fire me. And that I am in breach of contract.

I have the firing in writing in my email, but the call went so fast I forget to get to it.

My direct manager said something close to “As this is a legal issue now, all our contract must go through our legal department. Please don’t come in, as that would be trespassing.”

Yesterday (07-22) I got an email from the legal department claiming damages and tool cost of 300$.

Do I need a lawyer in this case? Or now? What are my options? Was the firing legal in the first place?