Sorry, this is going to be long, but I didn't know where else to ask, as DH's company has limited options on getting advice-you either must file a formal complaint or just keep putting up with the harassment. There's no real option on just asking if this treatment is allowed or not and DH is fearful of retaliation. Here's the situation:
1) DH has been with the co. a long time (more than 20 years)-not a member of a minority (ie, he's white, middle-class, not handicapped, etc)
2) plant is going union, but no contract yet, but the union rep says they are "represented" whatever that means-DH did NOT instigate the unionization
3) DH is a hard worker-most of the others there are not (some actually sit with their feet on a desk 7 of their 8 hours on the job and if you knew what type of company this is, you would be outraged at where your $$$ are going)
4) DH is not a brown-noser, but most of the other people apparently are (refer to #3). When DH and another less qualified employee (who also has only 2 years with the co.) were up for the same promotion, the other employee, who had plowed the managers' driveways last winter, was given the job, with no explanation.
so, for the last 1 1/2 to 2 years, DH has been being harassed by 2 other employees and now his new manager has started in on it. But, none of it is racial, sexual, religious, or any other type that is specifically mentioned in the EEO guidelines. It's more like, DH tells his manager(M) that he has to go out to another building for a few hours and M says something like,"I guess prayers can be answered". Next day, DH tells M that he will be out in the plant for awhile; M replies, "Oh, that's all the farther you're going?" Next day, a trainer was in and DH mentioned that he would be gone the next time the trainer was to come. Trainer asks if he's taking early retirement (he's not nearly that old) and M replies, "Oh, if we could only be so lucky." These comments are ALWAYS made in front of groups of people.
A couple other incidents happened. In one, DH was given permission to do something by another manager. Another employee complained to DH's manager(M) and M got chewed out. In fact, M took a supposedly "pretend" swing at DH (supposedly along the lines of the NCIS slap on the head), but DH didn't really think it was just a joke.
Other employees(see 3 & 4 above) are given incentive gift cards for suggestions and DH's are turned down, but 2 months later, these other employees will present DH's idea and get a pat on the back and a gift card.
DH feels that they are trying to get him to leave as it's much more expensive to have a vested 20+year employee than several short-timers. DH has also caught his manager hiding behind equipment spying on him. Now, DH has nothing to fear being caught at because he works very hard every day and does not steal from the co. or anything bad. He's very much the odd man out there.
So, does any of this actually qualify as harassment, discrimination, or hostile workplace? I'm so worried about my DH-his stress is tremendous and he hates going to work and that's something that never happened before (in the other plants where he worked). But, we just don't know what his rights are and don't know if the union will help(unfortunately, his plant union rep is the one who kisses up the most, so he'd have to go over his head, which is frowned upon -union 'brotherhood' and all that).
Sorry this is so long. Thanks for any help you can give.