Was it wrong of me to tell my boss I couldn't work July 4th?

don't ask, tell them. "i'm taking off the 4th." you have to put your foot down. if you don't, they going to put the foot on you, as in walk over you. "say Jim, mind working this weekend?" you know the drill. you're the new guy and they are going to test you to see how much of an advantage they can take. there are more than one pair of pants in the world, let them know you're wearing one.

It depends on what kind of job it is that you do have... I mean I work at a grocery store and I have to work on July 4th... The bad thing for me though is that it's my birthday and I asked off before anyone else did... But yet I still have to work... So I think that you should have said something sooner but in the same way I don't think that you should have told him that you couldn't work... You should have just said or asked him if you could or preferred to not work on that day... But that is all up to you...

The 4th is a stat holiday and so for him to schedule you without asking was not right. Don't be overly insubordinate, just say that you need the day off and there is nothing they can do as long as you are polite.

i think you should be fine