Update for our non-member visitors who have either been following the story from the beginning or have knowledge of the story:

Employee Win #1:

Caryn Kings attempt to delay Lisa from receiving medi-cal benefits failed.  Approximately 2 weeks ago Lisa contacted the DHA civil rights ombudsman and asked him to intervene on her behalf.  That was on a Thursday.  By that next Monday, Lisa was contacted by a DHA worker and informed that everything was approved but that SCALE was still going to have to submit the employment verification form but that Lisa no longer needed to worry about that.

Employee "Big Win" #2:

It took Lisa almost 2 months, but she WON the battle regarding her Unemployment Insurance benefits.  SCALE did not contest the wages or the time sheets that were submitted to EDD and EDD's investigation as to whether or not there was an employee/employer relationship ended with SCALE in fact being Lisa's employer.  DUH!!

While it may seem to some of you that the fight is over now.  It has only just begun.  Lisa's issues were the most important in the beginning because we had to make sure that she was able to keep a roof over her and her sons head.  Now we move on to putting an end to all of the lies that Caryn King has been filling the boards head with and make her tell the truth.  We will prove that she is unfit to be the head of a any kind of union, we will prove that she is unfit to be a DHA criminal investigator, we will prove that her deceitful, intimidating, and unethical ways are the reason why SCALE will eventually be closing its doors.

This page will only inform you of the "WINS" as they happen.

This weeks Labor Cartoon

This weeks Labor Quote

"We have only one political party in the country – The Money Party.  And it has two branches – the Republican branch and the Democratic branch.”

--Arnold Miller, president, United Mine Workers, 1972-1979

This weeks Labor Joke

Diminishing Returns

After a two-year-long study, The National Science Foundation announced the following results on Corporate America’s recreation preferences:

1. The sport of choice for unemployed people is: BASKETBALL
2. The sport of choice for maintenance level employees is: BOWLING
3. The sport of choice for front line workers is: FOOTBALL
4. The sport of choice for supervisors is: BASEBALL
5. The sport of choice for middle management is: TENNIS
6. The sport of choice for corporate officers is: GOLF

CONCLUSION: The higher you are in the corporate structure, the smaller your balls become. (Some have no balls at all but act like they do.  I think there is a name for someone like that.) (I just had to add that last part in parentheses)

Union Member Tip of the Week

Influence Inside and Outside the Workplace

For every employee, both those in the public and private sector, what goes on in the world of politics has a direct connection to the union’s ability to advance and protect the members’ interests.  Legislatures pass and enforce laws that can make it easier or harder for unions to organize, to protect members’ health and safety, to bargain for reasonable health care coverage, and to improve countless other aspects of working life.  What is won at a bargaining table can be taken away with a stroke of a pen by elected officials who are not worker-friendly, or by appointed or elected judges. That’s why unions have to be so involved in politics.

Steward Tip of the Week

Off-Duty Conduct

What you do on your own time and away from work is none of your employer’s business, right?  The answer to that question may surprise you.  Sure, unions realize that arbitrators constantly uphold management’s right to discipline employees for just cause when the misconduct takes place at work and on the clock.  But just how far can management go in attempting to control an employee’s behavior away from the workplace?  What arguments does the employer have to make for the arbitrator to agree that discipline is appropriate for off-duty conduct?  For management to be successful, it must convincingly argue that the employee’s off-duty conduct conflicts with one of the employer’s legitimate business interests.  So union arguments need to focus on proving that the conduct did not or could not negatively impact the economic objectives of the employer.  While each case must be decided on its own merits, there are some guidelines for examining whether what happens away from work will lead to discipline.