Firefighters, SEIU Local 1000 give $500,000 to fight ballot measure

Friday, April 27, 2012

Sacramento - California Professional Firefighters and SEIU Local 1000 recently donated a combined half-million dollars to the group combating a Nov. 6 ballot measure aimed at curbing unions’ political power and banning direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions.

The California Professional Firefighters Independent Expenditures PAC donated $250,000 on April 11 and Local 1000 kicked in $252,762 a couple days later, according to a report filed this week with the state.

Local 1000 and the state council with which it’s affiliated have given nearly $1.1 million since last summer. Professional Firefighters, between its independent expenditure committee and its ballot issues committee, has donated $800,000 over the past nine months. Contributions to defeat the measure now total $5.7 million.

Supporters raised about $2.9 million so far.

The proposal would stop unions and businesses from donating money directly to political candidates, although both groups could continue spending freely on independent expenditure campaigns.

Labor groups would have a harder time raising money for those independent campaigns, however, because the measure also eliminates payroll-deducted contributions, unions’ primary means of raising money. Corporations couldn’t use payroll deductions either, but they raise the bulk of their campaign money from checks written by top executives and shareholders.

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/the_state_worker/2012/04/california-firefighters-seiu-local-1000-give-500000-to-fight-ballot-measure.html#storylink=cpy

SEC sues former CalPERS Chief Executive

Monday, April 23, 2012

By Dale Kasler

Published: Monday, Apr. 23, 2012 - 11:40 am
Last Modified: Monday, Apr. 23, 2012 - 11:48 am

SACRAMENTO - The Securities and Exchange Commission today sued CalPERS’ former chief executive, as well as former board member Alfred Villalobos, in connection with an alleged bribery scheme that rocked the big California pension fund.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada, the agency sued Villalobos and his longtime friend Fred Buenrostro, the former chief executive of CalPERS, alleging they engaged in a “fraudulent scheme.”

Villalobos acted as a “placement agent,” securing big investment deals from CalPERS for his Wall Street private equity clients. He earned at least $58 million in fees from his CalPERS deals, the SEC said.

The lawsuit was filed in Nevada because both men live there.

In the suit, the SEC says the two men fabricated letters and other documents to make it look as though CalPERS was aware of the fees Villalobos was being paid by his most important client, Apollo Global Management. The SEC said the two men “tricked” Apollo into paying $20 million in fees to Villalobos that it otherwise wouldn’t have paid. Apollo required that its investment partners know of the fees the firm was paying to placement agents like Villalobos. The suit seeks to have the two men “disgorge all ill-gotten gains from their illegal conduct,” plus interest.

It was the second big legal action to come out of the Villalobos scandal. The two men were sued by the state of California in 2010; the case is still pending.

California High Court Rules in Lunch Break Case

Saturday, April 14, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO—The California Supreme Court said Thursday, April 12th, that employers are under no obligation to ensure that workers take legally mandated lunch and rest breaks.
The ruling came after workers’ attorneys argued that abuses are routine and widespread when companies aren’t required to issue direct orders to take breaks.
But the high court sided with business when it ruled that requiring companies to order breaks is unmanageable and that those decisions should be left to workers.
The case was initially filed nine years ago against Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s and other eateries, by restaurant workers complaining of missed breaks in violation of California labor law.
The workers’ lawyers said that by not ordering breaks at regular intervals throughout the workday, employers are taking advantage of employees who don’t want to leave colleagues during busy times.
In 2001, California became one of only a few states that impose a monetary penalty for employers who violate meal and rest break laws, requiring the employer to pay one hour of wages for a missed half hour-meal break. There is no federal law requiring employers to provide such breaks.
Joan Fife, a San Francisco labor lawyer who represents employers, said uncertainty over the law’s requirements have already led many California businesses to implement internal policies designed to make certain that employees take their breaks.

By JASON DEAREN
Associated Press
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/12/4408402/calif-high-court-to-decide-lunch.html#storylink=cpy

UPEC Email Delays

Friday, April 06, 2012

HEADQUARTERS - The Redding Office is updating the local server. Members may experience delays in email responses or be redirected. Hopefully, communications will be back to normal by April 9th. Thank you for your patients.

Sign up now for the UPEC Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament

Monday, April 02, 2012

Article by Christine Perry:

We hope you can place this event on your calendar now and plan to join us for a great day of golf and fellowship, while helping youth further their educational goals.  All proceeds from this tournament go the UPEC Local 792 Scholarship Fund. 

Sign up now for a great day of fun:

Friday, June 9th, 2011, 12 noon shotgun

Gold Hills Golf Club, Redding, Ca.

4-person scramble $99.00 per person: includes Green Fees, Range Balls, Golf Cart, Dinner and Prizes.

Make Checks payable to: UPEC Local 792.

Spring Cleaning….getting your life in order

Article by Christine Perry:

With tax season upon us the timing is perfect to gather information to better organize our lives and help those we love.  Take time to organize the important medical, financial and even the end-of-life decisions.  It may be time for you to help your parents with these decisions such as a legal will and power of attorney.  Everyone should ask themselves if the following information has been given to someone they trust to carry out their wishes and requests;

The names of their doctor, lawyer and whoever they have appointed to make decisions for them should they become unable to do so.

Do you and your parents have a legal well and Health Care Power of Attorney and do those you love know where they are located?

Be aware that banks require a signature on file and a key in order to search for a will in a lock box.

It’s not about giving up control of your assets.  It’s about enabling your loved ones to do the right thing when the time comes.