Public Employee Press

Local 1549 bats 1.000 for laid-off provisional workers
Union action thwarts denial of unemployment insurance benefits

Replacing provisionals with workers from civil service lists under the Long Beach court decision cost many Local 1549 members their jobs.

When several of them had their unemployment benefits denied, the union went to bat for them.

All the rejections were overturned in a series of appeals handled by Clerical Division Council Rep Frank Maldonado.

"I feel like I batted 1.000 for the members," he said.

Laverne Mays "was totally without income, living off of my savings," she said. "Frank Maldonado stepped up and represented me with union rep Kathleen Newallo and my lawyer, Fausto Zapata Jr." she said. "DC 37 should be proud of their staff."

"I won, though I'm still waiting for my check," said Clerical Associate Maggie Brown, 80. Now retired, Brown will get a retroactive check
for two years of unemployment insurance benefits.

Secretary Drettia Evans was laid off June 23. Her hearing was a few weeks before Thanksgiving. "The judge called to let me know I had won, and I had a good Thanksgiving," said Evans, who recently passed the civil service test for Eligibility Specialist. "I'll be back on a city job," she said.

Mercedes Ovalles was also laid off last June after more than three years on the job providing HIV/AIDS services.

Her unemployment benefit was approved at first, "But then they took it away, saying I had left my job," she said.

Assistant Clerical Division Director Dorothy Lorenzo referred Ovalles to Maldonado, who helped her win back the benefit. "I feel very good about the union," said Ovalles, who came through the Work Experience Program (WEP).

"Her supervisors told her she was doing a wonderful job and recommended her for the Secretary position," Maldonado said. "I feel great that these members got what they were entitled to, after all the years that they had on the job."