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Stop Bullying Now! Richmond SEIU 1021/IFPTE 21 City Workers Protest Bullying & Corruption

by Labor Video Project
Dozens of SEIU 1021 and IFPTE 21 Richmond workers protested against the bullying of Stacie Plummer and the rampant corruption by Richmond HR director Leslie Knight.
800_plummber__stacie_at_rally.jpg
Stop Bullying Now! Richmond SEIU 1021/IFPTE 21 City Workers Protest Bullying & Corruption By HR Director Leslie Knight
Dozens of Richmond California workers from SEIU 1021 and IFPTE Local 21 attended a press conference on Tuesday March 19, 2013 outside the Richmond City Council to protest the bullying of city workers and whistleblowers. Human Resource manager Leslie Knight according to an official city report had misused city funds illegally and was ordering workers to work on her private business. Where city workers including IFPTE Local 21 member Stacie Plummer reported this she was retaliated against by Knight for whistleblowing about the violations of the law and rules in the City of Richmond. Despite these violations, Richmond city manager Bill Lindsay who is a personal friend of Knight has said that he will not remove her from the job despite flagrant violations of worker, human rights and criminal law.
Workers recounted a reign of bullying by Knight not only against Plummer but other workers.
For further information go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NzEhvp4Sz4&feature=
The press conference was also sponsored by United Public Workers For Action
http://www.upwa.info
For more video information on bullying go to:
SF City Doctor At SF Laguna Honda Hospital Discusses Bullying In The Workplace
http://youtu.be/_shGLuXU9uk
Labor And The Fight Against Bullying-SEIU 1021 SF Leader Brenda Barros Speaks Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEq8wAZ75c&feature=
The Fight To Stop Bullying In California- A Presentation By Carrie Clark
http://youtu.be/dwH6Dz6SVSk
Bullying And The Case Of SF Housing Authority Attorney Tim Larson With Attorney Ivo Labar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgVn5zIApJg&feature=
USPO Worker Ling Lan Reports On Retaliation And Bullying For Whistle Blowing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaybGj47tnk&feature=
Production of Labor Video Project http://www.laborvideo.org

Richmond: Protesters call for HR manager's ouster for corruption and bullying
http://www.contracostatimes.com/twitter/ci_22827502/richmond-protesters-call-hr-managers-ouster
By Robert Rogers Contra Costa Times
Posted: 03/19/2013 07:24:05 PM PDT
Updated: 03/19/2013 07:24:06 PM PDT

RICHMOND -- Union protesters assembled at City Hall on Tuesday to demand the city's second-ranking administrator be fired after an investigation found that she misused public resources and ordered a whistleblower's emails be searched.
More than 20 people, many from SEIU Local 1021, joined Stacie Plummer to demand that City Manager Bill Lindsay fire Leslie Knight, the city's human resources director.
"This is absurd," said Charles Smith, a Richmond resident. "Knight needs to go, and if Bill (Lindsay) isn't willing to do it, he needs to go, too."
An independent investigation revealed earlier this month that Knight improperly received at least $400 monthly in car allowance while also using a city vehicle, used paid city staff to make trinkets and ordered a subordinate to access Plummer's emails after Plummer lodged a complaint against her. The investigation concluded that Knight did not profit from the trinket making.
Plummer said she was assured by Mayor Gayle McLaughlin and Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles that they would introduce a council resolution in April urging Lindsay to terminate Knight, if he has not already done so by then.
Lindsay has said that he will determine how much Knight improperly received from the city and devise a payment plan for her to pay the city back. He has declined to say what, if any, discipline Knight will face, citing public employee personnel privacy, but has said that she will not be fired. Knight
was not put on leave during the investigation, which lasted at City Hall for several months and included dozens of interviews with staff members.
Plummer, who works as a finance director in the city, estimates Knight owes the city at least $600,000 in car allowances and misused staff time.
Plummer said Knight "bullied" her in part by repeatedly transferring her to different departments for years when she objected to what she saw as misuse of city funds.
"(Knight) moved me around the city like a ping pong ball for four years," Plummer said.
Knight and Lindsay both came to the city in 2006. Lindsay has been praised for his fiscal management of the city during his tenure.
But the protesters Tuesday were critical of Lindsay for both not stopping Knight sooner and for not meting out discipline.
"If this was any other worker, they'd be out of a job," said Andres Soto, a Plummer supporter. Plummer said Lindsay "turned a blind eye" to Knight's activities.
Knight issued a statement last week through her attorney, Thomas Bertrand of the firm Bertrand, Fox & Elliot in San Francisco. Bertrand noted that "the bulk of the numerous allegations made against Ms. Knight have not been sustained."
"To the extent that any such allegation was sustained against Ms. Knight, she acknowledges that she did make certain mistakes, she has apologized for them, and she will take corrective action," the statement said, adding that Knight looks forward to moving on and serving the residents of Richmond.
The protest occurred before Tuesday's City Council meeting, and organizers said they would flood the public comment period with calls for Knight's dismissal.
Contact Robert Rogers at 510-262-2726 or rrogers [at] bayareanewsgroup.com and followTwitter.com/roberthrogers.
§Ray Drayer SEIU 1021 Richmond VP
by Labor Video Project
800_seiu_richmond_vp_ray_drayer_.jpg
Ray Drayer SEIU 1021 Richmond VP spoke against the bullying of Stacie Plummer and the corruption and double standards.
§Accountability
by Labor Video Project
800_richmond_plumber_rally_upwa_poster.jpg
Richmond city workers and community members demanded accountability.
§Stop the bullying
by Labor Video Project
800_smith__charles_speaking_at_richmond_rally3-12-13.jpg
Charles Smith, retired AFSCME 444 member and delegate to the Alameda Labor Council as well as a member of the UPWA steering committee spoke at the rally in support of Plummer and for the firing of Leslie Knight
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