Speakers List For Sacramento Workers Memorial Day April 28th

Media Release

4/22/2007
California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day
http://www.workersmemorialday.com
http://www.ciaw.org
http://www.bullyfree.org
http://www.barbclark.org
http://www.usmwf.org/

For Memorial/Speakout at the Sacramento State Capitol on the South Steps
Saturday April 28, 2007 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

On April 28, 2007 injured workers and their advocates from throughout California will commemorate workers who have been injured and killed on the job. They will also expose the growing cost shifting by insurance companies to avoid paying the costs for injured workers on the job.


For More Information Call
Steve Zeltzer lvpsf [at] labornet.org
(415)867-0628
Dina Padilla dinapadilla [at] comcast.net
(415)916-725-2673
Carrie Clark carrie51 [at] earthlink.net
916-342-5194
Michelle E. Smith melizabeth2 [at] sbcglobal.net
530-622-9865

Line up of Speakers:
Music by Richard Taliafarro Member IUOE Local 3

Carrie Clark -- a former teacher, physically disabled by a bully's
psychological assaults, who wrote that she "refused to be silenced when a
bullying school superintendent tried to misappropriate soft money funding
intended for minority students." A leading organizer with California Healthy Work Place Advocates http://www.bullyfreeworkplace.org
Dina Padilla --- has worked since 1958 starting out with paying off her elementary schooling.
Job positions included supervisory in clerical and accounting, lab tech assist, unit coordinator and medical assistant. Some college in labor law and is certified as a unit assist coordinator and medical assistant. She was at Kaiser from 1985 to 1993 and was a union activist from 1987 to 1993. She also was an Sacramento Central Labor Council Executive Board Member 1990-1992 She has been an activist for injured workers and patients via VOICES-B.E.S.T. since 1992 and affiliated with Kaiserpapers.org MCRC and is currently a Board Member 2003 She has been a public advocate for injured workers and has attended legislative and state hearings about injured workers since 2004. She is married for 35 years, a mother and a grandmother
Michelle E. Smith ---While working for the world‚s largest private university for over 5 years, Michelle observed and experienced exploitation, bullying, and systematic discouragement as a way of doing business. After being lured by false promises, "Come early, stay late" (and you‚ll earn a lot more money), and finding it to be a lie, she launched a class action lawsuit to be paid overtime for the extra hours all the employees had worked. The lawsuit took two years to settle, but then, within weeks after the company settled out of court and agreed to pay overtime nationwide, She was "released from my employ". She was under the care of a therapist for over a year, spent 3 months out on medical leave, and battled depression as she fought to put her life back together and find other employment. A conservative estimate of cost in legal fees, medical expenses, and lost company income equals $562,500 with personal cost of over $10,000 to her. She helped found the California Healthy Workplace Advocates to support legislation to stop this kind of treatment.
Mary Vivenzi --- Her boyfriend Kevin Noah was killed, falling from Golden Gate Bridge in 2002 while working on an earthquake retrofit project and she organized to get information from the company and CA-OSHA about why he was killed. She has organized nationally to protect workers on the job. Mary has supported USMWF (United Support & Memorial For Workplace Fatalities and has organized nationally and internationally to commemorate workers injured or killed on the job.
Brenda Schinn --- Brenda Shinn suffered a work related injury while driving to Sutter Woodland Hospital for a diabetes Study. She was Clinical Trial Study Coordinator for 7 years until she was rear ended by a driver at the speed of 45-60 miles an hour. Most people are lucky to survive such a crash a that high rate of speed but all 3rd parties involved criminally ignore most of her injuries.
Brenda received Temp Total disability for 4 months until a QME-DR.O'Hara declared her Permanent and Stationary. Brenda managed to get some chiropratic care but Sutter cut off all of her benefits till today.
Brenda needs care for multiple injuries starting with her head, whole spine, and upper extremeties. In her last worker comp case hearing that happened just last year, Judge Thiesen would only acknowledge her neck injury. She has been trying to get surgery for her neck and there has been delay after delay.
This woman, who was in the medical field for 25 years, cannot receive medical care for herself because the employer, Sutter, it's 3rd party insurance administrator, UNUM, car insurance company and those that represent the WCAB including her own attorney, Smolich &Smolich, who stated " that most injured workers give up by now or commit suicide" continues to criminally deny her rightful benefits owed to her under both the California and United States federal constitutions.
George Johnson --- Chair Veterans for Peace Chapter 69
Mike DiRubio --- Injured UBC 262Carpenter Mike DiRubio has fought for injured workers rights and has been confronted with the California State Insurance Compensation Fund refusing to take care of his health needs. Mike has spoken out at CHSWC hearings and become an advocate for all injured workers.
Beverly Schenk --- An injured Safeway Inc. worker and member of the UFCW who has fought for heathcare from this self-insured employer and challenged the right of California Fraud Assessment Chair William Zachery to hold his position. Zachery is not only the chair of the FAC but a Vice President for Risk-Management for Safeway Inc. and was instrumental in supporting SB899
Music by Richard Taliafarro
Barbara Clark --- An injured nurse practitioner, Barbara Clark http://www.barbclark.org has been retaliated against by self insured Seventh Day Adventist hospital chain who caused her bankruptcy, threatened to jail her and has 8 restraining orders against her for suing them and the the California Director of Industrial Relations John Rea. Her federal suits challenge the failure to regulate self insured employers and also the massive cost shifting by the insurance industry.
Sam Gold --- Founder of Californians Injured at Work http://www.ciaw.org and the television show Injured at Work and is a leading advocate for injured workers. He has also faced a battle against the insurance company Zurich who have used fraud in an effort to cut him off his benefits. He has created a statewide web site and linked up thousands of injured workers as well as being a co-host of Injured On The Job TV show. His show is now programmed throughout California on cable.
Shelly Ruhland --- An injured United Airlines mechanic and member of AMFA Local 9, Shelly has been fighting the insurance company Gallagher Bassett in order to get her injuries taken care of. She was born & raised in San Bruno, Ca. in a home on the hill overlooking UAL and lived about 8 minutes from the United Airlines Maintenance Ops Center at the the SF Airport where her father worked for 32 years as a Chef. When she turned 18 in 1988...she began her tour at United began and has been there for almost 18 years. She was part-time while attending SF State University. After two years, she decided to take time off school and work full-time. That decision would change the rest of my life & career at United. She entered A&P school in the early 90's, and received her licenses just as she was laid off in '94. She was recalled as a mechanic in '95 where she presently works the docks as a sheetmetal mechanic doing overhauls and C-checks. In '98, she started working in the pneumatic shop. That's where she was injured. The damage of repetitive motion has taken it's toll on her elbows causing tendonitis. She received an acute injury on her right elbow in Aug. of '02 and within a couple of months she left because injury due to compensating for the pain in her right elbow. Both injuries were accepted by Gallagher Bassett as worker's comp. After about 18 months, it became apparent that she needed to do something more drastic than cortisone shots and ice in my elbows. In Dec. of '03, the pain was so bad, she couldn't work anymore and has been off ever since and fighting Gallagher Bassett to get healthcare.

Marie Musawwir --
Paul Caulp Satkowski ---
Anita Blick --- An injured police dispatcher from the town of Atherton, Anita was targeted by the town, their insurance company City Group for payments the city owed her. Instead of paying her they engaged in a retaliatory prosecution by the San Mateo District attorney for fraud and convicted her and jailed her in solitary confinement for 60 days. They are now seeking "restitution" for the payments for her medical costs and also want to take her house away.
Joseph Dow --- An injured worker from Lowe's Hardware store in Pacifica who was working as a salesman and was ordered to lift sacks despite their knowing about his previous back injury. He injured his back and the company forged his papers and denied their liability. He went to the District Attorney of San Mateo and was turned away and sent to the Pacifica Police Department.

Music Closing by Richard Taliafarro Member IUOE Local 3


The California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day was established to have an annual memorial for workers injured and killed on the job. It has helped defend injured workers and families of workers who have been injured or killed on the job. It holds an annual rally every April 28, 2007 at the State Capitol in Sacramento and has focused on the need for healthcare for all injured workers and everyone who needs healthcare. It has also challenged SB899 which deregulated workers' compensation for allowing a massive cost shifting by the insurance industry. The insurance companies have refused to care for seriously injured workers and have forced them to get on state disability, SSI or public hospitals to get their injuries taken care of.
The coalition has also called for criminal action against insurance industry representatives and executives for threatening and terrorizing injured workers along with many District Attorneys who only target workers and not insurance companies. There are
more fish and game inspectors today in California than OSHA inspectors.
There is also no longer a doctor in the entire CA-OSHA system and workers
who complain are retaliated against even though this is illegal under the
law.
The coalition will also be having Iraq veterans speak who have been refused
medical care despite their injuries in the service. They like other injured
workers have a human right to receive medical care and a decent life for
themselves and their families.



Endorsed by
California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day, Californians Injured At
Work(CIAW), BEST, California Healthy Workplace Advocates, AMFA Local 9, Veterans For
Peace-Chapter 69 Bay Area, SF Healthcare, For All, Labor Video Project,
USMWF.org United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities , CA Peace &
Freedom Party

Please have your organization endorse and send contributions to defray
costs and for transportation to:
California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day (CCWMD)
P.O. Box 720027 San Francisco, CA 94172 (415)867-0628
lvpsf [at] labornet.org
http://www.workersmemorialday.com, http://www.ciaw.org, http://www.bullyfreeplace.org,
http://www.barbclark.org

For more information about the rally and transportation contact:
San Francisco Labor Video Project (415)282-1908 lvpsf [at] labornet.org. Southbay
(408-623-0546) miked59 [at] verizon.net, Northbay Area 707-795-7083
Killedonthejob [at] usmwf.org,Sacramento Area Contact 916-725-2673
Dinapadilla [at] comcast.net, carrie51 [at] earthlink.net, melizabeth2 [at] sbcglobal.net,
info [at] ciaw.org (916) 290-7573
Los Angeles Area, Call (818) 793-5697
San Diego, Call (619) 793-4746