Ivette's Civil Rights/Discrim.Fight
Donation protected
Hi All,
For the past 10+ years, I have worked as a supervisor at a local public utility company without the same benefits or pay afforded to male supervisors in my division. Three years ago, during contract negotiations, I attempted, in public board meetings, to expose (to local government officials) this and other unfair labor practices that affected all union represented employees at the company. I also explained how I was denied equal rights to any process that would provide me remedy for pay and benefit inequities. Nothing changed.
For three years, I've worked on my own, (working nights and weekends) investigating labor practices, researching case law and court procedure--exhausting my vacation time, and my financial & emotional well-being, to take on two powerful players, a public agency and a union that are trying their best to silence me.
Since revealing what I believe to be evidence of discrimination and corruption to publically elected Board members and public agencies, I have been subject to retaliation, threats, and first-time negative job evaluations. With the support of my friends, many of you who are reading this, I continue to gather and present evidence to my union, employer and PERB, the regulatory body responsible for preventing collusion between employer and my union. [To those who have been there for me, thus far; I never would have been able to get this far without your emotional and financial support. Thank You.]
My hard work is starting to pay off!
After my 4th appeal at DFEH (Department of Fair Employment and Housing,) I won the right to have my union investigated in a discrimination complaint (for allegedly aiding and abetting discrimination) and will ultimately be able to include them in a civil rights and sex discrimination lawsuit against my employer in Federal Court. I finally experienced some validation and relief. [I believe too many others who have tried to fight this battle, have been denied the basic right to have their cases fully investigated and have been intimidated and/or misled about their rights to such an extent that their cases have been dismissed or they have given up pursuing it. ]
This is where I stand today:
In order to achieve an outcome that COULD set precedent in State and/or Federal Court, I want to take the hard path, maybe the crazy path, and NOT settle my federal case (i.e., accept a remedy that would benefit only myself with a new job title/classification).
Ultimately, I'd like others to have a legal precedent, set by this case, that will allow them access to a fair legal remedy as well. But truthfully, I can’t do it on my own anymore. It’s taken a lot to get this far.
If I don’t settle, I will face four law firms, representing my union and my employer, in federal court (through appeals). I believe the outcome of this litigation could have state and national implications, but the road is long, and to be blunt about it, very costly.
If you are able, I ask you to help me make my team large enough, brave enough and well funded enough to have an equal shot at justice for myself and others. I think this is going to take a village, and I’m calling on my village now. If you can, please stand with me.
All the money donated to this fund will be used to pay for my newly hired lawyer, an experienced trial attorney, who can handle both my federal case, and if we raise enough funds, my pending cases with the State of California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) as well.
I will update this site on occasion to provide background information and news of my progress.
Thank you for reading this and doing what you can.
http://youtu.be/RWw72y_w53E
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdP0IFNuz9oj0oEXYdCqAhFIJ-L57uYel
Federal Case (Discrimination/Civil Rights)
C15-00380-SBA
California Public Employment Relations Board
1. SF-CE-1310-M
2. SF-CE-349-M
3. SF-CE-1227-M
4. SF-CE-1292-M
5. SF-CE-1309-M
6. SF-CE-1208-M
7. SF-CO-338-M
EEOC/DFEH Cases
1. DFEH No. 631976-176248/EEOC No. 37A-2014-06069-C
2. EEOC No. [phone redacted]-00723
For the past 10+ years, I have worked as a supervisor at a local public utility company without the same benefits or pay afforded to male supervisors in my division. Three years ago, during contract negotiations, I attempted, in public board meetings, to expose (to local government officials) this and other unfair labor practices that affected all union represented employees at the company. I also explained how I was denied equal rights to any process that would provide me remedy for pay and benefit inequities. Nothing changed.
For three years, I've worked on my own, (working nights and weekends) investigating labor practices, researching case law and court procedure--exhausting my vacation time, and my financial & emotional well-being, to take on two powerful players, a public agency and a union that are trying their best to silence me.
Since revealing what I believe to be evidence of discrimination and corruption to publically elected Board members and public agencies, I have been subject to retaliation, threats, and first-time negative job evaluations. With the support of my friends, many of you who are reading this, I continue to gather and present evidence to my union, employer and PERB, the regulatory body responsible for preventing collusion between employer and my union. [To those who have been there for me, thus far; I never would have been able to get this far without your emotional and financial support. Thank You.]
My hard work is starting to pay off!
After my 4th appeal at DFEH (Department of Fair Employment and Housing,) I won the right to have my union investigated in a discrimination complaint (for allegedly aiding and abetting discrimination) and will ultimately be able to include them in a civil rights and sex discrimination lawsuit against my employer in Federal Court. I finally experienced some validation and relief. [I believe too many others who have tried to fight this battle, have been denied the basic right to have their cases fully investigated and have been intimidated and/or misled about their rights to such an extent that their cases have been dismissed or they have given up pursuing it. ]
This is where I stand today:
In order to achieve an outcome that COULD set precedent in State and/or Federal Court, I want to take the hard path, maybe the crazy path, and NOT settle my federal case (i.e., accept a remedy that would benefit only myself with a new job title/classification).
Ultimately, I'd like others to have a legal precedent, set by this case, that will allow them access to a fair legal remedy as well. But truthfully, I can’t do it on my own anymore. It’s taken a lot to get this far.
If I don’t settle, I will face four law firms, representing my union and my employer, in federal court (through appeals). I believe the outcome of this litigation could have state and national implications, but the road is long, and to be blunt about it, very costly.
If you are able, I ask you to help me make my team large enough, brave enough and well funded enough to have an equal shot at justice for myself and others. I think this is going to take a village, and I’m calling on my village now. If you can, please stand with me.
All the money donated to this fund will be used to pay for my newly hired lawyer, an experienced trial attorney, who can handle both my federal case, and if we raise enough funds, my pending cases with the State of California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) as well.
I will update this site on occasion to provide background information and news of my progress.
Thank you for reading this and doing what you can.
http://youtu.be/RWw72y_w53E
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdP0IFNuz9oj0oEXYdCqAhFIJ-L57uYel
Federal Case (Discrimination/Civil Rights)
C15-00380-SBA
California Public Employment Relations Board
1. SF-CE-1310-M
2. SF-CE-349-M
3. SF-CE-1227-M
4. SF-CE-1292-M
5. SF-CE-1309-M
6. SF-CE-1208-M
7. SF-CO-338-M
EEOC/DFEH Cases
1. DFEH No. 631976-176248/EEOC No. 37A-2014-06069-C
2. EEOC No. [phone redacted]-00723
Organizer
Ivette Rivera
Organizer
Berkeley, CA