October 26, 2018
By Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson
In Smith v. Town of Bridgewater, a Federal District Court in Massachusetts dismissed the claim of a Special Police Officer, employed on a one-year contract, that his due process rights had been violated. The court found that the Officer only had a reasonable expectation of employment for the term of his contract. The Town decided not to re-hire him outside of that contract, and therefore that decision did not violate the Officer’s due process right to a termination hearing.
Filed Under: Free Speech Rights
October 26, 2018
By Loyd Willaford and Clive Pontusson
In Finley v. City of Colby, Police Officer Lance Finley claimed that the Chief of Police and the County Sheriff acted together to get him fired after he reported that a Sheriff’s Deputy was a threat to public safety. The Court dismissed the officer’s claim of tortious interference by the County Sheriff and dismissed the claim that he was retaliated against for statements his brother (an employee of the Sheriff’s Office) had made. But the court allowed the Officer’s claim that he was fired for speaking out on an issue of public safety to continue.
Filed Under: Constitutional Rights, Free Speech Rights
January 23, 2018
By Jim Cline
This article is the 57th and Final in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the last few months we’ve published, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We covered topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Disability, Legal Protections
December 26, 2017
By Jim Cline
This article is the 56th in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the last few months and continuing for the next few weeks, we’re publishing, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We’ll cover topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Legal Protections
October 18, 2017
By Jim Cline
This article is the 55th in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the last few months and continuing for the next few weeks, we’re publishing, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We’ll cover topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Disability, Legal Protections, Workers Compensation
October 11, 2017
By Jim Cline
This article is the 54th in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the last few months and continuing for the next few weeks, we’re publishing, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We’ll cover topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Disability, Legal Protections
October 5, 2017
By Jim Cline
This article is the 53rd in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the several weeks and continuing for the next several weeks, we’ll be publishing, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We’ll cover topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Disability
October 5, 2017
By Christopher Casillas and Sarah Derry
In Lincoln County, PERC Unfair Labor Practice Manager Jessica Bradley dismissed a complaint, brought by Teamsters Local 690 on behalf of two unions, which challenged the County’s new open meetings rule. The policy applies Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act to collective bargaining negotiations between the County and public sector unions.
Filed Under: Bad Faith Bargaining, Duty to Bargain
September 14, 2017
By Jim Cline
This article is the 52nd in a multiple part series covering the rights your injured and disabled members have and how you, as a union or guild representative, can best assist them. Over the several weeks and continuing for the next several weeks, we’ll be publishing, in various segments, information on how state and federal laws protect your members who are hurt or otherwise unable to work. We’ll cover topics including disability discrimination law, the FMLA, job protection rights under the CBA, workers compensation, disability benefits, and the right to bring a civil lawsuit.
Filed Under: Disability, Workers Compensation
September 14, 2017
By Christopher Casillas and Sarah Derry
In Vashon Island Fire and Rescue, PERC Examiner Karyl Elinski found that the employer’s decision to end its participation in a program that kept injured workers on salary (“Kept on Salary”) rather than using workers’ compensation was not an unfair labor practice. The employer had adopted the program for only seven weeks before deciding to terminate the program.
