ISSUES, CAMPAIGNS & POLITICAL ACTION
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Above: SFV/NELA NOW demonstrates against racism,
protesting neo-Nazi meeting at Pasadena library.
protesting neo-Nazi meeting at Pasadena library.
Integrating the Los
Angeles Fire Dept
SFV/NELA NOW has been
monitoring the dismal
record of the City of Los
Angeles in eliminating job
discrimination. In fact, we
charge that a civil service
job classification change
made things even worse
than they had been for
women in the Los Angeles
Fire Department.
In 1992 the San Fernando
Valley/Northeast Los Angeles
Chapter (SFV/NELA NOW) of the
National Organization for Women
fought against the proposed
civil service re-classification
which eliminated the separate
category of paramedics and
merged it in with fire fighters,
having the additional effect of
eliminating the bargaining unit of
the paramedic’s union, the
United Paramedics of Los
Angeles. While a tiny
percentage of firefighters were
women, at the time,
approximately 10% of the UPLA
paramedics were female and
the union had one female vice-
president. The union was
attentive to women’s issues and
fought for their members who
were confronted with sexism
and sexual harassment.
When the city council
considered the proposed civil
service re-classification, our
representative predicted that it
would stymie the recruitment
and hiring of women by the Fire
Department and retard their
growth as a percentage of the
fire department’s work force.
Although the fire department
brass claimed publicly that the
reason they were seeking the re-
classification was to enhance
promotion opportunities for
women, three representatives of
the department admitted
privately that the underlying
reason was that the department
brass considered the United
Paramedics of Los Angeles to
be a “pain in the ass” and the
whole thing was a subterfuge to
eradicate the upstart union.
Moreover, the department went
so far as to provide us with a
list of fourteen (14) purported
females that had left the
department because of the lack
of promotional opportunities.
The first rule of prevarication is
to refrain from lying when the
truth is easily ascertainable.
The fire department list was
padded with the names of males
who had first names that could
be either feminine or
masculine. Additionally, a
number of the people on the list
had left the department after
suing for discrimination and
sexual harassment, factors that
had nothing to do with the
purported lack of promotional
opportunities.
The fire department went so far
as to claim that it took “pride in
the fact that the Los Angeles
Fire Department has actively
recruited, hired and retained a
significant number of female
Firefighters and Paramedics.”
Uniformed personnel of the
LAFD in 1991 consisted of 1,411
firefighters and 395 paramedics,
for a total of 1,806. Of these,
there were 38 female firefighters
and 46 female paramedics,
totaling 84 women. As of 2003,
there were 3,398 uniformed
members of the department.
Eighty-Nine (89) of them were
female. So while the number of
males in the department
increased by 1,419 males,
females increased in number by
five!
So much for the city’s claims of
fairness and equal
opportunity……
Angeles Fire Dept
SFV/NELA NOW has been
monitoring the dismal
record of the City of Los
Angeles in eliminating job
discrimination. In fact, we
charge that a civil service
job classification change
made things even worse
than they had been for
women in the Los Angeles
Fire Department.
In 1992 the San Fernando
Valley/Northeast Los Angeles
Chapter (SFV/NELA NOW) of the
National Organization for Women
fought against the proposed
civil service re-classification
which eliminated the separate
category of paramedics and
merged it in with fire fighters,
having the additional effect of
eliminating the bargaining unit of
the paramedic’s union, the
United Paramedics of Los
Angeles. While a tiny
percentage of firefighters were
women, at the time,
approximately 10% of the UPLA
paramedics were female and
the union had one female vice-
president. The union was
attentive to women’s issues and
fought for their members who
were confronted with sexism
and sexual harassment.
When the city council
considered the proposed civil
service re-classification, our
representative predicted that it
would stymie the recruitment
and hiring of women by the Fire
Department and retard their
growth as a percentage of the
fire department’s work force.
Although the fire department
brass claimed publicly that the
reason they were seeking the re-
classification was to enhance
promotion opportunities for
women, three representatives of
the department admitted
privately that the underlying
reason was that the department
brass considered the United
Paramedics of Los Angeles to
be a “pain in the ass” and the
whole thing was a subterfuge to
eradicate the upstart union.
Moreover, the department went
so far as to provide us with a
list of fourteen (14) purported
females that had left the
department because of the lack
of promotional opportunities.
The first rule of prevarication is
to refrain from lying when the
truth is easily ascertainable.
The fire department list was
padded with the names of males
who had first names that could
be either feminine or
masculine. Additionally, a
number of the people on the list
had left the department after
suing for discrimination and
sexual harassment, factors that
had nothing to do with the
purported lack of promotional
opportunities.
The fire department went so far
as to claim that it took “pride in
the fact that the Los Angeles
Fire Department has actively
recruited, hired and retained a
significant number of female
Firefighters and Paramedics.”
Uniformed personnel of the
LAFD in 1991 consisted of 1,411
firefighters and 395 paramedics,
for a total of 1,806. Of these,
there were 38 female firefighters
and 46 female paramedics,
totaling 84 women. As of 2003,
there were 3,398 uniformed
members of the department.
Eighty-Nine (89) of them were
female. So while the number of
males in the department
increased by 1,419 males,
females increased in number by
five!
So much for the city’s claims of
fairness and equal
opportunity……
Combatting Racism
the fight against racism as well as sexism.
We are constantly vigilant and active in
fighting discrimination and harassment.
During the 2003-2004 legislative sessions,
SFV/NELA NOW sponsored Assembly Bill
(AB) 1617, introduced by Assembly Member
Cindy Montanez (D-39th District) which
would have radically reformed the standards
expected of employers for investigating and
SFV/NELA NOW prides itself as a leader in
remedying discrimination and harassment in
the workplace. Intense employer SFV/NELA
NOW prides itself as a leader in organization
opposition prevented the bill's passage, but it
was supported by groups as diverse as the
California Association of Licensed
Investigators (CALI), Alameda Corridor Jobs
Coalition (ACJC), California League of United
Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the
National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Fighting Rape and Domestic Violence
SFV/NELA NOW activists, led by Tricia Roth,
succeeded in getting legislation introduced
by then-Assembly Member Scott Wildman
and passed into law, prohibiting the use of a
woman's attire from being used as evidence
of consent during a sexual assault trial.
SFV/NELA NOW works regularly with
domestic violence shelters and is a sponsor
of "The Clothesline Project," an artistic
expression of T-Shirts painted with stories
ranging from murder to incest to rape by
survivors and the relatives of murdered
women.
Family Law Task Force
SFV/NELA NOW members are organizing a
task force to deal with rampant sexism and
discrimination in the Los Angeles family law
courts. In the past, SFV/NELA NOW has
called demonstrations to expose the legal
abuse of women and children at the hands of
sexist judges under the slogan, "child
support delayed is justice denied."
SFV/NELA NOW is currently seeking a
legislative sponsor for an amendment to the
Family Code to criminalize aiding and
abetting of child support non-payment by the
families and friends of "dead beat dads," and
to provide a civil cause of action against
those that assist non-custodial parents to
avoid paying support--the leading cause of
child poverty in America.
The Valley's Voice for Choice
SFV/NELA NOW has put its lives on the line
for women's right to choose whether or not
to terminate a pregnancy, for the right to have
children, and all other aspects of
reproductive freedom.
When Operation Rescue blockaded clinics
throughout Southern California, our
members were in the forefront of physically
keeping women's clinics open and
demanding that the police enforce access
laws. SFV/NELA NOW picketed hospitals
being taken over by anti-choice owners to
insure that women had access to birth
control and artificial insemination.
the fight against racism as well as sexism.
We are constantly vigilant and active in
fighting discrimination and harassment.
During the 2003-2004 legislative sessions,
SFV/NELA NOW sponsored Assembly Bill
(AB) 1617, introduced by Assembly Member
Cindy Montanez (D-39th District) which
would have radically reformed the standards
expected of employers for investigating and
SFV/NELA NOW prides itself as a leader in
remedying discrimination and harassment in
the workplace. Intense employer SFV/NELA
NOW prides itself as a leader in organization
opposition prevented the bill's passage, but it
was supported by groups as diverse as the
California Association of Licensed
Investigators (CALI), Alameda Corridor Jobs
Coalition (ACJC), California League of United
Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and the
National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Fighting Rape and Domestic Violence
SFV/NELA NOW activists, led by Tricia Roth,
succeeded in getting legislation introduced
by then-Assembly Member Scott Wildman
and passed into law, prohibiting the use of a
woman's attire from being used as evidence
of consent during a sexual assault trial.
SFV/NELA NOW works regularly with
domestic violence shelters and is a sponsor
of "The Clothesline Project," an artistic
expression of T-Shirts painted with stories
ranging from murder to incest to rape by
survivors and the relatives of murdered
women.
Family Law Task Force
SFV/NELA NOW members are organizing a
task force to deal with rampant sexism and
discrimination in the Los Angeles family law
courts. In the past, SFV/NELA NOW has
called demonstrations to expose the legal
abuse of women and children at the hands of
sexist judges under the slogan, "child
support delayed is justice denied."
SFV/NELA NOW is currently seeking a
legislative sponsor for an amendment to the
Family Code to criminalize aiding and
abetting of child support non-payment by the
families and friends of "dead beat dads," and
to provide a civil cause of action against
those that assist non-custodial parents to
avoid paying support--the leading cause of
child poverty in America.
The Valley's Voice for Choice
SFV/NELA NOW has put its lives on the line
for women's right to choose whether or not
to terminate a pregnancy, for the right to have
children, and all other aspects of
reproductive freedom.
When Operation Rescue blockaded clinics
throughout Southern California, our
members were in the forefront of physically
keeping women's clinics open and
demanding that the police enforce access
laws. SFV/NELA NOW picketed hospitals
being taken over by anti-choice owners to
insure that women had access to birth
control and artificial insemination.
| SFV/NELA NOW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE ID#990464 SFV/NELA NOW's Political Action Committee is un-bought and un-bossed. We are proud of our record of political initiative and independence. We make endorsements regardless of political party and based upon the candidates' qualifications and responses to our detailed questionnaires. Additionally, unlike many endorsing organizations, we have a strict conflict of interest policy regarding who can participate in the decision making process (for instance, no significant others of candidates or elected officials and no employees or independent contractors of elected officials or candidates can participate in decisions affecting those they have ties to). If you would like our endorsement for the 2009 election cycle, you can download our Questionnaire below as a Microsoft Word Document. Background materials are below in PDF format. IMPORTANT NOTE: Saturday 1/24 interview schedule was wrong in invite; correct times are 2pm - 6 pm 2009 PAC Questionnaire Source Materials: Model Ordinance for Civilian Oversight of Police Misconduct Proposed Amendment to S. 1105 Labor Code Proposed Amendment to Family Code Proposals re Workplace Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation |
SFV/NELA NOW Board Member Sharon Clanton
will present a paper on the serial killings of
women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, during the
"Beijing + 10" United Nations Status of Women
Conference in NY. Click below to see her case
study:
will present a paper on the serial killings of
women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, during the
"Beijing + 10" United Nations Status of Women
Conference in NY. Click below to see her case
study:
| On November 19, 1984, ROBERT LEO ST. GEORGE’s ex-wife filed a Declaration in Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. D 121521, alleging that during a telephone call he said: It’s up to you, you --. I’m going to see that you get what’s coming to you. You better keep looking over your shoulder because when I see you alone I’ll get you on the ground and will put my hands around your neck...when you cry out your last breath I’ll finish you off and then spit on you. Robert St. George was convicted of disorderly conduct in violation of Section 647(a) p.c. on 3/26/91, battery in violation of Section 242 p.c. on 6/3/91. Later, after first being charged with the attempted murder of Actor Jameson Parker he was convicted of violation of Section 245(A)(2), Assault with a firearm on a person and was sent to state prison. After he was paroled he was sent back for violation of the terms of his parole, specifically that he refrain from contacting his ex-girlfriend in 1999. At that time, she had accused him of trying to run her off the road with his car, but the District Attorney’s Office refused to file charges, so all State Parole could give him was a couple of months back in prison. Representatives of SFV/NELA NOW met with Assistant District Attorney Bill Hodgman and provided him with a copy of the 1984 restraining order and other documents trying to convince the District Attorney’s office that St. George had a long history of violence and needed to be taken off the streets. But later, District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a letter to NOW that one of his investigators went to the courthouse and couldn’t verify the existence of the restraining order that was probably still sitting on Bill Hodgman’s desk. With competence like that, it is no wonder that the District Attorney’s office agreed in 2003 to strike Robert St. George’s prior conviction so that instead of using sentence enhancements and the Three Strikes law to double a state prison sentence, he got probation for molesting two (2) developmentally disabled young girls! Today he lives about a tenth of a mile from Hermosa View Elementary School. Charges of telephonic death threats have now been filed against St. George with the Los Angeles Police Department by the woman that he was accused of harassing in 1999. Maybe this time, the District Attorney will use the Three Strikes law the way it was supposed to be used, but we’re not holding our breath. |
| Join Our Campaign to get a Convicted Child Molester and Violent criminal who has harassed women off the street! |
| Women Friendly Workplace Campaign |
| FIGHTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT & DISCRIMINATION @ UC On April 25, 2006, "Nazy" Salem filed a grievance with her union alleging that she had been discriminated against and sexually harassed by her supervisor at UCLA Medical Center. UCLA claims it investigated and that Nazy didn't cooperate. Since when is it an investigation when a company lets the person accused of sexual harassment investigate his own complaint? That's exactly what happened: the supervisor complained about stated in a response to the Step One grievance that Nazy hadn't provided the names of the witnesses or the details to him so he was denying the grievance! That's what UCLA calls an investigation and Nazy's failure to give the names of witnesses and the details to the alleged perpetrator constitutes the non-compliance! It gets WORSE. Turns out, the UC Regents' policy on sexual harassment does not make an investigation of sexual harassment mandatory, even if the victim demands one. SFV/NELA NOW's hat is off to Assembly Member Anthony Portantino, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education who sent a letter to UC demanding a response to our allegations and comment on our proposals for reform. One reason the UC Regents take such a lackadaisical approach to sexual harassment investigation is precisely because it would prevent litigation, and that would take money away from Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard, Smith, the lawyers who defend UC. Coincidentally, LBBS has contributed $24,450.00 to the political campaigns of just one of the UC Board of Regents alone over the years. For more info, email info@sfvnow.org. |
| CANDIDATES NOTE: PAC QUESTIONAIRE AT BOTTOM OF PAGE - AVAILABLE IN "WORD" |