Posted on 09/18/2014 6:57:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Rebecca Parr reports in the San Jose Mercury-News:
A small-time vintner's use of volunteer workers has put him out of business after the state squeezed him like a late-summer grape for $115,000 in fines -- and sent a chill through the wine industry.
The volunteers, some of them learning to make wine while helping out, were illegally unpaid laborers, and Westover Winery should have been paying them and paying worker taxes, the state Department of Industrial Relations said.
"I didn't know it was illegal to use volunteers at a winery; it's a common practice," said winery owner Bill Smyth.
State law prohibits for-profit businesses from using volunteers.
At small wineries, the practice of inviting friends and family to help out is virtually universal, as it is a lot of fun, and at harvest time, there is about ten times as much work as usual.
The state’s excuse for ending this party and closing a productive business is pathetic:
Westover was cited for not paying minimum wage, not providing wage statements and not paying workers' compensation insurance, said Peter Melton, a spokesman for California.
"These are not idle things. People should be paid for their labor. The workers' compensation violations are very serious. What happens if someone has a catastrophic injury at the winery?" he asked.
And, he added, "It isn't fair to wineries that are paying their employees
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
“Al Capone” was on TCM last evening. His comment: we are going into the protection /insurance business, pay us or else.
Pretty soon the fed and state governments are going to run out of other peoples money and then the SHTF.
Amish barn raisings.
Notice no Amish barns in CA.
Yeah,......and a few years ago the CA State Board of “Equalization” under Migden was likened to the Gestapo.
Using that logic then the State should pay tax payers!
Does anyone know if this internship is a paid position?
http://gov.ca.gov/s_internshipapplication.php
Did ACORN or does it’s new incarnation pay it’s volunteers?
“CA State Board of “Equalization”
Now thats scary right there.
That’s a fine model for generating business.
islamists in the legislature!
I only hope it was”Stretch”Pelosi’s or Barbara”Shorty”Boxer’s?????????????????
Thanks for your excellent response.
California probably has more conservative Republicans than most red states.
However, due to the decades of liberals gaining control due to LA, Gay Frisco, San Jose, Sacramento, etc., outsiders forget about us.
The proposed state of Jefferson is probably about 75% conservative.
It was a quote from another blogsite. As for being "high and mighty" as you write, I don't care one way or other about Calif. I see what's written about that state and feel for the people living there with Jerry Brown as their gov.
And, he added, “It isn’t fair to wineries that are paying their employees
And heaven above know that it’s the states job to promote fairness even to the point of destroying a business.
If this is the law then the state of Californiowes billions in back wages from the forced slave labor of people sentenced to pick up trash on the highway.
Children who pull the wings off butterflies grow up to be government bureaucrats like these regulators. With government force backing them, they can destroy much bigger things just for the joy of causing harm. Big government liberals disgust me.
Bears repeating...State of California is like the Mafia: they want a cut of everything that goes on in its turf. And like the Mafia, it will destroy those who refuse to give them a cut.
California tax law is simple.
1.What did you earn last year
2.send it to us plus 10%
When we lived in California — we left to get away from craziness like thie — we belonged to Westover’s wine club. You couldn’t find a friendlier, more comfortable atmosphere to sample wine, or nicer people than the Smyths. And, it seemed to me that none of the volunteers were being taken advantage of; in fact, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Sounds like a union was worried about it’s clout...
Actually, yes I can. Depending on the division, I’d think four would be pretty good and two, awful.
One with SF, LA, and most of the coast; the other with San Diego as its port, San Joaquin Valley, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento... Roughly an east/west split. Perfect...
“What is a INTERN?”
Thank you very much says Alex...next question...
LOL...too Kalifornia funny...
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