Page aio
'ri"j.Iurtlnnii © bseruer______________________
Company Retaliated
continued
fro m fr o n t
b e c a u s e o f G o n z a le s 's and
L ew is’s com plaints and "for no
other reason”
T he court also knocked down
a cornerstone o f V ideo O n ly 's
defense, finding as a matter o f law
that V ideo O nly failed to exercise
reasonable care to prom ptly cor
rect the harassm ent. All this al
leged conduct violates T itle VII
o f the Civil Rights A ct o f 1964.
G onzales and Lewis will be
aw arded $500,000 o f the total
$630,000 settlement. The rem ain
ing $130,000 resolved a related
suit alleging retaliation against
Travis Herron and DaveGuralnick,
tw oother Jantzen B eachem ploy-
ees w ho spoke out on behalf o f
G onzales and Lewis.
In addition to the m onetary
settlem ent, V ideo O nly agreed to
im plem ent anti- discrim ination
policies and procedures in its work
force.
The com pany will provide anti-
discrimination training to al I m an
agem ent and non-m anagem ent
em ployees in O regon and at its
h eadquarters store in Seattle-
Southcenter.
The com pany will also provide
periodic reports to EEO C on its
com pliance with the term s o f the
co nsent decree. T he O regon
court will have jurisdiction to
enforce the E E O C 's settlem ent
for the next three years.
“O ur investigation discovered
harassm ent that engaged in the
w o rst ste re o ty p e s an d slu rs
about Blacks, Latinos and Jews,
and that upper m anagem ent ac
tively participated in this behav
ior” said E EO C A cting District
Director M ike Baldonado. "This
isa major victory for Mr. Gonzales
and Mr. Lew is, the em ployees
who testified on their behalf and
future em ployees at V ideo Only.
"The settlem ent should send
a strong m essage that harass
ment based on race, national
origin and religion has no place
in the w orkplace, and that those
who speak out against discrim i
nation are protected by law from
retaliation” B aldonado said.
EEOC Regional Attorney W il
liam T am ayo added, "The kind
o f heavy-handed intim idation
V ideo O nly em ployed led us to
seek a pre-trial ruling. T hecourt's
June 11 finding affirm s E E O C ’s
position that retaliation designed
to frighten em ployees from re
porting or testifying about dis
crim ination violates the law.
T hese em ployees should be rec
ognized fortheircourage in step
ping forw ard,”
V ideo O nly, Inc. sells hom e
entertainm ent video and audio
equipm ent. T he corporation has
18 stores located in W ashing
ton, C alifornia, and O regon and
has its headquarters in Seattle.
The EEOC enforces federal
laws prohibiting discrim ination
in em ploym ent.
An account was opened today by Johnnie
B. Williams as a donation account to help
with the funeral costs for his grandson
Johnnie J. Williams. Reference the Dona
tion Account for Johnnie J Williamsat any
branch of US Bank.
Dentures
Worth Smiling
About!
• Professional Services • Affordable Prices
• Payment Plans: O A C
• Over 20 years experience
• Full & Partial Dentures • Natural Appearance
• Full Service Lab • Accepting Oregon Health Plan
Melanie Block, L.D. D enturist
503-230-0207
We 've Moved!
200 N.E. 20th Ave., Ste 100
Portland, OR 97232
Free parking
f
i
Jobless Climbs to 4 Year High
Dashing hopes for young people
(A P )~ T h e nation's unem ploy
ment rale clim bed to a four-year
high o f 5.7 percent last m onth as
em ployers cut 5 1 .(XX) jobs, d ash
ing the hopes o f an influx of
young people looking for sum
mer work.
Payroll cuts w eren't as deep as
the 72.000 predicted by eco n o
mists, however. And, jo b losses
for both M ay and June w ere
sm allerthan previously reported.
July's reductions marked the
seventh straight month where em
p lo y ers elim in a te d jo b s. T he
economy has lost a total o f463,000
jo b s so far this year.
The latest snapshot, released
by the Labor D epartm ent on Fri
day. show ed a lack o f credit has
stunted em p lo y ers' ex p an sio n
plans and w illingness to hire.
Fallout from the housing slum p
and high energy prices also are
w eighing on em ployers.
The increase in the unem ploy
m ent rate to 5.7 percent, from 5.5
percent in June, in part cam e as
many young people stream ed into
the labor m arket looking for sum
mer jobs. This year, few er o f them
w ere able to find work, the gov
ernm ent said. The unem ploym ent
rate for teenagers jum p ed to 20.3
percent, the highest since late
1992.
The econom y is the top con-
cem of voters and will figure promi
nently in their choices for presi
dent and other elected officials
com e November. T he faltering
labor market is a source o f anxiety
the housing, credit and financial
d e b a c le s. M a n u fa c tu re rs cu t
35,000 positions, construction
com panies got rid o f 22,000 and
retailers shed 17,000 jobs. T em
porary help firms — also viewed
as a barom eter o f dem and for fu
Ervin “ B enny” W ilson, a lov
ing husband, son, father, and
friend departed this earth on July
29 ,2 0 0 8 , at the age o f 65.
He was bom to M yrtle and
Ervin W ilson on M arch 12,1943,
in Lubbock, Texas. At a young
age, Benny and his fam ily m oved
to Eugene. There he attended
South Eugene High School. As a
boy, Benny discovered his gift
for music and honed his craft by
playing instruments in the church,
where his father was the pastor.
Following high school, he moved
to the Portland area to pursue his
career in music.
Music was B enny's passion.
His m astery o f the piano, the
Hammond B3 Organ, and the key-
the econom y lost 9 8,000jobs, ac
cording to revised figures. That
w asn't as bad as the 124,000 re
ductions previously reported.
M ore jo b cuts are expected in
com ing months. T here’s growing
concern that many people will
A jobseeker rests during a July 27 employment test at a job training facility in Menlo Park,
Calif. (AP photo)
not only for those looking for
work but also for those worried
about keeping their jo b s during
uncertain times.
Job losses in July w ere the
heaviest in industries hard hit by
ture hiring — elim inated 29,000
jobs. T hose losses sw am ped job
gains elsew here, including in the
g o v e r n m e n t, e d u c a tio n an d
health care.
In May and June com bined.
Music was His Passion
Seeking Donations
August 6 .200g
boards was enjoyed by all.
W ith a m usic ca reer that
sp a n n e d fro m P o rtla n d an d
th ro u g h o u t th e II.S ., B en n y
worked with the M em phis-based
Stax Records and artists such as
Rufus Thom as, M illie Jackson,
Nancy W ilson, Candi Staton, and
Jim Pepper. He can be heard on
Ervin “Benny" Wilson
the recordi ng of die Mel and Ti m ’ s
1970s hit “C aught You with Your
B ackfield in M otion.”
A s ig n if ic a n t a m o u n t o f
B enny’s career was spent in ven
ues around Portland w here he
w orked with the likes o f Mel
Brown, Shirley Nannette, Norman
Sylvester, and the late D ew ey
Taylor. Benny also enjoyed the
success o f a solo recording “ Im
prom ptu”, see cdbaby.com /cd/
bennyw ilson.
Besides the w ork he loved so
much, B e n n ^ n jo y e d movies and
television, reading the new spa
per and books, traveling to the
coast and going on road trips,
and last but not least, Benny
loved his family and pets.
disability services. He is
attending school fulltim e
and is doing well in that
setting and with his aca
demics.
Terry is a very happy go lucky 12
The fam ily w ho adopts
year old boy with a great sense of
Terry
will need to be lov
humor. He is o f an average height and
ing,
energetic,
and able to
w eight for his age with light brown
p
rovide
him
w
ith som e
eyes, light brown hair and with a
s
tr
u
c
tu
r
e
a
n
d
ro u tin e .
m edium fair skin tone. He enjoys be Terry
Terry
may
need
to
be in
ing outside, cam ping, playing sports,
volved
in
counseling
and
other
com
m
unity
and studying m arine anim als.
resources
w
hich
may
beneficial
in
assisting
Terry has been diagnosed as autistic
him to cope with the changes in his life.
and mild mental retardation and is receiving
Disabled Child
Awaits Adoption
pull back on their spending later
this year when the bracing effect
o f the tax rebates fades, dealing a
dangerous blow to the fragile
econom y. These w orries are fan
ning recession fears.
Benny had an ability to warm
your heart, brighten your day,
and inject goodness into the lives
o f people he met. There was never
a stranger that he co uldn’t have a
conversation with. He will be
greatly missed.
B enny leav es to treasu re his
m em ory: w ife, T erry; his d au g h
ter, S h annon G ran t; sons, S co tt
W i ls o n - C a r r a n d K e n n e th
P o w ell-W ilso n ; step -d au g h ter,
Jodi W illiam s; step -so n s. Bill
C arr, Jr., and C raig C arr; and 7
g r a n d c h ild re n ,
A s h le y ,
M adelyn, Jacob, C alvin, Em m a,
D o m in iq u e and D o n o v an ; p a r
en ts, Rev. E rv in and M y rtle
W ilso n ; and a h o st o f relativ es,
fam ily an d frien d s.
Terry has the ability to develop healthy
relationships with children o f all ages, but
he may be a better fit in a family who has only
older children.
T his child is one o f approxim ately 300
O regon children available for adoption
through the state, generally because o f
abuse and neglect.
For m ore inform ation on the availability
o f this child or on how to becom e a foster or
adoptive parent, contact the Special Needs
A doption C oalition at 503-542-2392 or the
D epartm ent o f H um an Services at 1 -800-
331-0503.
New Prices Effective May 1,2007
Financial Forum___ _________
Martin Cleaning Service
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
Residential & Commercial Services
Minimum Service CHG.
How Would You Handle a Layoff Or Early Retirement?
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Pre-Spray Traffic Areas
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1 Cleaning Area fon/y)
$40.(X)
(Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area • Hallway Extra)
Stairs (12-16 stairs)
$25.00
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Heavily Soiled Area:
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ADDITIONAL SERVICES
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AutoZBoat/RV Cleaning
Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment
Spot & Stain Removal Service
Scotchguard Protection
CP HOLS TER Y CEEA NINO
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Sofa
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Loveseat
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Sectional
$35 - $49
Chair or Recliner
$5.00
Throw Pillows
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i
by
R ick L. L ee
Difficult econom ic tim es have
led to layoffs, early retirem ents
and m ore em ployees w ho m ust
decide what todo with their retire
ment plan assets when they leave
their com pany. W hat’s more, re
cent tax-law changes m ake the
d ecision-m aking process even
more com plex by providing more
options than ever before.
Em ployees leaving their jobs
generally have four options with
their retirem ent plan assets: I )
receive them in a lum p sum ; 2)
leave them in the former employer's
plan; 3) m ove them into a new
em p lo y er's plan; or 4) roll them
over into an Individual R etire
ment A ccount (IRA).
A lum p-sum distribution likely
will be the m ost costly option
because the w ithdraw al will be
subject to incom e taxes and pos
sible IRS penalties. And keep in
mind your em ployer will be re
quired to w ithhold 20 percent of
the distribution and send it to the
IRS as a prepaym ent o f the taxes
that will be due. W hile some spe
cial strategies may apply if you
choose to receive a lump-sum
distribution, these are typically
used in cases o f retirem ent, not
m id-career jo b changes.
If you are tem pted to spend
J
your retirem ent plan sim ply be
cause it is not a lot o f money,
leaving it with your form er em
p lo y er can keep those assets
locked aw ay for the future. H ow
ever, you will continue to be lim
ited by the em ployer’s invest
ment alternatives when you leave
assets in that plan, w hich may
limit your flexibility todevelop an
e ffe c tiv e retire m e n t-p la n n in g
If Beginning
variety o f investm ents and can
take greater control o f your in
com e options. You will have ac
cess to the m oney in your IRA
w hen you need it. In addition,
IRA w ithdraw als before age 59*/j
can be structured in a way that the
distributions are not subject to
the 10 percent IRS early w ith
draw al penalty.
A rollover IRA also provides
opportunities for other planning
strategies, such as converting to
a Roth IRA if you qualify. Roth
IRAs potentially provide tax-free
accum ulation o f earnings on your
retirem ent savings and m inimum
distributions are not required at
age 70'/ j , as they are with tradi
tional IRAs.
If you th in k you may find
y o u rself in on e o f these situ a
tions, it m ay not be a bad idea to
different types o f retirem ent plans d iscu ss y o u r o p tio n s w ith y o u r
as long as you have w illing em fin an cial ad v iso r, before you
find y o u rself in a position w here
ployers on both sides.
If yo u 're looking for maximum you m ust take actio n on how to
flexibility with your retirem ent- handle your retirem ent-plan d is
plan assets, a rollover IRA can trib u tio n .
Rick L. Lee is a financial advi
provide the sam e tax-deferred
advantages as leaving those as sor and chartered retirement
sets w ith you rfo rm er em ployer’s planning counselor, 530 Center
plan or moving them to a new Street, NE, Suite 730, Salem, OR
em p lo y er's plan. The benefit o f 97301. Phone: 503-581-5353 or
E m ail:
rolling the assets into an IRA is 8 0 0 -5 5 3 -1 0 2 3 .
rickey.
lee
<
6
>
wachoviasec.com.
that you gain access to a wider
your retirem ent savings to the
plan o f a new em ployer. In the
past, m oving retirem ent plan as
sets to a new em ployer was not
alw ays easy to accom plish b e
cause direct transfers were only
perm itted between like plans, for
example, 401 (k) to 4 0 1 (k). But be
ginning this year, these barriers
will beelim inated and you m aybe
perm itted to m ove assets between
this year, these barriers
will be eliminated and you may be
permitted to move assets between
different types o f retirement plans as
long as you have willing employers
on both sides.
2
strategy.
Y our form er em p lo y er’s plan
also w ill co n tro l w hen and how
you access y o u r retirem en t sa v
ings in the future. T h is may
m ean that d istrib u tio n s becom e
available at som e predeterm ined
age, such as 62 o r 6 5, and that
th o se d istrib u tio n s co u ld p o s
sibly be av ailab le o nly in lim
ited am o u n ts o v er a sp ecified
n u m b er o f years.
A nother alternative is to move