Supervisors Bicker Over Guard Back Pay

As much as I am not a fan of L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, I have to agree with him on a matter that came up this week before the Board of Supervisors.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

When a security firm contracting with Los Angeles County went bankrupt earlier this year, hundreds of workers were not paid for their hours guarding county clinics, Sheriff's Department buildings and Fire Department facilities.

On Tuesday, Supervisor Gloria Molina urged county lawyers to find a way to pay them about $200,000 in wages she said they are due, prompting a bitter exchange among her colleagues.

International Services Inc., which placed nearly 800 guards in county facilities, filed for bankruptcy after its president and chief executive, Ousama "Sam" Karawia, 45, was charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, grand theft, making false statements and insurance fraud.

Molina's motion drew fire from Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who said the workers' grievances were with their former employer.

I work for another security company who has a contract with Los Angeles County. When International went belly-up, many of their guards were hired to handle the posts that my company took over with their company's bankruptsy. They continued to work although they weren't being paid, otherwise, they'd lose their County clearances. Those guards worked unpaid from one to two months while with International.

Why am I not a fan of Yaroslavsky?

Yaroslavsky raised my ire several years ago when he introduced a ridiculous county ordinance that banned gun shows on county property. The Great Western Gun Show, a longtime staple in L.A. County, was forced to leave the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds (Fairplex) due to this. They had been a regular show there for years and the L.A. County Sheriff and L.A.P.D. had recruiting booths at the gun show. Apparently, the police had no qualms about the show. But Yaroslavsky and his liberal majority on the Board voted otherwise, despite a good fight that we supporters of the Great Western Gun Show put on with Supervisors Antonovich and Knabe.

In this case, Yaroslavsky is correct. The guards formerly with International has, as their first source of remedy, their employer (via the U.S. Bankruptsy Court). The County contracted with International and paid them for their services. International failed to pay its employees, not the County (i.e., taxpayers). The County should not have to pay twice. While Molina's heart is in the right place, she is wrong in this.