A nanny who had worked for a family for over three years was notified that the parents were replacing her with an au pair because the youngest child was about to enroll in nursery school. The employer made it clear that there would be work available at least until either the date of enrollment in school or until the au pair was hired. But by the end of the summer, the nanny became concerned that she had no assurance of continued work and the parents had not provided her with a termination date or any further information on the au pair hiring. After the au pair contacted her for information on the kids, the nanny confronted the parents/employer and demanded that they give her a final date of employment along with a reference. But when she filed for unemployment benefits, the employer contested the claim, saying that the nanny had caused the separation by demanding a termination date. But with the assistance of a CAP attorney, the nanny won her case when she was able to prove that she was involuntarily separated from her job due to the parents' personal choice of an au pair versus a nanny. The Claimant Advocacy Program (CAP) is a free legal counseling service available to individuals who file unemployment compensation appeals in the District of Columbia. Call 202-974-8150 for more info. “I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream - a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man's skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality. That is the dream...” George Escobar (center), Director of Health and Human Services for Casa de Maryland, visited the Library of Congress last week to receive seven boxes of children’s books donated by the staff of the Library of Congress. The children’s books – in English and Spanish – were donated as part of the annual community services drive sponsored by the three Library unions – AFSCME Local 2477, AFSCME Local 2910 and CREA. Casa de Maryland is a Latino immigration and advocacy group based in Maryland. Also featured in the photo is Guild Chief Steward Nan Ernst (left) and Guild President Saul Schniderman (right). |