Workers Can Resist County Pitch for Charities

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered the county Monday to make clear to its 70,000 employees that they will not be punished for failing to contribute to county-backed charities. Judge Abby Soven ruled that county employees can continue soliciting donations to the United Way and the Brotherhood Crusade from their fellow workers during work time, but that alleged “high-pressured tactics” must cease, attorneys said.

The ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed last month against the county by a group of employees who said they were being harassed into contributing to the two county-backed charities, which serve as umbrella organizations to distribute donations to the needy.

The suit contends the county uses numerous tactics to get workers to contribute to the charities and even evaluates employees’ promotability based on their contributions.

The disgruntled employees had asked the judge to ban all solicitations during work time until the suit can be settled.

In a hearing held in the judge’s chambers Monday, Soven refused a total ban on the practice now, but scheduled another hearing Nov. 2 to decide the issue.

County employees in 1988 contributed more than $2.6 million to the charities, said Richard Townsend, an attorney for the county. He disputed allegations that worker harassment was involved in exacting the donations.