Comments on: Heroic Detroit Paper Portrayals of ACORN Ignored Its Sordid History

By: Phil

Phil — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:21:33 +0000

Some, or maybe all, of the “other complaints filed with the Department of Labor” (Columbus Office), against Ohio ACORN, have been filed with the Wage and Hour Division, regarding overtime, minimum wage, meal time, break time, payroll record-keeping and employee classification issues.

The government investigator, from the Columbus office, is currently researching the national ACORN organization for past results of employee complaints as well as to determine jurisdiction.

The most intriging aspect of this complaint relates to an ACORN subsidiary named Citizen’s Services Inc (CSI) that was contracted to do GOTV work for the Obama for President Campaign prior to the recent Ohio primary. The Obama Campaign contracted ACORN/CSI to oversee thousands of GOTV door-to-door canvassers across Ohio (and other states).

Most, if not all, of the Ohio canvassers worked more than 40 hours over a seven straight day period. There were over 250 canvassers hired in Columbus alone, let alone all the other cities and towns across Ohio. Some canvassers reported working 20+ overtime hours which ACORN refused to pay the required time and a half rate. Numerous other canvassers reported not being paid time and a half for 10+ overtime hours while working for ACORN-CSI.

As you can see from the following 2/21/08 Ohio Daily Blog announcement, Ohio ACORN Political Director Mari Irwin Engelhardt was in-charge of the Obama Ohio Primary GOTV hiring

http://www.ohiodailyblog.com/content/ohio-acorn-hiring-canvassers-help-obama

Mari Irwin Engelhardt works out of Cleveland. A simple internet search will show you that she has been deeply involved with Dennis Kucinich campaigns in the past.

Mari Irwin Engelhardt’s contact information.
(216) 374-1744
polnatoh@acorn.org

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:24:03 +0000

#1, thanks for the info. You have to work pretty hard to get OSHA violations in an office environment.

I’ll repeat your web URL here:

http://www.rottenacorn.com/

I also blogrolled you, for what that’s worth. Good luck in your work. It’s surely needed.

By: RottenACORN.com

RottenACORN.com — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:45:09 +0000

Ohio ACORN employees recently filed numerous health and safety complaints with the US Dept of Labor, Occupational Health and Saftey Administration (OSHA) Columbus office.

OSHA Columbus Area Office
Federal Office Building
200 North High Street, Room 620
Columbus, Ohio 43215
(614) 469-5582
(614) 469-6791 FAX

Ohio ACORN was compelled by Columbus OSHA to correct most of the numerous original issues and was issued an OSHA citation for non-compliance regarding filthy, sub-standard and unusable bathroom facilities at their offices located, in the Mt. Vernon Plaza Complex, at 379 N. 20th St, (Lower Level) Columbus, OH 43203

Contact – Katy Gall
ACORN Ohio Statewide Director
ohacorn@acorn.org 614-638-1562

For information on the above OSHA complaints and other complaints filed with the Department of Labor, against Ohio ACORN, please send email to the following address.

rotten_acorn_ohio@yahoo.com