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November 06, 2008
Obama campaign workers angry over unpaid wages
Obama campaign workers angry over unpaid wages
Indianapolis
Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for canvassing for Barack Obama. Several hundred people are still waiting to get their pay for last-minute campaigning. Police were called to the Obama campaign office on North Meridian Street downtown to control the crowd.
The line was long and the crowd was angry at times.
"I want my money today! It's my money. I want it right now!" yelled one former campaign worker.
A former spokesman for the Obama campaign said 375 people were hired as part of the Vote Corps program and said people signed up to work three-hour shifts at a time. Three hours of canvassing got workers a $30 pre-paid Visa card.
The workers showed up to get their cards Wednesday morning at 10:00 am.
"There was a note on the door saying 1:00 pm and then at 1:20 pm everybody was like why is nobody here. They just got here and they're trying to get it organized," said Heather Richards, a former campaign worker.
The large gathering of around 375 people prompted police to call in extra officers and set up temporary barricades. The barricades helped keep the crowd from spilling out onto Meridian Street. Police say the several hundred people in line were for the most part orderly.
"No arrests. Some of the people were upset at first because the line wasn't moving as fast as they thought it should. But we really haven't had any problems," said Major Darryl Pierce, Metro Police.
Eventually people did start getting paid, but some said they were missing hours and told to fill in paperwork making their claim and that eventually they would get a check in the mail.
"Still that's not right. I'm disappointed. I'm glad for the president, but I'm disappointed in this system," said Diane Jefferson, temporary campaign worker.
"It should have been $480. It's $230," said Imani Sankofa.
"They gave us $10 an hour. So we added it. I added up all the hours so it was supposed to be at least $120. All I get is $90," said Charles Martin.
"I worked nine hours a day for 4 days and got paid half of what I should have earned," said Randall Waldon.
Some people weren't satisfied with filling out a claim form for money they felt was still due to them.
"They say that they gonna call you or they going to mail it to you, but I don't know. We'll see what happens," said Antron Grose.
"Talking about they'll mail it to us. I ain't worried about that, man. They're not going to mail nothin'," said Martin.
Wild Thing's comment..........
But didn't they get the memo that Obama wants to spread their money around?
Posted by Wild Thing at November 6, 2008 02:08 PM
Comments
All these people do is think of money. don't they know they were given the priviledge of working for the messiah they want to get pain on top of that...Bwahahahahahaha....Get real.
Stupid is as stupid does. Now they are going to see what a schmuck they voted into the white house.
Posted by: Mark at November 6, 2008 02:58 PM
They must not have figured the Obama taxes when they calculated how much they were suppose to get. If you've got a job, Omama's going to tax you so who better than his own people first.
Posted by: BobF at November 6, 2008 03:13 PM
Obama's campaign lying to people? I'm shocked. Don't these workers know that redistribution begins at home? As the saying goes, "You reap what you sow". That's what they get for campaigning for a Socialist.
Posted by: Les at November 6, 2008 04:21 PM
Mark, LOL good one!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2008 04:56 PM
BobF,yes my guess is many of these people don't pay taxes.I could be wrong, but they want handouts so badly it goes together.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2008 05:02 PM
Les, ....."That's what they get for campaigning for a Socialist.".....DITTO that!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 6, 2008 05:04 PM
What use is a pre-paid (anonymous) Visa card when we no longer have the Obama campain accepting illegal donations from cartoon charactors. As far these "workers" receiving credit for fewer hours than actually worked-perhaps they applied the inverse of the formula Minister Farakahn used to count 400,000 attendees as a "Million Man March". Who said "figures don't lie but liars figure" ? And Chrissie- Thanks for all you do and hang in there !!!
Posted by: willie at November 6, 2008 08:37 PM
Willie, thank you so much.
Good point too Willie, yes like it makes a difference when they are accepting all the illegal donations.
Posted by: Wild Thing at November 7, 2008 12:30 AM
A view of the future.
Posted by: Trish at November 7, 2008 12:31 AM
