Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

More pressure on Mickey Kasparian

Donna Frye protests against union chief accused of sexual misconduct

Mickey Kasparian
Mickey Kasparian

In a lawsuit filed in December, United Food and Commercial Workers Union president Mickey Kasparian was accused of sexual harassment and denigrating employees. Demands for him to step down are increasing, and the protests continue.

Donna Frye

On January 25, Donna Frye — former councilmember and current president of government transparency watchdog group Californians Aware — appeared at a scheduled protest at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace building in Kearny Mesa to call for Kasparian's resignation.

"Serious and disturbing allegations have been made against Mr. Kasparian in his capacity as president of the UFCW Local 135," reads a statement issued by Frye after the protest. "It is our belief that the appropriate remedy is for Mr. Kasparian to resign. At a minimum we urge you to conduct an independent investigation regarding these allegations against Mr. Kasparian. We also ask you to take the actions necessary to protect the current employees, such as placing Mr. Kasparian on administrative leave until this is resolved."

Sponsored
Sponsored
Irene McCormack Jackson

Frye was joined by Irene McCormack Jackson, former communications director during mayor Bob Filner's reign. McCormack Jackson was one of several women to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation by Filner during his time in office. She, along with Frye and others, publicly demanded that Filner resign. McCormack Jackson later filed a lawsuit against the city and Filner; she ultimately agreed to settle for $250,000.

Bob Filner

In regard to Kasparian, three lawsuits have been filed against the influential labor boss. Among them is a claim from former insurance clerk Isabel Vasquez; she says Kasparian threatened her job if she refused to give him sexual favors in his office and hotel rooms paid for with union credit cards. In another lawsuit, union organizer Sandy Naranjo says Kasparian mistreated her because she is a woman and retaliated against her allegedly siding with Kasparian's political rival, councilmember David Alvarez. More recently, another employee, Anabel Arauz, filed a claim alleging instances of discrimination and political strong-arming by the union chief.

On January 7, as reported by the Reader, 150 people turned out at a protest in Chula Vista to support the women and to urge Kasparian to resign. Kasparian has denied all the allegations.

According to a report by the Times of San Diego, two dozen people attended the January 25 protest.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Flowering pear trees in Kensington not that nice

Empty dirt plots in front of Ken Cinema
Next Article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance
Mickey Kasparian
Mickey Kasparian

In a lawsuit filed in December, United Food and Commercial Workers Union president Mickey Kasparian was accused of sexual harassment and denigrating employees. Demands for him to step down are increasing, and the protests continue.

Donna Frye

On January 25, Donna Frye — former councilmember and current president of government transparency watchdog group Californians Aware — appeared at a scheduled protest at the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace building in Kearny Mesa to call for Kasparian's resignation.

"Serious and disturbing allegations have been made against Mr. Kasparian in his capacity as president of the UFCW Local 135," reads a statement issued by Frye after the protest. "It is our belief that the appropriate remedy is for Mr. Kasparian to resign. At a minimum we urge you to conduct an independent investigation regarding these allegations against Mr. Kasparian. We also ask you to take the actions necessary to protect the current employees, such as placing Mr. Kasparian on administrative leave until this is resolved."

Sponsored
Sponsored
Irene McCormack Jackson

Frye was joined by Irene McCormack Jackson, former communications director during mayor Bob Filner's reign. McCormack Jackson was one of several women to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation by Filner during his time in office. She, along with Frye and others, publicly demanded that Filner resign. McCormack Jackson later filed a lawsuit against the city and Filner; she ultimately agreed to settle for $250,000.

Bob Filner

In regard to Kasparian, three lawsuits have been filed against the influential labor boss. Among them is a claim from former insurance clerk Isabel Vasquez; she says Kasparian threatened her job if she refused to give him sexual favors in his office and hotel rooms paid for with union credit cards. In another lawsuit, union organizer Sandy Naranjo says Kasparian mistreated her because she is a woman and retaliated against her allegedly siding with Kasparian's political rival, councilmember David Alvarez. More recently, another employee, Anabel Arauz, filed a claim alleging instances of discrimination and political strong-arming by the union chief.

On January 7, as reported by the Reader, 150 people turned out at a protest in Chula Vista to support the women and to urge Kasparian to resign. Kasparian has denied all the allegations.

According to a report by the Times of San Diego, two dozen people attended the January 25 protest.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

SDSU pres gets highest pay raise in state over last 15 years

Union-Tribune still stiffing downtown San Diego landlord?
Next Article

Reader Music Issue short takes

Obervatory's mosh pit, frenetic Rafael Payare, Lemonhead chaos, bleedforthescene, Coronado Tasting Room
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.