Virgin Islands Law Firm Announces ASSERT
“Our closely integrated practice groups have enabled us to formalize this team and align our service offerings with the needs of our clients,” said
President Obama Signs New Law Creating Additional Rights to Recovery for Employees Claiming Discriminatory Pay
On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, effectively overturning a controversial 2007 Supreme Court decision dealing with discrimination in employee compensation. The Act, named for the plaintiff in the 2007 Supreme Court case, eases the path for employees suing their employers for pay discrimination by relaxing certain statutory deadlines for filing a claim.
Continue Reading...Department of Labor Issues Revisions to Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations
On November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its long-awaited revisions to regulations interpreting the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”). As originally enacted in 1993, the FMLA provided employees meeting certain eligibility criteria with the right to take up to twelve weeks of job-protected unpaid leave during a twelve-month period for four specified family and medical reasons. In January 2008, the FMLA was amended to add new leave rights for military families. The new regulations address the 2008 amendments to the FMLA and make significant (and in many instances, employer-friendly) changes to the existing regulations that have guided employers and the courts since they were first issued in 1995.
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St. Croix KFC Workers Defeat Union
St. Croix, VI - Friday afternoon Luis Diaz, Agent for the National Labor Relations Board, announced the union election results by the workers of the St. Croix Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants at Frederiksted, Orange Grove and Sunny Isle. Diaz declared that the workers voted 28-5 in favor of rejecting Our Virgin Islands Labor Union to represent them.
Juan Mujica, Vice President of Operations for Kazi Foods of the Virgin Islands Inc. stated that he is “very pleased with the results of the election and that the workers are giving Kazi Foods, the franchise owner, a chance to show its commitment to its employees”. Mujica stated that “the workers made an informed decision and now Kazi Foods will be able to work directly with its employees.”
Continue Reading...Federal Minimum Wage Increase Will Not Immediately Impact VI
For the first time in nearly a decade the federal minimum wage will increase Tuesday, July 24, 2007 from $5.15 per hour to $5.85. The $0.70 increase is scheduled to continue each summer for the following two years and will stop at $7.25 per hour in 2009.
Attorney Ravinder S. Nagi, Chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Tom Bolt & Associates P.C., noted that most Virgin Islands employers and employees are not affected by the increase this year, because since January 1, 2007 the
St. Thomas Attorney Challenges Central Labor Council President
Responding to remarks of Central Labor Council President Luis "Tito" Morales, St. Thomas attorney Tom Bolt called them "unfortunate and irresponsible". Morales appearing on St. Thomas radio station WVWI's "Morning News" stated that "Kazi Management should lose its EDC benefits due to the closure of the KFC restaurant at Buccaneer Mall on St. Thomas."
"Once again, Tito Morales has spoken before he has the facts," said Tom Bolt, the St. Thomas attorney that represents Kazi Foods of the Virgin Islands. "Kazi Foods of the Virgin Islands does not have EDC benefits, has not applied for EDC benefits, and would not qualify if they did apply." Bolt noted.
Continue Reading...Kazi Foods Closes Buccaneer Mall Restuarant
Juan Mujica, Vice President of Operations for Kazi Foods of the Virgin Islands, announced earlier today the closure of the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant located at Buccaneer Mall on St. Thomas. “The lease for this facility is due to expire in a few weeks,” Mujica explained, “and the rent on this particular restaurant is more than four times that of some of our other restaurants on St. Thomas. We attempted to negotiate with the landlord, but could not reach a mutually agreeable position.”
Continue Reading...Sexual Harassment Training Pays Off
Tom Bolt & Associates,P.C. and its affiliated firm, Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP recently held sexual harassment training sponsored by the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce and the USVI Hotel & Tourism Association. The training was mandated adopted by the Virgin Islands earlier this year.
St. Thomas attorney Ravinder Nagi who coordinated the traning sessions noted that the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that workplace harassment training is paying off. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has also reported that the number of harassment claims has dropped by 20% since 1997.
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