Another Broker Overtime Settlement: Citigroup
June 22, 2006
Citigroup's and its Smith Barney brokerage group have agreed to pay $98 million to settle overtime and expense reimbursement claims asserted in a class action filed on behalf of several thousand current and former brokers. The settlement, reached last month in a case pending in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, is another obtained by Nevada attorney Mark Thierman and his legal team that also secured impressive settlements against Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and UBS. As in the prior cases, the brokers were classified as exempt administrative employees, but their job duties actually made them more akin to non-exempt salespeople. Thierman is currently preparing similar cases against more than a dozen other retail brokerage firms with similar compensation arrangements.
Subject: IS IT LEGAL TO LIE TO THE DFEH & US DEPT OF LABOR? CITIGROUP DID & THEY LIE TO CLIENTS IN CARMEL PLEASE READ THIS LETTER SENT TO THE MONTEREY HERALD
The Monterey County Herald
Attn: Herald Executive Editor, Carolina Garcia
8 Upper Ragsdale
Monterey, CA 93940
[email protected]
(831) 646-4306
Ms. Garcia,
I have attempted through several sources to clarify my
position regarding my unfair treatment by my previous
employer, Citibank. I had no previous plans to leave
my position as Head Teller at the Citibank branch in
Carmel. After 4 years of employment with the company,
the unfair and unequal treatment of employees led to
medically supervised work-related stress. The manager
of the branch then accused me of job abandonment which
led to my termination via UPS delivery on December 15,
2005, while I was at home on medical leave.
Subsequent to my termination, I received numerous
correspondences that referenced me as terminated, no
longer with the company, and as a former employee. My
401K and pension have both been forwarded to me.
However, when interviewed by the Department of Fair
Employment and Housing, Citibank representatives
reported that I was terminated due to not personally
reporting my absence, but rather having medical
documentation reported by my physician. When
interviewed by the U. S. Department Wage and Hours
Division, Citibank representatives reported on August
8, 2006, that I was still an employee of the company
and that a letter indicating such would be forwarded
to me. To date, this letter has not been received.
I have continued to be in contact with several clients
that have stated that Citibank representatives
indicated that I was either on vacation, or that I
voluntarily resigned in order to work with my husband
in his new business. This is absolutely untrue. It was
my intention to continue my employment as the benefits
were extremely important to me, as well as to my
family.
Clearly, there has been a gross misrepresentation by
Citibank, either to its clients or to the U. S.
Department Wage and Hours Division. It is my position
that I was unfairly terminated by Citibank. The
unscrupulous behavior of Citibank and its
representatives, locally and at the corporate level,
is unacceptable.
It is also my opinion that if a corporation as large
as Citibank is representing itself on a local level,
the local management and staff should act accordingly.
A large part of the attraction of the Monterey area is
the sense of community that is felt here on a day to
day basis. If Citibank is allowed to misrepresent its
actions to clients and government agencies, where will
the corporate takeover end?
Sincerely,
Damari Stratford
[email protected]
[email protected] wrote:
Subject: Re: Your message to the governor was received
THE GOVERNOR HAS WRITTEN ME TWICE AND SAID HE WOULD
HELP,, CITIBANK HAS LIED TO THE DFEH AND US LABOR DEPT
WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION AND TO THEIR CLIENTS ABOUT MY
STATUS, I NEED HELP, HOW CAN I FIGHT WHEN THIS
CORPORATION IS TELLING LIES AND HAS ALL THE LAWYERS
THEY NEED AND I CAN'T AFFORD ONE. HOW MANY TIMES ARE
THEY GOING TO GET AWAY WITH MISTREATING EMPLOYEES
ON 8/8/06 RONAN FROM THE US DEPT OF LABOR WAS TOLD BY
A CITIBANK ATTORNEY THAT THEY WOULD SEND ME A LETTER
EXPLAINING MY STATUS AS STILL AN EMPLOYEE, I HAVE YET
TO GET THIS LETTER, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PUT A
LETTER TOGETHER IF THEY ARE TELLING THE TRUTH?
YOUR OFFICE AS WELL AS THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE HAS
CALLED ME BUT WE AREN'T GETTING ANYWHERE. IT HAS BEEN
7 MONTHS SINCE I FIRST WROTE THE GOVERNOR. CITIBANK
ATTORNEYS HAVE CANCELLED 2 DEPOSITIONS AT THE LAST
MINUTE THE LAST INE THEY CANCELLED WAS AFTER TALKING
TO THE US LABOR DEPARTMENT,WHY?
MY JOB WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY AND I PLEASE
HELP ME AND MY FAMILY AND ALL THOSE BEFORE ME THAT
HAVE BEEN WRONGFULLY TERMINATED BY CITIBANK FOR NO
GOOD REASON
WHY IS EVERYONE SO AFRAID OF CITIGROUP? WHY CAN'T I
FIND AN ATTORNEY WILLING TO STAND UP TO THEM ON A
CONTINGENCY BASIS? I VOTED FOR THE GOVERNOR AND I NEED
HIM NOW
PLEASE CALL ANN FROM THE DFEH AT 408-277-1916 THEY
TOLD HER THAT I HAD CALLED IN ILL ON 11/15/05 AND THAT
I TOLD THEM I WOULDN'T BE IN, THIS IS A LIE I WORKED
THAT DAY AND I CAN PROVE THIS WITH MY IME CARD, THEN
THEY SAY THEY MADE AN ERROR
PLEASE CALL RONAN AT 415-744-5590 EXT 226 FROM THE US
LABOR DEPT TO VERIFY WHAT CITIBANK ATTORNEYS SAID. THE
ONLY REASON THEY OFFERED ME FMLA IS BECAUSE I FILED
FOR DISABILITY, BEFORE THAT THEY HAD PAID OUT MY FINAL
PAYCHECK, FIRED ME VIA UPS, SENT ME COBRA INFORMATION.
PLEASE HELP US PLEASE SEE THAT THE GOVERNOR GETS THIS
EMAIL AND ASK HIM TO MAKE A CALL ON MY BEHALF
CORPORATE AMERICA NEEDS TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR
GOOD EMPLOYEES AND NOT ALLOW A MANAGER WITH BAD SKILLS
TO FIRE SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE HE WANTS TO
SINCERELY DAMARI STARTFROD
MOTHER WIFE HUMAN BEING AND I VOTED FOR THE GOVERNOR
I MATTER TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CITIBANK IN CARMEL LIES TO CLIENTS ABOUT WHY I AM NOT
THERE. THEY TELL PEOPLE THAT I AM ON VACATION OR THAT
I LEFT TO WORK FOR MY HUSBAND INSTEAD OF TELLING THEM
HAT THEY FIRED ME AFTER MY DOCTOR FAXED IN A NOTE AND
CALLED IN FOR ME TO PROTECT ME FROM HAVING MY BLOOD
PRESSRE RISE. JEFF URSINO AND KATHLEEN MUNOZ LIES TO
ANN AT THE DFEH AND THEIR LAWYERS LIED TO THE US DEPT
OF LABOR. KATHLEN WAS DOING THE OVERDRAFT ON HER
DAUGHTERS ACCOUNTS AND REFUNDED HER OWN DAUHGTER MONEY
WHILE THE MANAGER WAS ON VACATION. SHE LIES ABOUT
BEING FIRED FROM WELLS FARGO, SHE LIED TO THE WORKERS
COMP PEOPLE AND WILL LIE TO ANYONE. KATHLEEN HAD
INSTUCTED THE OTHER TELLERS TO COOK THE BOOKS BY
HAVING THEM PUT IN FALSE REFEERALS AND JEFF URSINO DID
NOTHING ABOUT IT BUT I GOT WRITTEN UP FOR MISSING WORK
WITH A DOCTORS NOTE. THEY STATE TO ONE AGENCY THAT I
WAS FIRED AND TO THE OTHER THAT I AM STILL EMPLOYED,
THEY STATE I WAS FIRED FOR NOT CALLING IN YET I WAS
RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO HAVE MY DOCTOEOR CALL IN AND FAX
MY NOTE IN DUE TO THE STRESS AND HARRASSMENT BROUGHT
ON BY JEFF AND CITIBANK, WHERE ARE THE ETHICS IN THIS
COMPANY
NOW THEY ARE TELLING MORE LIES TO THE DEPT OF FAIR
EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING JEFF TELLS THEM WHY I WAS FIRED
AND THEIR LAWYERS TELL THE US DEPT OF LABOR THAT I AM
STILL EMPLOYEED
PLEASE HELP US GET THIS STORY OUT TO THE WORLD IF IT
ISN'T TOO MUCH TO ASK:) HOW DO YOU FIGHT LIARS, HOW DO
THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT
CITIBANK IN CARMEL 831-624-8258 CALL AND ASK THEM
WHERE I AM ASK FOR KATHLEEN AND ASK HER WHY SHE LIES
THIS WOMAN WAS HAVING CITIBANK PAY FOR HER DAUGHTER
OVERDRAFTS AND HER A TELLER REFUND HER OWN DAUGHTER
MONEY WHILE THE MANAGER WAS OUT ON VACATION SO WHY
SHOULD ANYONE BELEIVE THIS UNETHICAL PERSON JUST AS
JEFF URSINO THE MANAGER OF THE CAPITOLA BRANCH LIES TO
HIS BOSSES TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BETTER PLEASE HELP US
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
HOW DO YOU FIGHT A CORPORATION LIKE THIS
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
DAMARI AND CITIBANK HERE IS THE TRUTH!!
To set the record straight!
Damari was fired by Citibank in Carmel!
Damari did not leave the bank to go work for her
husband!!!!
DAMARI HAD NO PLANS TO LEAVE CITIBANK!
DAMARI PLANNED ON STAYING FOR ANOTHER 16YRS.
THE BENEFITS WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO HER FAMILY!!
DAMARI WAS FIRED VIA UPS WHILE AT HOME ILL DUE TO WORK
RELATED STRESS BROUGHT ON BY THE MANAGER AND THE
UNFAIR AND UNEQUAL TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES
ALONG WITH BEING THREATEN AND HARASSED
BY THE MANAGER FOR JOB ABANDOMENT.
SEVERAL OF
Citibank clients have TOLD HER that they have been
told by the staff at the Carmel branch :
THAT SHE LEFT TO GO WORK FOR HER HUSBAND!
THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE!!!!
What else will they lie about?
Are they ashamed of what was done??
WHY DO THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO SAY SHE LEFT TO GO WORK
WITH HER HUSBAND
( I DO NOT WORK FOR MY HUSBAND)
( I DO NOT WORK FOR JND PLUMBING)
(NOR AM I ON VACATION)
INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING THE TRUTH ?
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE CARMEL BRANCH THAT COULD SWEAR
TO THIS? NO!
You can reach Damari at [email protected]
ENOUGH WITH THE LIES CITIBANK!!!
IF YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS PLEASE SEND HER AN EMAIL
CITIBANK TOLD
THE US LABOR DEPT WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION ,
ON 08/08/06
THAT I AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE
YET I HAVE LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS
THAT CLEARLY USE THE WORDS
TERMINATED
NO LONGER WITH THE COMPANY
FORMER EMPLOYEE
AND MY 401K AND PENSION HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME AS OF
8/24/06 I HAVE YET TO GET THE LETTER FROM CITIBANK
WHICH EXPLAINS HOW I AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE! HOW LONG
DOES IT TAKE TO WRITE A LETTER IF YOU ARE TELLING THE
TRUTH HOW CAN THEY SAY TO THE US DEPT OF LABOR THAT I
AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE YET THEY TELL THE DFEH THAT THEY
FIRED ME FOR NOT CALLING IN, WHAT IS THE TRUTH
CITIBANK??????????
CITIBANK STATES THAT I WAS FIRED FOR NOT CALLING IN
YET MY DOCTOR CALLED IN FOR ME THE DAY BEFORE AND ALSO
FAXED IN A NOTE FOR ME WHICH THE MANAGER RETURNED TO
ME WITH MY LETTER OF TERMINATION. THEY KNEW THE DAY
BEFORE THAT I WASN'T COMING IN SO WHY WOULD HE CALL TO
ASK IF I WAS COMING IN IF IT WAS CLEARLY STATED ON THE
NOTE AND TOLD TO THEM BY MY DOCTOR TO PROTECT MY
HEALTH
JUST MORE LIES BY THE CITIBANK STAFF IN CARMEL
DCSbears...
I whole heartedly understand you delemma, and my heart goes
out to you.
a few years back, I worked for citibank/corp. for one full year.
It was without doubt the worst job, and the worst nightmare I have
ever lived. The treatment of employees was abominable, among many
other things. .
I worked with people that had been there for years. They were not treated
any better, than I was.
I quit in the middle of the day. I sat in my car for a good twenty minutes
breathing in what was for me, the most fresh air I had in one year.
In the following year, at least six people I had worked with, and had been there
for years, were let go, with the very worst excuses ever. Of course the lost all
benifits, and retirments.
Needless to say, I have never again banked with them, or used one of their credit
cards, or have done any other business with them, whatsoever, and when asked I inform orher companies why.
I have always...and to this day, informed everyone within earshot, of that disgusting thing, know as "citibank/corp.
I am sorry they got you. I hope you get them.
Posted by: DAMARI | October 03, 2006 at 04:29 AM
The response to this settlement by Smith Barney Management is to institute an across the board pay cut which will have significant ramifications for a substantial percentage of the advisors who were part of the class. Is this legal?
Posted by: Anonymous | December 07, 2006 at 04:40 PM
Thank you for all the comments, good, bad and indifferent.For those of you whom I upset I am very sorry. It has now been about a year and things are moving along, yes I have had some, alot of therapy, this hit me hard but we are moving on. I have 2 attorneys dealing with this. I admitt that I had alot to learn and I have learned that we really don't matter to corporate America it really is just about profits. My fight is not just for me but for all those wrongfully treated by corporate America. I didn't realize that all caps was so offensive, sorry to that one. Life is all about learning and this was a very hard lesson for us. Again, sorry if I offended anyone I am getting better now. As far as the manager goes, he will just have to live with what he has done and I wish him and his family the best hoping that no one ever treats them as he did us. God Bless Us All
Posted by: Damari | December 09, 2006 at 05:39 AM
To: Senator Barbara Boxer, Feb. 18, 2007
Also: Jason J Chan,
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, Ca.94111
Regarding your letter of February 5, 2007, thank you. You state that you will submit a formal inquiry to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and that this may take up to 4-5 weeks. In that case I have taken the liberty to put together this binder as to hopefully speed up the process or maybe just so you have it to review.
In this binder I can show the Jeff Ursino was not fair and equal to all the employees and although others violated policy I am the only one he fired. Citibank did not follow their own policy much less that of the Ca. Labor laws and codes.
I don’t believe that Citibank has been honest with their clients as well as the DFEH and DOL.
Citibank did not submit a new statement regarding 11/15/05 to the DFEH and seem to stand behind their “ bad Information”. I worked the day they state I called in and supposedly stated that I would be out the rest of the week, not true. What else is branch 915, Jeff Ursino, Kathleen Munoz and their corporate attorneys in New York willing to lie about?
Please help us get to the truth about why Jeff really fired me. Why does Citibank stand behind Jeff and his lies and much more? The teller that left about $10,000.00 out is still working their and to my knowledge was not written up and yet this was worse for the bank than me just wanting to care for my daughter and having my doctor call in for me.
Jeff made error after error with the write ups and the firing procedure of Citibank. Why did Jeff Ursino and Citibank feel I wasn’t worthy of an exit interview? Why was I fired at home and not at my place of work? Why was I not given a verbal or informal warning as is Citibank policy?
Please go through or have someone review my notes and proof of their dishonesty. Please help us and all those wrongfully terminated by corporate America.. It is time for Corporate America ethics Reform. Senator Boxer if I had been a bad employee I would have just walked away but I wasn’t. I have letters from clients that truly appreciated me and my work and even Citibank has acknowledge that I was great for the Carmel branch, so why fire me and throw me out like yesterdays trash? Because Jeff Ursino just didn’t like me and was out to fire me from the moment he threaten me with job abandonment before I had ever missed a Saturday. Why? As I told Dr. Lowell and all the other doctors I have seen, “this just doesn’t make sense!” I have spent the past 14 months fighting for my rights, please help me and my family, we need more moms like me that want to be their for their children and teenagers are children.
I look forward to hearing from you, thank you so very much for writing back or at least someone from your office, thanks Jason J. Chan.
Sincerely,
Damari Stratford
1291 Ord Grove Ave, Seaside, Ca 93955-3119
Cell 831-236-0112 Home 831-583-9077 Fax 831-393-9464
God Bless Us All
Posted by: Damari | February 20, 2007 at 03:22 PM
To whom it may concern, 10/03/2007
A CRY FOR HELP
Please help the little person fight corporate America and their lies and false statements
On, Feb. 16, 2006 someone representing Citigroup Inc at One Court Square, 14th Floor, Long Island City, NY 11120, submitted a rebuttal to Ann Luekeman, Consultant for the Department of Fair Employment and Housing at 111 N Market Street, Suite 810, San Jose Ca 95112, and the statement entered is false and full of lies . Ann Luekeman also conducted the interviews for the investigation and was also lied to by Jeff Ursino and Kathleen Munoz during their interviews. I feel that the case needs to be investigated due to the fact that the DFEH made their decision with false statements submitted by Citigroup attorney and their employees. Sheri Paulo, the Employee Relations director for Citigroup was aware of the false information submitted yet even though they/she said they would submit a new statement they did not and stood by the lies knowing they were lies. I was wrongfully termination, harassed, by Jeff Ursino, and I can’t understand how an attorney lies to the DFEH and then they aren’t held accountable. This is unethical behavior on all those whom lied and I have to pay for their lies. Citigroup violated several Ca labor codes in the process of firing me nor did Citibank follow their own firing procedures. I was not offered FMLA until months later.
I am begging that someone out there will help a mother who was simply trying to work be a mom and a wife making a honest living yet the manager and supervisor both lied as well as the Citigroup lawyers. Their lawyers requested more time to answer the DFEH yet submitted false information and this is unethical, please help us. I have been on disability since I was fired on 12/13/05 via UPS, I did not know I had lost my job until 12/15/05 because I was out on a workers comp pending case when I was fired. Violation 132A.My last pay check was direct deposited into my checking account, it was not included with my letter of termination. I would like to know who submitted these false statements for Citicorp and or Citibank and Citigroup. I don’t have a team of attorneys as they do or the funds to hire the right attorney to get to the truth. Please help us.
Posted by: Damari | October 06, 2007 at 09:25 AM