The State of California vs. Volunteerism

Thanks to a 2001 provision of California's state labor codes, the Sacramento Watersheds Action Group has been ordered to pay $50 grand in back wages and fines for the crime of using student volunteers on a creek restoration project.

Comments

[matt]

I love it. Something in the same spirit happened here in Salt Lake last x-mass. A few civic groups volunteered to ring the bells for the salvation army's buckets. It turns out the ringers get a cut of the take and for some of the regulars this was their sole annual income. There was quite a stink.

[jc]

California didn't seem to have any problem with prisoners "volunteering" to fight the wild fires.

[rst]

Looks like textbook law of unintended consequences, coupled with traditional union greed: "They had a lot of heavy equipment out there," [Gary Sharette of the Laborers Union Local 185] said. "That's construction work." . Boo hoo.

[dj of raleigh]

UNIONS are DIVISIVE

[Patriot]

Government protected unions and mandatory enrollment unions are divisive.

[Charles]

I remember when former Governor Davis wanted to force public school students to volunteer for their diplomas. Mandated volunteerism morphs into prohibited volunteerism. Whatever.

[Will Spencer]

I just love to see big-government liberals forced to eat their own dog food.