Angie Salgado Stands Up for Her Rights

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Angie Salgado, a custodian at the Veterans Home in Ventura since 2012, and a member of SEIU Local 1000, began working at the facility as a housekeeper before becoming a custodian.  She loved working with the residents, but when she was dismissed from her job last August after she was wrongfully accused of financial abuse, she knew she had to stand up. And with a decade of experience behind her, she was prepared to get back what she was owed. So, when her appeal of dismissal reached the State Personnel Board (SPB), she was ready to fight back with the support of SEIU Local 1000 staff attorneys.

Despite little to no evidence to support the allegations leveled against her, CalVet terminated Angie. With the help of SEIU Local 1000’s Union Resource Center (URC), which had previously worked on a grievance against her supervisor before this incident, Salgado was able to show the unsubstantiated nature of the accusations. She never deviated from her version of the interactions. Compared to the vague and substance less accusations levied against her, the SPB found Salgado to be a credible witness and based nearly all the findings on her testimony.

As a result, the dismissal was entirely revoked. Salgado will be entitled not only to return to her job but will receive back pay for the entire time that she was without a job. This wouldn’t have been possible without her decision to stand up for herself through her union, and through the collective effort of all SEIU Local 1000 members to fight for workplaces free from suspicion and harassment. Well done, Angie!