University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, February 11, 1992
5
County probes wage claims
Employees ask for $2.3 million
By Andy Taylor
Kansan staff writer
The Douglas County counsel's staff is continuing to investigate two claims made by 24 county employees that they should be paid $2.3 million in past wages.
In a Dec. 23 letter to the Douglas County Commission, the employees said they should be compensated for the times they were called to work in emergency situations such as ice and snow removal, said Timothy Pringle, a Topeka attorney who is representing the employees.
"During various times of the year, the employees were asked to be on call, to be ready to work during snow or ice situations," Pringle said. "The employees were pretty limited as to what they could do. They couldn't go to a restaurant or to the store. So what
they are asking for is compensation for time on call."
If the county commission does not formally respond to the allegations by mid-April, a lawsuit will be filed, Pringle said.
"We are requesting that the county respond within 120 days," Pringle said. "But I imagine that we may hear from them after that time."
Pringle said mechanics, machine operators and supervisors in the public works department approached him about their situation after he participated in another case against the county.
Bob Fairchild, county counsel, said staff members were investigating the allegations even though the records search was difficult.
"I got the people in public works finding exactly who was on call during that time," Fairchild said. "The problem is
that the claims span over three years. It's difficult to find out how many were working and under what circumstances."
Fairchild, a Lawrence attorney, said a federal law was at the center of the conflict.
Chris McKenzie, Douglas County administrator, said he would not release the letter to the public until all the allegations had been investigated.
"There is some disagreement over the policies and procedures of the Fair Labor Standards Act," he said. "They are saying that the county violated the act when they were called and should be entitled to payment. We are continuing our investigation of those allegations."
"It's our position that there are a few allegations that are untrue," McKenzie said. "Once the commission discusses these matters, then we'll be in a more comfortable position to release the letter to the public and discuss it."
'Roots' author, Haley, dies of heart attack at 70
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Alex Haley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer whose book, "Roots," told the story of the African-American experience in America and inspired people of all races to search for their ancestors, died yesterday. He was 70.
Haley, whose other works included "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," died of a heart attack at Swedish Hospital, said hospital representative Jane Anne Wilder.
Haley had been scheduled to speak today at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base near Bremerton, Wash., said Liz
Beauton of the base's human resources department.
Survivors include Haley's third wife, My,and a son, Bill.
Haley won the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for "Roots," the gripping story of his family's monumental journey from Africa to American slavery and ultimately to freedom.
The result of 12 years of research, the book blended fact and imagined detail in tracing Haley's family back six generations to Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped from Gambia, West Africa, in 1767 and shipped to this country as a slave.
Alex Haley
Personal
Born: Aug. 11, 1921; Ithaca, N.Y.
Died: Feb. 10, 1992
Divorced; was married three times, has three children
Career highlights
1965: First book, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," published, sells more than 6 million copies in eight languages
1976: "Roots" published
1977: Won Putzler Prize for "Roots." Spingam Award
1979: 12-hour "Roots" miniseries draws 130 million viewers, then the largest audience in TV history
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