Arbitrator rules for airport bosses - December 22, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-01-27

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35 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Wellness Connection   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer Opportunities   Moving to Southern Oregon?   MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 22, 2004 Arbitrator rules for airport bosses A lawsuit filed by a former airport employee against Jackson County was resolved through binding arbitration in favor of the county, Airport Director Bern Case and airport administrative manager Craig Baldwin. Dawn Neff, a former secretary, claimed she was retaliated against after her complaints five years ago sparked a state ethics investigation. County Counsel Mike Jewett said the arbitrator found that neither Case nor Baldwin retaliated against Neff. As part of a previous settlement, Neff received $20,000 from the county to avoid an expensive jury trial and to take the matter into arbitration. The county also agreed to pay a maximum $90,000 in damages if arbitration determined the county was at fault, said Jewett. Neff, who quit her job Aug. 4, 1999, claimed Case and Baldwin retaliated against her for taking complaints about management to the county, which owns and operates the airport. Her complaints triggered an internal county audit, which criticized Case and Baldwin for a "pattern of poor judgments" that included sloppy time-keeping and the use of staff for personal projects. The audit, in turn, triggered a state ethics investigation. The Government Standards and Practices Commission eventually fined Case $500, concluding he used his position to promote his wife's business and sent maintenance employees to his home for repairs. Case, in a prepared statement, said, "This is an important matter to put behind us. We can focus our full attention on airport service." Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback   ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers