[Noisebridge-discuss] Unpaid TechShop employees and instructors being legally pressured by potential buyers

[Trent Robbins]

Hi Corey,

Someone says this is the place to go:
https://www.sfbar.org/lawyerreferrals/requestalawyer.aspx

They said that the organization is closed this week, so try back after the
1st.

I know firsthand as a consultant that we are often forced into these
situations by hardship. It has happened to me.  You should consider this
money lost in terms of cashflow. Maybe you will get it down the road. My
only idea is find a new client, get a 50% deposit on the work, pay the rent
with that. I am extremely sorry for your lost work and have been where you
are.


Best,
Trent

On Tue, Dec 26, 2017 at 12:01 PM, Corey McGuire <coreyfro at coreyfro.com>
wrote:

> Hey all,
>
> As I am sure you all know, TechShop closed last month.  What you may not
> know is that TechShop owes its employees and instructors, to the best of
> our knowledge, as much as $600,000.
>
> TechShop was nothing without its employees and instructors, and many of
> us, also being members, continued to give to the community on a daily basis
> and freely, as is natural in a healthy shop/hacker culture.
>
> But we all relied on compensation, as well, because we provided services
> to TechShop at the exclusion of other employment.  Some, like myself, were
> contractors who put in 40 hours a week, nine to five.  Some have suggested
> that this is not indicative of the kind of work a contractor does, but
> rather an employee, which puts TechShop in a bad position.
>
> The TechShop employees and instructors have formed a group to communicate
> a path forward.  We have begun putting the work forward to making sure that
> we are compensated.  Some of us have hardship and are facing eviction, loss
> of business, and even estrangement from family.
>
> Now TechShop has a number of interested buyers.  Some of them are getting
> desperate and have begun harassing members of the Employee group.
>
> While the employee group was working to find an amicable way to resolve
> this, the desperation has become threatening and legal threats have been
> made.
>
> It is obvious we now need help finding a path forward.  If anyone has
> employee rights consultants who can help us, please contact me.
>
> Thank you.
>
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