Read the Depositions and Judge for Yourself
By Brent E. Beltrán
On December 9, 2016 Sandy Naranjo was unjustly fired by UFCW Local 135 President Mickey Kasparian and subsequently filed a lawsuit. That firing and lawsuit lead to a chain of events that will soon culminate in the end of Kasparian’s Machiavellian grasp on San Diego’s progressive body politic.
After Sandy’s termination former Local 135 staffer Isabel Vasquez stepped forward and filed a sexual harassment complaint against Kasparian and the union.
Shortly after expressing support for Sandy and Isabel, Nohelia Ramos filed a lawsuit against Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) claiming retaliation for showing solidarity for the two women, UFCW Local 135 is a funder of ACCE.
Anabel Arauz was later retaliated against and fired by Kasparian for publicly speaking out on behalf of her former UFCW sisters.
And then Melody Godinez stepped forward and brought a lawsuit claiming gender violence.
Sandy, Isabel and Anabel
Throughout the lawsuits supporters of Sandy, Isabel, and Anabel, dubbed Las Tres Hermanas, waged a grassroots, guerrilla struggle to take down Kasparian. Starting with the ADEM elections in the South Bay where Sandy’s slate swept (she received the most votes) to in your face protests and social media savvy the organizers of the We Stand With Sandy, Isabel, and Anabel campaign were able to out organize the union leader at every step.
With help from supporters of Las Tres Hermanas, who are mostly ex-Local 135 employees, the AFL-CIO removed Kasparian from the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, forced his resignation to the Central Committee of the San Diego Democratic Party and will soon remove him from the presidency of UFCW Local 135.
Kasparian settled all five civil cases against him. And with the recently released LM-2’s there are many questions to how those lawsuits were paid out.
Yet, after all of this, there are still many within the local Democratic Party and a dwindling few within labor that still support him. Many Democrat politicians and wannabes still want that Mickey Money for their campaigns knowing the misdeeds he is accused of.
Below you will find all of the depositions, in chronological order, that have been made public. Including ones from Kasparian himself, Richard Barrera, Lori Kern, Sarah Saez, and Melody Godinez. Read them for yourself and judge whether or not Kasparian is a detriment to women, labor, and progressive politics in San Diego.
Depositions in the cases against Mickey Kasparian and UFCW Local 135:
• Videotaped Deposition of Michael Kasparian in Vasquez v. UFCW Local 135
Taken August 24, 2017
• Videotaped Deposition of Michael Kasparian in Naranjo v. UFCW Local 135
Taken September 7, 2017
• Videotaped Deposition of Terrence L. Hunt in Vasquez v. Mickey Kasparian; UFCW Local 135
Taken October 5, 2017
• Deposition of Lindsey Bensinger in Naranjo v. UFCW Local 135
Taken on October 11, 2017
• Videotaped Deposition Volume I of Michael Kasparian in Arauz v. UFCW Local 135
Taken October 19, 2017
• Deposition of Richard Barrera in Arauz v. UFCW Local 135
Taken on October 23, 2017
• Deposition of Richard Barrera in Naranjo v. UFCW Local 135
Taken on October 24, 2017
• Deposition of Rosangel Miner in Vasquez v. Mickey Kasparian; UFCW Local 135
Taken October 27, 2017
• Deposition of Francine Woods in Vasquez v. Mickey Kasparian; UFCW Local 135
Taken October 30, 2017
• Deposition of Brian Kelly in Vasquez v. Mickey Kasparian; UFCW Local 135
Taken November 6, 2017
• Videotaped Deposition Volume II of Michael Kasparian in Naranjo v. UFCW Local 135
Taken November 17, 2017
• Deposition of Lori Kern in Naranjo v. UFCW Local 135
Taken on November 20, 2017
• Deposition of Melody Godinez in Vasquez v. Mickey Kasparian; UFCW Local 135
Taken December 7, 2017
• Deposition of Sarah Saez in Arauz v. UFCW Local 135
Taken on December 13, 2017
Brent E. Beltrán
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I worked for Vons over 20yrs. Local 135. Once Haggen bought my Vons out and all Haggens eventually closing I was out of a job. With no help from Local 135 Mickey Kasperian! I never received my job back or any compensation.I would of liked to get a call back from the union on what happens next and where that leaves me.
I got nothing! All that money I put in to support the union where is it? I have received nothing. I don’t trust a union President who has money to pay his legal fees but can’t give back to the employees that supported local 135. I would love to sue the Union. Its what they deserve.
Mickey Kasparian is not a funder of ACCE, he never was. Its unfortunate that its still a question. Its all public record. Can this be corrected for the record?
In December of 2016 UFCW Local 135 donated $5000 to ACCE.
That contribution,although important from the union, is a small part of the funding requiered to sustain an organization. The insinuation/accusation that ACCE would retaliate against anyone for that, or any amount of money is unfair and false. En fin, como dice Jose Jose, ya lo pasado, pasodo. We will keep on organizing our members for social economic and racial justice in San Diego, all over the state. Si se puede!
In solidarity👊
If you want to say I’m nitpicking about a measly $5000 (which btw is close to the operating budget of SDFP for 3-4 years). I’m cool with that. But understand that I know there were other reasons ACCE retaliated. I could’ve alluded to an embarrassing one that is well known throughout activist and labor circles. But I chose not to.
Well thats news to me, ACCE did not retaliate for any reason. Lets sit down, I would love to clear any rumors youve or anyone has heard.
Where are the Tres Hermana’s depositions? I would like to read those.