Comments on: “California Destroys Winery Over Use of Volunteers”

By: More thoughts on the Westover Winery case - Overlawyered

More thoughts on the Westover Winery case - Overlawyered — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 04:45:02 +0000

[…] the right to volunteer one’s labor (earlier), from frequent Overlawyered commenter Gitarcarver at his blog [Raised on […]

By: gitarcarver

gitarcarver — Sat, 20 Sep 2014 02:05:14 +0000

To me the irony here is that we just passed 9/11, the “Day of Service and Remembrance.”

Apparently that “service” means we can’t volunteer our time, our labor and our talents to others of our choosing.

If a person wants to help a friend get his small business computer back up and running, well, sorry… you can’t do that. If a designer wants to donate time to create a logo or brochure for a business….. nope. Sorry. Can’t do that either. Help fix a neighbor’s truck which he uses for his plumbing business? Get out you miscreant law breaker!

The argument that it is wrong to have one business competing against another falls flat when one considers organizations like Habitat for Humanity take home building away from contractors, plumbers, carpenters, etc. If it is wrong for businesses to use willing volunteers because other businesses may not have access to volunteers, then the same rules should apply to charitable organizations which in some cases compete against businesses.

I have nothing against volunteering. I enjoy it in my life as I find it enriching, life affirming, fun and educational. “Volunteering” is not the point.

My talents, time, expertise should go to where *I* deem it proper for them to go. It is not up to government to say “you can volunteer here, but not here.”

What else is there for us to own when the direction of our labor, the place of our labor and the fruits of our labor are determined the government?

By: ras

ras — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 18:28:14 +0000

We must punish capitalism every chance we get. How else to reassure ourselves of our superiority?

By: wfjag

wfjag — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:50:18 +0000

Why all the complaints? All the owners have to do is sell their winery to a developer, who will turn the land into vacation homes which can be purchased by the same bureaucrats who put the winery out of business, and trust-fund yuppies from the Bay Area. Transplant some of the vines so they grow around the new homes. People who used to work for the winery for pay, will have employment opportunities as min wage, no benefit, part time gardners for the new home owners. Somthing for everyone, and the winery owners might even be able to afford one of the new homes, and can tend a few of the remaining vines.

If God wanted you to grow grapes to make wine, you’d have been born in France.

By: Stan F

Stan F — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:42:39 +0000

If only they’d volunteers $1 for a “Wine Making Experience” course, they’d be fine instead of fined.

By: Xmas

Xmas — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 16:30:04 +0000

@MattS,

I totally agree. The law is overcomplicated and arbitrarily applied, which is unjust. We should definitely complain about California’s labor laws and their application.

By: Walter Olson

Walter Olson — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:28:51 +0000

Link to Coyoteblog post: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2014/09/non-monetary-job-benefits-example.html

By: MattS

MattS — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 15:07:32 +0000

@Xmas

Just because it’s against the law, doesn’t mean it should be against the law. We will never get rid of unjust laws if no one ever complains about them.

By: Xmas

Xmas — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:33:53 +0000

While I feel bad for the family that owned the winery, I have to agree with Coyoteblog’s feeling on this story. They own a business in California, they know the state has complicated labor laws. Just because every other winery uses volunteers doesn’t mean it isn’t against the law.

By: Jim Collins

Jim Collins — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 13:15:54 +0000

We’re from the government and we’re here to help.