Response from: DAMARI

The Monterey County Herald
Attn: Herald Executive Editor, Carolina Garcia
8 Upper Ragsdale
Monterey, CA 93940
cgarcia@montereyherald.com
(831) 646-4306

Ms. Garcia,

I have attempted through several sources to clarify my position regarding my unfair treatment by my previous employer, Citibank. I had no previous plans to leave my position as Head Teller at the Citibank branch in Carmel. After 4 years of employment with the company, the unfair and unequal treatment of employees led to medically supervised work-related stress. The manager of the branch then accused me of job abandonment which led to my termination via UPS delivery on December 15, 2005, while I was at home on medical leave.

Subsequent to my termination, I received numerous correspondences that referenced me as terminated, no longer with the company, and as a former employee. My 401K and pension have both been forwarded to me. However, when interviewed by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, Citibank representatives reported that I was terminated due to not personally reporting my absence, but rather having medical documentation reported by my physician. When interviewed by the U. S. Department Wage and Hours Division, Citibank representatives reported on August 8, 2006, that I was still an employee of the company and that a letter indicating such would be forwarded to me. To date, this letter has not been received.

I have continued to be in contact with several clients that have stated that Citibank representatives indicated that I was either on vacation, or that I voluntarily resigned in order to work with my husband in his new business. This is absolutely untrue. It was my intention to continue my employment as the benefits were extremely important to me, as well as to my family.

Clearly, there has been a gross misrepresentation by Citibank, either to its clients or to the U. S. Department Wage and Hours Division. It is my position that I was unfairly terminated by Citibank. The unscrupulous behavior of Citibank and its representatives, locally and at the corporate level, is unacceptable.

It is also my opinion that if a corporation as large as Citibank is representing itself on a local level, the local management and staff should act accordingly. A large part of the attraction of the Monterey area is the sense of community that is felt here on a day to day basis. If Citibank is allowed to misrepresent its actions to clients and government agencies, where will the corporate takeover end?

Sincerely,




Damari Stratford
dcsbears@aol.com dcsbears@aol.com wrote:

Subject: Re: Your message to the governor was received THE GOVERNOR HAS WRITTEN ME TWICE AND SAID HE WOULD HELP,, CITIBANK HAS LIED TO THE DFEH AND US LABOR DEPT WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION AND TO THEIR CLIENTS ABOUT MY STATUS, I NEED HELP, HOW CAN I FIGHT WHEN THIS CORPORATION IS TELLING LIES AND HAS ALL THE LAWYERS THEY NEED AND I CAN'T AFFORD ONE. HOW MANY TIMES ARE THEY GOING TO GET AWAY WITH MISTREATING EMPLOYEES
ON 8/8/06 RONAN FROM THE US DEPT OF LABOR WAS TOLD BY A CITIBANK ATTORNEY THAT THEY WOULD SEND ME A LETTER EXPLAINING MY STATUS AS STILL AN EMPLOYEE, I HAVE YET TO GET THIS LETTER, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PUT A LETTER TOGETHER IF THEY ARE TELLING THE TRUTH?
YOUR OFFICE AS WELL AS THE FIRST LADY'S OFFICE HAS CALLED ME BUT WE AREN'T GETTING ANYWHERE. IT HAS BEEN 7 MONTHS SINCE I FIRST WROTE THE GOVERNOR. CITIBANK ATTORNEYS HAVE CANCELLED 2 DEPOSITIONS AT THE LAST MINUTE THE LAST INE THEY CANCELLED WAS AFTER TALKING TO THE US LABOR DEPARTMENT,WHY?
MY JOB WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY AND I PLEASE HELP ME AND MY FAMILY AND ALL THOSE BEFORE ME THAT HAVE BEEN WRONGFULLY TERMINATED BY CITIBANK FOR NO GOOD REASON
WHY IS EVERYONE SO AFRAID OF CITIGROUP? WHY CAN'T I FIND AN ATTORNEY WILLING TO STAND UP TO THEM ON A CONTINGENCY BASIS? I VOTED FOR THE GOVERNOR AND I NEED HIM NOW
PLEASE CALL ANN FROM THE DFEH AT 408-277-1916 THEY TOLD HER THAT I HAD CALLED IN ILL ON 11/15/05 AND THAT I TOLD THEM I WOULDN'T BE IN, THIS IS A LIE I WORKED THAT DAY AND I CAN PROVE THIS WITH MY IME CARD, THEN THEY SAY THEY MADE AN ERROR
PLEASE CALL RONAN AT 415-744-5590 EXT 226 FROM THE US LABOR DEPT TO VERIFY WHAT CITIBANK ATTORNEYS SAID. THE ONLY REASON THEY OFFERED ME FMLA IS BECAUSE I FILED FOR DISABILITY, BEFORE THAT THEY HAD PAID OUT MY FINAL PAYCHECK, FIRED ME VIA UPS, SENT ME COBRA INFORMATION.
PLEASE HELP US PLEASE SEE THAT THE GOVERNOR GETS THIS EMAIL AND ASK HIM TO MAKE A CALL ON MY BEHALF
CORPORATE AMERICA NEEDS TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THEIR GOOD EMPLOYEES AND NOT ALLOW A MANAGER WITH BAD SKILLS TO FIRE SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE HE WANTS TO
SINCERELY DAMARI STARTFROD
MOTHER WIFE HUMAN BEING AND I VOTED FOR THE GOVERNOR
I MATTER TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


CITIBANK IN CARMEL LIES TO CLIENTS ABOUT WHY I AM NOT THERE. THEY TELL PEOPLE THAT I AM ON VACATION OR THAT I LEFT TO WORK FOR MY HUSBAND INSTEAD OF TELLING THEM HAT THEY FIRED ME AFTER MY DOCTOR FAXED IN A NOTE AND CALLED IN FOR ME TO PROTECT ME FROM HAVING MY BLOOD PRESSRE RISE. JEFF URSINO AND KATHLEEN MUNOZ LIES TO ANN AT THE DFEH AND THEIR LAWYERS LIED TO THE US DEPT OF LABOR. KATHLEN WAS DOING THE OVERDRAFT ON HER DAUGHTERS ACCOUNTS AND REFUNDED HER OWN DAUHGTER MONEY WHILE THE MANAGER WAS ON VACATION. SHE LIES ABOUT BEING FIRED FROM WELLS FARGO, SHE LIED TO THE WORKERS COMP PEOPLE AND WILL LIE TO ANYONE. KATHLEEN HAD INSTUCTED THE OTHER TELLERS TO COOK THE BOOKS BY HAVING THEM PUT IN FALSE REFEERALS AND JEFF URSINO DID NOTHING ABOUT IT BUT I GOT WRITTEN UP FOR MISSING WORK WITH A DOCTORS NOTE. THEY STATE TO ONE AGENCY THAT I WAS FIRED AND TO THE OTHER THAT I AM STILL EMPLOYED, THEY STATE I WAS FIRED FOR NOT CALLING IN YET I WAS RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO HAVE MY DOCTOEOR CALL IN AND FAX MY NOTE IN DUE TO THE STRESS AND HARRASSMENT BROUGHT ON BY JEFF AND CITIBANK, WHERE ARE THE ETHICS IN THIS COMPANY


NOW THEY ARE TELLING MORE LIES TO THE DEPT OF FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING JEFF TELLS THEM WHY I WAS FIRED AND THEIR LAWYERS TELL THE US DEPT OF LABOR THAT I AM STILL EMPLOYEED
PLEASE HELP US GET THIS STORY OUT TO THE WORLD IF IT ISN'T TOO MUCH TO ASK:) HOW DO YOU FIGHT LIARS, HOW DO THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT
CITIBANK IN CARMEL 831-624-8258 CALL AND ASK THEM WHERE I AM ASK FOR KATHLEEN AND ASK HER WHY SHE LIES THIS WOMAN WAS HAVING CITIBANK PAY FOR HER DAUGHTER OVERDRAFTS AND HER A TELLER REFUND HER OWN DAUGHTER MONEY WHILE THE MANAGER WAS OUT ON VACATION SO WHY SHOULD ANYONE BELEIVE THIS UNETHICAL PERSON JUST AS JEFF URSINO THE MANAGER OF THE CAPITOLA BRANCH LIES TO HIS BOSSES TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BETTER PLEASE HELP US WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME
HOW DO YOU FIGHT A CORPORATION LIKE THIS
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
DAMARI AND CITIBANK HERE IS THE TRUTH!!
To set the record straight!
Damari was fired by Citibank in Carmel!
Damari did not leave the bank to go work for her husband!!!!
DAMARI HAD NO PLANS TO LEAVE CITIBANK!
DAMARI PLANNED ON STAYING FOR ANOTHER 16YRS.
THE BENEFITS WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO HER FAMILY!!
DAMARI WAS FIRED VIA UPS WHILE AT HOME ILL DUE TO WORK RELATED STRESS BROUGHT ON BY THE MANAGER AND THE UNFAIR AND UNEQUAL TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES
ALONG WITH BEING THREATEN AND HARASSED
BY THE MANAGER FOR JOB ABANDOMENT.
SEVERAL OF
Citibank clients have TOLD HER that they have been told by the staff at the Carmel branch :
THAT SHE LEFT TO GO WORK FOR HER HUSBAND!
THIS IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE!!!!
What else will they lie about?
Are they ashamed of what was done??
WHY DO THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO SAY SHE LEFT TO GO WORK WITH HER HUSBAND
( I DO NOT WORK FOR MY HUSBAND)
( I DO NOT WORK FOR JND PLUMBING)
(NOR AM I ON VACATION)
INSTEAD OF JUST TELLING THE TRUTH ?
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE CARMEL BRANCH THAT COULD SWEAR TO THIS? NO!
You can reach Damari at dcsbears@aol.com
ENOUGH WITH THE LIES CITIBANK!!!
IF YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS PLEASE SEND HER AN EMAIL
CITIBANK TOLD
THE US LABOR DEPT WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION ,
ON 08/08/06
THAT I AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE
YET I HAVE LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS
THAT CLEARLY USE THE WORDS
TERMINATED
NO LONGER WITH THE COMPANY
FORMER EMPLOYEE
AND MY 401K AND PENSION HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME AS OF 8/24/06 I HAVE YET TO GET THE LETTER FROM CITIBANK WHICH EXPLAINS HOW I AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WRITE A LETTER IF YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH HOW CAN THEY SAY TO THE US DEPT OF LABOR THAT I AM STILL AN EMPLOYEE YET THEY TELL THE DFEH THAT THEY FIRED ME FOR NOT CALLING IN, WHAT IS THE TRUTH CITIBANK??????????
CITIBANK STATES THAT I WAS FIRED FOR NOT CALLING IN YET MY DOCTOR CALLED IN FOR ME THE DAY BEFORE AND ALSO FAXED IN A NOTE FOR ME WHICH THE MANAGER RETURNED TO ME WITH MY LETTER OF TERMINATION. THEY KNEW THE DAY BEFORE THAT I WASN'T COMING IN SO WHY WOULD HE CALL TO ASK IF I WAS COMING IN IF IT WAS CLEARLY STATED ON THE NOTE AND TOLD TO THEM BY MY DOCTOR TO PROTECT MY HEALTH
JUST MORE LIES BY THE CITIBANK STAFF IN CARMEL