The Junior League of San Francisco and The Next to New Consignment Boutique

A true story of do good 'ers gone bad and the discrimination and harassment they condone against men.

I was recently the 5th male fired in a year by the Junior League after being threatened on my lunch break by a drunk employee and the owner of D&M Liqueur Store on Fillmore Street

The reason?

For writing a review on Yelp.com at my home about the incident that happed off the clock, off their property making no mention of where I worked where I was threatened with a wine bottle from an employee and the owner of D & M Wine & Liquor Company Fillmore St. Oh I have witnesses too!

Seems they get a discount for all the wasted cases of champaign that they buy from D & M that are scattered all over the building.

I wrote a review telling the 100% truth after being threatened and telling my manager immediately what happened and the fact I was shaken up from it. My employer did nothing for me and my well being.

Turns out because most women there were in abusive relationships and hate men and the board doesn't really want men representing a women's organization, they even kept pushing to get ride of Men's clothing even though dollars per sq foot it was the biggest seller.

Check out the review on Yelp.com by manger Robin Blankfort Nedzi that was up for 2 years , she took it down the day I was fired but there was no problem with it and she called people names in it SEE BELOW

I am now left jobless, no insurance that I worked very hard to get and risk of Melanoma coming back that they knew about. I also developed cubical tunnel syndrome from all the computer work and labor I did there. I had surgery, made no workers comp claim and came to work with no time off for a year and watched male after male get fired, put under microscope while female employees did what they wanted with no consequence ever all documented that I have copies. I was the best employee and did 75% of all work. Though they still will always be upscale thrift, they are not a real consignment shop by any means.

MASSIVE DISCRIMANTIOIN READ ON ITS AMAZING READ ON

March 27th 2009

A FEW POINTS THIS MY STORY AND OPINION PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDEMANT

*Doing good and helping people in need, and giving back should start with your own employees, so they can not only project that image for you but feel its real because at this Junior League its not results that matter its image!

*sorry to league members but you should know what type of actions your governing body is part of and condones, this is not the image I thing Mary Harriman would have dreamed of

*Its important to know my sister was President of her Junior League in Ohio 3 years ago so this not by any means an attack, I had respect for them before I learned they do discriminate!

*Once respected Robin Blankfort conned me and played me while bashing her assistant in their little power games. She refer to Jackie as dumb,air headed, untrustworthy, manipulitve and that she came from an abusive relationship so she didn't like men, but they meet in therapy together. Humm. Robin also bad mouthed the JLSF board whom she said didn't care about the store, new nothing about running a business all while she herself was missing weeks on end of work saying she had an illness (mental?) when in fact all those months of craziness and abuse she put out and condoned from her weak assistant mgr went on all because the only thing she cared or worked on was dealing with not being able to get pregnant. She had her fertility shots delivered to the store and singed for by staff, would leave on a womb (oh whim) I guess because it was 'the right time" leaving the store understaffed all the time to take of early or not come in and ignored all that went on unless it meant saving her own ass.

I was warned by people who quit out of stress and disgust that she would stab you in the back and played manipulation games, I didn't believe them till now and supported her while behind my back she did nothing but watch her mentally ill assistant Jackie Smith harass any man that worked there and if not them the weakest link of the month was her pray. the board new everyone new of the bad bad employees in the store yet did nothing ever to a female employee EVER.

*I'm not writing this to get back or even, its all 100% truthful

*Never in my life have been fired from a job.

I have been in retail most of my adult life, owned and operated many types of businesses priding myself in professionalism and self success for the last 18 years of entrepreneurship.

Unfortunately I had to shut down my last business, a Men's and Women's clothing boutique on Union St due to the poor economy. I was wiped out financially, lost it all. I needed work fast, so over a year ago I was hired by the Junior League in San Francisco to work for the Next to New Consignment Store. I started off by learning that the current assistant manger was about to be fired but the League was consulting with lawyers to make sure they do it properly because he had AIDS and was a Gay male and they didn't want another law suite. When reading this its important to know I was solely responsible for 75% the business the store did for the last 10 months and did the jobs they use to have 4 people doing.

The person in line to take his job was a woman named Jackie. I could tell immediately she had never been in retail nor had any skills whatsoever to do the job she was going to be given, so I wondered why the current Asst manager was being fired I didn't know? Then I learn Jackie was handed the job one evening in a recovery group that she and the manager were in together and more than likely lied on her resume. I was told this by the manager BTW. So she had no experience, didn't even know what a POS was, how to turn a computer on or off, how to use WORD or EXCEL, forget that even email. To top it off she was very hard an abrasive there was no warming up to her at all you can tell she had some real pent up bitterness and seamed to be with men.

Double edge sword of discrimination and deceit with a knife in my back, by one time respected Manager and The Junior League Board of San Francisco whom actually are nasty. I bought, sold and worked there. When I was hired the store was a mess poorly staffed I took on the jobs that they use to have 4 people do. IT, handyman cost that they no longer had to pay for, created the first email list, open closed the store, display windows, merchandised the store, took care of customers, ran the consignment process with clients pricing it, entering it in the system, putting out on the floor, moving furniture, unloading cars, hanging pictures,building slat wall, window displays. I offered to update their old web site for free because it was so outdated.

I was subjected to power games between managers, told private things like one manger told me the other said she cant stop thinking of my hot body the other said constantly how dumb the other is and cant be trusted, but I put up with it and put up with the challenge of being the only male while the last 5 were fired, fearing one day I'm next. I wrote letters to the Junior League Board detailing what was going on and what I was going through. NO REPLY EVER.

MY PAYOFF FOR A YEAR OF HARD WORK THAT GOT ME CUBITAL TUNNEL SYNDROME SURGERY FROM BEING THE ONLY MALE WHO DID ALL THE LIFTING AND LABOR ON TOP OFF DOING ALL THE COMPUTER PROCESING WITH UNREAL AMOUNTS OF RETAIL POLITICAL HEADACHE.

One day while doing my JOB a van parked in our white zone that was not to be there. Being as I hear all the cosigners complain it was never available I made sure it was clear for them and told the van they couldn't park there. Two young guys get out park anyway with no regard. Oh well I tried. The next day I was on my lunch break and I go to D&M Liquors on the corner to get a coke. When I get t the counter a voice rudely yells A BUCK! I look up and its the guy from the van. I said I hope your not still bitter over that parking I was doing my job. He yells well I am you know I Fu#& work here. I said calm down no didn't know you work here or it wouldn't be a problem, I was doing my job he said you were being an ass#@!oe. I laughed I said whatever punk, and walked away. As my back it turned and one foot out the door he yells HEY, I turn around and he walks into my face with a wine bottle. And I said oh are you going to it me with that. He was an inch form my face and as people stopped on the sidewalk he finally backed off, I left.


Two days later the owner comes over calls the stores assistant manger (BY TITLE) he started screaming because he saw the review I wrote on Yelp, he wasn't there and didn't know he employee threatened me with a wine bottle but yet the assistant mgr condoned his threats to me as he raised his fist to me and acted as if he was going to kick me (I have witnesses to this too).

I again walked away went back to working while the ASSistant Mgr let him threatening me at my work place. Owner mind you of the Liquor Store, I think he was drunk. She recommends he write to the President of The Junior League. She had NO Retail or management experience saw me as a threat because I was year ahead of her and was given her job because she and the manger are in the same help/recovery group, (as the manger told me). She even lied about her experience on her resume I was told. She was the least liked person in the store, was instrumental in the firing of all men, I still wonder why she replaced the male assistant who was light years ahead of her in experience?, She made no contribution at all to the store, that sentiment was felt throughout.

Imagine your employee is assaulted on their lunch break they come back tell 3 people and the manger that you're shaken-up and no help. Yet the manger allowed her assistant to again climb all over an opportunity to get the last guy fired. I wrote to the Junior League about the harassment and got no reply. I wrote a review on Yelp about the incident as I was a patron of the Liquor store that day and I'm entitled to my free speech. I was threatened in a place of business. I made no mention of where I worked just said I work on the street. I was off company property when it happened, off the clock and at home when I wrote my review (which the manager asked me to remove so I did being the better man).

The same type of review the manger wrote about another consignment store on the street calling them names. CHECK IT OUT
A month later I'm called up and FIRED just like that. No talking, not hearing my side, not sorry this happened to you, or coming to my defense after a year of solid exemplary work and out producing anyone there responsible for most of their sales.

The last guy fired wore ties to work (not at all dress policy) dressed well daily. One day he didn't shave, barley had facial hair he was called out on it on front of everyone by the manger, while a female employee was allowed to wear cut of sweats to her ankles, white socks, sandals and sweatshirts. No consequence,she has been warned almost weekly (documented) for a year about her bad work habits, gossiping,and slacking off. The only dress code ever talked about by Robin was men must wear collared shirts while women wore anything they wanted.

Another example of discrimination. March 2009 a female employee asked to leave early the manager said "no" she cant, she got her stuff walked out the door, under staffing the store, forcing it to close for the rest of the day!. She is still there and was granted a schedule request days after!

All the woman were written up, warned about there performance more than any male, yet none ever fired. There was daily displays of hypocritical decisions and actions that never effected female employees. Thus the reason the LAST 5 EMPLOYEES FIRED WERE ALL MEN

Below is the letter I wrote to the Junior League President Gwinne Berexa and her assistant Tammy Brass Hill. No reply until they she and the assistant manager tried to turn on the manager then they picked my brain one night on the phone for 2 hours with the assistant all trying to undermined the manager. Amazing what I endured here!

Tammy and Gwinne,

> There have recently been a chain of events that have led to the writing of this letter and I now feel a need to inform you of them. I apologize for the length but hope you will read this letter in the way it is intended. This not meant, in any way, to stir up old issues or to make trouble; however, my character seems to be in question, and if there is any dark cloud over me I want to clear it up, if only for my own conscious. I like my job very much
> and if you were in the store you would see I do it well with passion, efficiency, people skills and knowledge of the business.

> I have been made to feel I have to prove myself. Robin has
> said, “it might take 10 good things for the one bad someone has heard”. I
> surely have done more than 10 good things for the store (I do that
> weekly); nevertheless, that comment pushed me to follow through.

This past Thursday Jackie wrote herself
off the schedule for the day. She also gave her O.K.'d for two of the staff to
> come in at 12pm . This left only Robin and myself for two hours visibly on
> a schedule that was printed out as O.K.'d, complete and off by 12 hours or
> so. Friday's schedule had only myself, Robin and Amelia, while Jackie was off
> again. She is also off tomorrow (Sunday). These scheduling errors happen
> weekly while revisions get resent over and over. This is just a small
> sample of the incompetence that has become the norm.
>
> In conversation, Robin mentioned I was doing myself no good by not
> telling my side of things that transpired months ago between Jackie
> and myself. For the record, we have been getting along fine and have had no major
> incidents other than the things mentioned above, or simply the lack of
> productivity and experience that I have been told to except. I have tried to do so and
> continue to pay close attention to my own responsibilities. >
> I had decided, as a team player, the best way to proceed was to get past
> these issues and not let it go further. And that is what I have tried to do! Now the fact I have
> to defend my character as a team player, or a person who abides by the rules is
> ludicrous and have brought these issues to the surface again. I'm not perfect but all work
>places have incidents and differences and I have always been able to deal with anything that would arise. No one from my past work experiences or friends would ever say I'm not a team player, let alone a rule breaker. In fact, it would be quite the opposite…ten times over!
>
>I have brought more to this store in the last year than anyone other than
> Robin. If you stand in the store for a half hour you will hear my name
> called out more than anyone's. This isn't to lift heavy objects
> either. The past issues I have had with Jackie I have never had in my
> professional working life before. Also, I have never worked with anyone who
> has had issues with so many people and instrumental in their firing.
>
> When I was hired I immediately noticed Jackie could not look
> at me or talk to me as a normal co-worker… nor to anyone else for that
> matter. I brought this to Robin's attention and I asked
> about her abrasiveness with everyone including the customers. This was the
> oddest thing I have experienced in retail… a people business where
> speaking face-to-face and personality is a must. While in my second
> month, a guy named Van was hired. He had worked at Goodwill as a temp.
> prior to his hire. From day one Jackie road him like crazy and talked down
> to him daily while saying he should be fired. At the same time, Jackie wasn't even able to process items on the computer and, after two months, had just learned the register herself while
> giving direction to new employees.
>I never had any issues with Van, we got along well and he took direction from me easily. All the while he kept asking why she was so aggressive and mean to him. Ultimately he couldn't take it any longer. They had a blow up and he was fired.

> The next one hired was Mitch. Mitch was a laid-back college kid from San Diego who needed direction but willing to work.
> Ironically, he and Jackie clashed. Mitch was also fired. Both
> Mitch and Van were intelligent, capable workers and fired for no reason at
> all except a personality clash with Jackie.
>
> This type of behavior carried over to me when nobody was left. And it was
> during this period the falling-out happened causing me to start taking notes.
> After three meetings with Robin, Jackie and I, it was clear she would not change in
> any way, nor make any effort to be a team player, be more democratic or diplomatic
> in her ways. I would approach her if there was confusion over anything and
> she always turned her back on me in blatant disregard. I would
> talk to Robin weekly and ask her what I could do; she would say, ”you two work it
> out”. Over and over I told her I was trying but I couldn't understand why
> Jackie was so bitter and not able to talk to me or anyone. No answer…. no
> action. Again, I have never had this conflict at work before and the
> things that have been said about me would never be heard from one of my previous
> co-workers or a former employee.

As you know, James, who came next, also needed direction and training.
> Robin told me he would be my right-hand man since I had more projects and
> more on my plate as far as needing help for major
> store moves, getting clothing out, etc. I thought James was a good fit. He was always on
> time and only sick once. Things went well until I didn't have
> something for James to do. Then Jackie would start on him. She belittled
> him and talked down to him. She and Robin put him under the microscope,
> singling him out while others did as they pleased.
> Jackie was the biggest offender by repeatedly telling James what not
> to do. An example…leaving the floor unattended. Something
> Jackie does daily without thought or care or telling anyone. James
> would be told “not” to do something while watching others constantly get by with
> doing that very thing. Once again, I was being asked the same question by a co-worker: > what was wrong with Jackie?
He would question himself about being able to perform any task or fix what
> was wrong due to the over-scrutiny he was facing daily. He took
> direction from me well and I would try giving him things he could be
> responsible for and take pride in. I would have him help me
> with the windows or help merchandise the store. And he enjoyed it; however,
> he would always be pulled away by Jackie and given some made-up task with no direction and for the oddest reason….. if there even was one.
> It was all ludicrous. He had never worked a POS system and he was thrown to the
> wolves. You know the story from here….. like the previous two guys,
> James was fired! Michael then quit in protest of this action. I told
> Robin I agreed James needed help but, I felt if any firing was going to
> done, there were others that should have gone first. Robin sent me a letter to
> “proof” that she had written to James. My reply was that it lacked any positive reinforcement.

> It was becoming increasingly difficult to watch these types of things happen and still have
> respect for an assistant manager who had no retail background, no management skills, not a
> team player, can't get along with anyone in the store, difficult to work with while having a blatant disregard for others.
> I did speak with Robin about all of these incidents and it seemed as
> though she didn't witness any of them or didn't want to. I feel Robin would
> have made better decisions about all three of these employees if she had an
> assistant who supported her in building a winning staff instead of the
> micro management that actually never produced a thing but negativity,
> and surely no results. I believe Jackie convinced Robin to take the measures
> she did. She saw people's weaknesses but couldn't turn them into new strengths.

Since Robin and I had strong backgrounds, communicated well and shared visions for
> building the store, they weren't allowed to manifest into what they could have due to another
> employee and I had to stand my ground. I did this while still respecting the fact another had
> the title of assistant manger and while making countless attempts to break the cycle with kindness.
>. 
> A time came when Jackie called and said she had a chance to go to Austria for a wedding and
> could I work for her so she was able to go. I knew right away this might be the
> chance to break the ice, and without hesitation, I said, “sure”!
> Two days after returning she was back to the cold, abrasive co-worker and, after being away, proceeded to take “my” day off that week for herself.
>
> I have been in retail for years, from being a salesperson on a commission-based floor
> where I built the largest client base in the company's
> history, was top salesperson out of 400 people five years straight,
> never dropping out of the number one slot while managing their
> flagship store that did 2 million a year to owning my own men's and
> women's clothing boutique on Union Street. In addition, I have owned and operated
> two successful UPS Stores. None of this can be done without being a
> leader, a team player, a knowledgeable, responsible, customer service professional.

So, the fact that my character was in question when Jackie made a
> complaint is unwarranted and with no validity at all . I can honestly say, most of the

> incidents that came about were provoked by her inability to be a people person.
All of this can be backed up by the staff and Robin…..who recently stated she would take
me over Jackie any day if it came down to it.

> Similar confusing comments have been made to me in the past (i.e. at a ball game with she and

her husband when she expressed how she wished she had hired me first and she questions
> Jackie's claims of experience, her knowledge, and trust). I'm sure she would not deny this.

>I feel I could take the few things Jackie does on a daily basis and add them to my list of
> responsibilities and get them done quicker and more proficiently. When she does the
> schedule it takes her the better part of three days upstairs and most every week it is
> wrong, or resent to the staff two times and just days before their new week begins.
> She does the timecards and has made at least two errors on my paychecks.
> When on the floor, she doesn't straighten the store; she will walk by a hanger on the floor
> and never clean out a fitting room. In addition, she talks on her cell phone non-stop,
> leaves the sales floor all the time without filling her spot or telling anyone and then reprimands
> a person if they go to a window to get an item for a customer without making it known.
>
> Below are a few of the notes I have taken during some events that have occurred over
> time and have lead me to this point. I have never threatened Jackie nor raised my
> voice and most of the time didn't say anything except, “we can talk about this”, all the while
she turned her back on me and would walk away. I do feel uncomfortable sending this but I
> need to clear the air and be able to continue working with a clear

> conscience. I'm not harboring anger or on a mission. I feel I have the
> right to come forward and need to as well. And I have been told by Robin that I
> should do so. I hope you understand and I thank you for being there for myself
> and other employees when they feel the need to come to you. Unfortunately, it has been a
> roller coaster ride and very challenging in every way. I look forward to a continued relationship.
>
>
> Steve Portaro
>

NO ANSWER BY THEM EVER OR HELP

> Notes


> Surgery shoulder incident
> In one week I was going through melanoma surgery and possible diagnosis of
> testicular cancer . I had just had a cancer removed and one
> morning called Jackie to tell her I was running late as my shoulder
> (area of surgery) was bleeding and I couldn't get it to stop. I came to
> work and dug into my business. While buried in processing and other work,
> there were two other male staffers on the floor both doing
> nothing at the time. Jackie came over
> and asked me to go help a donator unload their car. After
> surgery, stitches and a morning with a bleeding shoulder? I
> asked her to please ask someone else and she said, “I'm asking you” . I said I
> can't because of my shoulder; only because other employees heard did
> she lay off. Later she came over again and said, “Steve, I need you on
> the floor”. I asked where the other two employees were she said
> upstairs. Mind you I had seniority over them and they should have had
> to come down to the floor. I explained I had lots to do and could she
> ask the others? She said again,” I'm asking you”. No diplomacy, no stopping
> to see that, in fact, I was swamped. Even worse… the two other
> male co-workers WERE on the floor and she didn't even know it after
> telling me they were upstairs. She then left the floor herself for the
> rest of the day.

questions @stpbybay@gmail.com

DELETED ON MAY 28TH 2009 AFTER I WAS FIRED FOR A YELP POSTING ABOUT A BUSINESS ON THE SAME STREET JUST AS THE MANGER ROBIN HAD DONE BUT I WAS ASSULTED SHE WAS JUST INSULTING, SHE DELTED IT FAST SO THE JLSF BOARD WOULDNT SEE IT BUT I COPIED IT ;)