Gov. signs Carter's employment protection measure

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Oct. 11 signed the Civil Air Patrol Employment Protection Act that was authored by Assemblymember Wilmer Amina Carter.

The measure assures that members of the all-volunteer Civil Air Patrol in California will have employment protection after returning to their jobs from an authorized emergency mission. 

The act establishes a right to employment leave (up to 10 days a year) for members of the California Wing of CAP, which is an official Civilian Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

The protection applies only when members are called up for an emergency by the U.S. Air Force, the California Emergency Management Agency or any subdivision of the state with the authority to declare an emergency.

"To perform search and rescue flights for several days and find out you've lost your job is devastating to a volunteer whose main purpose is to save lives," Carter said.

"Until my bill was signed into law, CAP members only had the job protection rights given to them by their employers ... Fortunately, employers have generally been supportive of the Civil Air Patrol.
 
"Their payment, for a CAP volunteer, is in the personal reward of contributing countless hours of non-compensated time.

"But the California Wing of the Civil Air Patrol can't be a consistent resource, unless they are fully supported for their patriotic service."

Carter is a Democrat who represents the 62nd District, which includes Fontana.