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Indy Obama Workers Say They Weren't Properly Paid

Hundreds Gather Outside Office

POSTED: 6:46 am EST November 6, 2008
UPDATED: 6:55 am EST November 6, 2008

Indiana campaign workers for Barack Obama said Wednesday they were not correctly paid for canvassing they did for the campaign.

Workers told 6News' Ericka Flye that they are overjoyed that Obama won, but upset that they are not getting paid what they thought they would.

The campaign mostly used volunteers, but needed some extra help in the final days, so they hired some workers.

Rosa Williams was among 375 people recruited by the campaign to do some last-minute work for $10 an hour.

"We had to fill out an application when we got here and everything, and they were taking you right off the street with anything -- no questions asked," Williams said.

The workers were sent to several neighborhoods in the last few days of the campaign, trying to rally support for Obama.

"I know I went over at least 500 doors within the five days I worked," said Daniel Saunders. "I probably talked to close to 1,000 people. I was expecting $405, and today I got paid $90."

Workers were paid with Visa gift cards, but many said they were owed more money for the hours they worked.

"Some of these people have bills to pay," said Gillie Watson. "I mean, this is around the first of the month."

Shawn King, who campaigned with his mother, said they weren't paid at all.

"We worked three days and basically they just said we wasn't in the system and we didn't get no type of pay or no type of money," King said. "So they had us sign our name on the little list."

Williams said she's disappointed but still celebrating a victory.

"I got him elected, but you asked people to do something for you, like any other job wherever you work, you want to get paid for it," Williams said.

Jonathon Swain, of the Obama campaign, told 6News that workers committed to work a set number of hours up front and that the campaign calculated pay according to those hours.

Some of the workers said they worked longer than they had committed to. Swain said the campaign will try to resolve the issues with the workers.
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