Posts tagged Sacramento
Opinion: Free Raises for Everybody. Not.
August 17, 2023 // One obvious result will be higher costs on public works and probably fewer of them since federal dollars won’t go as far. States and localities may have to borrow more and raise taxes to fund projects. Fewer semiconductor fabs and renewable projects will probably be built since private capital won’t go as far. Another result will be less private investment, especially in housing, since contractors will have to increase wages to compete for workers with federally funded projects that must pay the prevailing wage. The rule will also reduce the competitive advantage of right-to-work states by raising the wages their contractors have to pay.
Sean O’Brien’s summer of the strike
June 26, 2023 // It’s the spark for the combative spirit that permeates Teamsters headquarters, where a whiteboard charts a long-term battle plan on a timeline — “practice picketing,” “CAT trainings” (for “contract action teams”), “identify strike teams” … and finally, on the July 31 spot that marks the end of the current contract: “STRIKE.” Why strike now? As O’Brien himself acknowledged in his Senate testimony, UPS already offers the most plum jobs in the logistics industry, with driver salaries starting at $93,000. But O’Brien argues that the pandemic gave UPS workers the greatest leverage they’ve had in decades. In 2020, union members risked their health to keep packages moving. UPS’s profits surged and have remained high, with customers still hooked on the online shopping habits they adopted during the lockdowns. “Our members are fed up” and remain convinced, he said, that “the only concern that was being addressed was UPS’s bottom line and their balance sheet.” No better time, O’Brien reasons, for workers to go to the mat to demand wages beginning at $20 an hour, tighter safety provisions and an end to the two-tier employment system ushered in by the last contract.
Op-ed: Political Earthquake in CA as Numerous High-Ranking Officials and Union Leaders Face Legal Trouble
April 3, 2023 // While many are focused on National Politics, with the former President being indicted, California's elite have their own worries with multiple major legal scandals. The political fissure runs from Sacramento to the southern border and will have aftershocks for years.
First Orlando, Now Vegas: Convention-Center Labor Strikes Authorized
December 14, 2022 // For event planners seeking to avoid a similar labor crisis that could derail their events, veteran events-industry attorney Joshua L. Grimes, Esq., of Grimes Law Office in Philadelphia, offers these thoughts: “If your event is coming up soon, I think it’s appropriate to ask the host facility specifically how they intend to handle things if the union members strike. The answer given to groups is usually, ‘Don't worry, we're going to take care of it.’ But without a labor agreement in place, I would say it's reasonable to ask the in-house catering company for a detailed backup plan. And if a group does not have confidence in what it hears, the group could demand the right to bring in its own caterer” or to use other options such as food trucks. Further, “due diligence requires that a group not wait until a few days before the event to start asking questions. There's a legal doctrine called ‘anticipatory breach’ that says a group may not need to wait until the last minute to see if foodservice can be provided at an acceptable level of quality. If it's clear that the in-house caterer won't be able to perform its contractual obligations, the group may be able to cancel the foodservice contract before the event starts and proceed to make alternate arrangements to get F&B for its guests” at an acceptable level of both product quality and service quality.
Union Staffers End Strike Against Union They Work For
November 16, 2022 // The striking SEIU staff members belong to another union, Pacific Northwest Staff Union Chapter 2015, and they went on strike through this union. PNWSU's 130 members work for SEIU as call center operators, research analysts, IT workers and labor organizers. Shortly before the strike began, PNWSU leaders released an open letter to "elected officials and political allies," which explained the reason its members intended to stay off the job.
Nearly 48,000 University of California workers poised to strike Monday
November 14, 2022 // Leaders of United Auto Workers unions representing the workers have informed the UC Office of the President of their intent to strike at all of UC's 10 campuses starting Monday if they are unable to reach an agreement with the university, UC officials said Thursday. UAW bargaining units are set to picket from 8 a.m. Monday. Nearly 98 percent of the 36,558 members voted to approve the strike authorization, according to the union.
Health care workers in Northern California strike over short staffing, COVID protocols, pay
April 20, 2022 // "By moving forward with today's costly and disruptive strike, union leadership has made it clear they are willing to put politics above patients and the nurses they represent -- despite the intervention of federal mediators and our willingness to bargain in good faith while under threat of a strike," the health network said.
Missed education during Sacramento teacher strike could cost $46 million, district says
April 13, 2022 // The eight-day strike that shut down the Sacramento City Unified School District could end up costing schools more than $46 million unless leaders can strike a deal to make up for the lost learning time, district officials announced Friday.
Sacramento City Unified teachers go on strike after no deal reached
March 24, 2022 // The district declared an impasse in negations with SCTA in December of last year over COVID-related issues. The struggle to reach an agreement started last summer.
Sacramento City Unified teachers, staff announce plans to strike next week
March 19, 2022 // "The crisis in Sacramento is a daily crisis for our students," Fisher told CapRadio before Thursday’s rally. "Imagine coming to school, day after day. And not only not having a teacher, but not even having a substitute teacher, and having to spend the day often corralled in the cafeteria with potentially dozens of other classes, or having to be shuffled around to a classroom that actually has a teacher.”