Tia Orr, photo by Scott Duncan, Capitol WeeklyBy any accounting, SEIU California had a very good year. Some might say a monster year. And much of the credit goes to executive director Tia Orr, who rose to the job amidst turmoil and then led labor to some of its biggest wins in years.
Image by YanLev AlexeyOPINION: Anyone who has ever drawn a paycheck knows life doesn’t fit neatly into pay periods. A need for new tires, groceries, or medical expenses can pop up at any point in the month. EWA is a novel solution to this age-old problem.
Photo by MaximP via ShutterstockWhen most people hear “gig economy,” they likely think of Uber, Lyft, and other app-based delivery drivers (such as DoorDash, GrubHub, or Instacart) – not the person handing you medication or injecting you with IV fluids.
Strikers and their allies at a Nov. 16 rally on the campus of UC Davis. (Photo: David Kn, via Shutterstock)About 48,000 academic union workers at the University of California are in the second week of a strike at UC’s 10 campuses, from San Diego north to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. They walked off their jobs on Nov. 14 amid complaints of unfair labor practices, an action that closed some classrooms and research labs.
Diners at an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, (Photo: The Image Party, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The California Legislature is back in session after its annual summer recess, and over the course of this month, there will be hearings on hundreds of measures. Those include one that is a direct assault on the restaurant industry, as well as working families dealing with the dramatic rise in costs for the goods and services they rely on.
A worker inspects planks at a California timber yard. (Photo: sirtravelalot, via Shutterrstock)The year 2021 was a long year battling COVID-19. As coronavirus restrictions ease under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s SMARTER Plan in 2022, we turn to the Golden State’s labor market. Is it on track to rebound to its pre-pandemic shape? Here are the employment numbers, then and now.
Workers at the Caliornia College of the Arts walking a picket line. (Photo: SEIU Local 1021)California College of the Arts employees with the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 went on strike today (Feb. 8) at the private college’s Oakland and San Francisco campuses. The CCA strike is the first such labor action at a private college in California since a brief a one-day work stoppage at Pepperdine 46 years ago.
A food court in a popular shopping mall offering a variety of brands. (Photo, Thiti Sukapan, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The franchise model, whereby a brand and business are developed by a franchisor and a franchisee pays for the right to distribute products and services based on the model, is a time-honored way of achieving success. From auto repair (Meineke Car Care Centers) to childcare (Kiddie Academy), the franchise model meets the needs of a community with a known and trusted brand.
Workers at a February 2021 demonstration protesting Amazon's policies. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Our nation finds itself at a major crossroads. The anti-democratic forces that have sought to delegitimize the 2020 presidential election continue their movement to attack free and fair elections, aided and abetted by companies like Google and Facebook.
An app-user types out an order on his hand-held device. (Photo: Billion Photos, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The economic devastation of the pandemic is well-chronicled. At its peak, more than two million Californians lost their jobs. In the wake of such devastation, a recent report found that app-based rideshare and food delivery platforms helped provide earnings for displaced or struggling workers, and helped keep many restaurants and retailers afloat.