Workers Independent News - San Francisco

Longshore Workers Proud Of May Day Antiwar Action - 05/01/08

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:24:30 -0700

By Doug Cunningham

Despite efforts by employers to stop it, longshore union workers in California are going ahead with their planned work stoppage Thursday to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jack Heyman of ILWU Local 10 expects the ports to be shut down during the day shift May 1st.

[Heyman]: "This action on May Day is a culmination of our internationalist perspective, and we’re really proud that we’re actually going to be doing this."

San Francisco Longshoremen To Shut Down Ports In Solidarity Action - 12/07/06

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 19:17:45 -0800

Maritime workers in San Francisco are seeking a ticket back to Alcatraz. Jesse Russell has more:

A port-wide shutdown is expected in San Francisco on Saturday. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union plan to join a mass march in support of embattled former workers of the Alcatraz Ferry and the Pier 41 docking facility. In the fall of 2005 the ferry contract was taken from the union Blue and Gold Fleet and given to the non-union Hornblower Yachts. After months of legal proceedings Hornblower finally took over in September of 2006. Those workers have now been picketing for two months demanding they be hired by Hornblower and a restoration of union rights. The maritime workers argue that Hornblower hurts the local economy by paying workers less than a reasonable living wage and can also lead to more accidents and spills due to the hiring of lesser experienced workers. Mass picketing is planned at 10 a.m. Saturday in front of Alcatraz Landing.

Big-City Support For Legally Mandated Paid Sick Days Grows - 11/22/06

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:24:44 -0800

By Doug Cunningham

Support is growing in big cities to legally require that workers get paid sick days. San Francisco voters passed a ballot initiative that gives up to nine days of paid sick leave a year to fulltime workers. A survey of public opinion in New York City shows seventy percent support for making paid sick leave available for all workers. That survey – conducted by Lake Research Partners for the Community Service Society, shows that 65 percent of New York City’s working poor have no paid sick leave. Debra Ness, President of the National Partnership for Women and Families, says nearly half of private sector workers have no paid sick days. She says low wage workers are hit the hardest by having to lose pay when they’re sick.

San Francisco Hotel Workers Reach Agreement - 09/14/06

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:03:43 -0700

By Jesse Russell

After a strike, a lockout and a heated labor dispute running for nearly two years - hotel workers in San Francisco have reached a tentative agreement with their employers. More than 4,000 workers from 14 hotels are represented by UNITE-Here who has been meeting with hotel management daily for two weeks straight. The hotels reportedly dropped an attempt to split employee benefits into two tiers - one of the major sticking point for the workers. Last month the workers had voted in favor of strike action if a contract agreement could not be reached.

Special coverage of California special elections

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 18:23:34 -0800

By Jesse Russell with Vinny Lombardo and Leilani Albano

California voters are headed to the polls today for a hotly contested special election. Not only is it the most expensive election in that state's history, the outcome could determine the ability of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to hold onto his seat and the viability of the labor movement. At the core of the debate are propositions 74 through 78. Leilani Albano has more from Los Angeles:

Propositions 74 through 78 deal with: toughening tenureship rules for teachers, weakening public-sector unions, school spending limits, changing re-districting methods, and gaining access to low-cost pharmaceuticals.

California prepares for critical and historic election - 11/07/05

Sun, 06 Nov 2005 15:22:26 -0800

By Jesse Russell and Grace Turner
Last week opponents of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. WIN correspondent Grace Turner files this report.

[Chanting, "Vote Early, Vote No!"]
Waving signs reading "Vote No!" opponents of California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. They were there to vote early for the November 8th Special Election. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom warned against the governors initiatives.
Appearing on the ballot are initiatives regarding: parental notification for teenagers seeking abortions, lengthening teachers probationary period, labor union clout, the quality of government services, redistricting, prescription drug costs and electricity supplies.

Special Election Report from San Francisco

Sat, 05 Nov 2005 12:44:19 -0800

For the Workers Independent News, I’m Jesse Russell with the last of three special reports on the November 8th special election in California. Last week opponents of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot initiatives gathered on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. WIN correspondent Grace Turner files this report.

[Chanting, "Vote Early, Vote No!"]

Waving signs reading "Vote No!" opponents of California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. They were there to vote early for the November 8th Special Election. San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom warned against the governors initiatives.

SEIU files injunction against Sutter Health for use of replacement workers - 10/07/05

Thu, 06 Oct 2005 13:58:49 -0700

By Jesse Russell

In a lawsuit filed Monday a union representing 800 striking workers at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, sought an injunction barring the hospirtal and Sutter Health, its parent company, from employing replacement workers. The Service Employees International Union local 250 began the strike in September after talks collapsed. The union alleges the company backed out of a settlement proposed by a federal mediator, while the hospital said it never made an agreement.

SEIU supports San Francisco strikers with $250,000 a week - 09/21/05

Tue, 20 Sep 2005 15:58:42 -0700

SEIU 's Andy Stern says SEIU will give $250,000 a week to San Francisco strikers. Grace Turner has more on that story.

By Grace Turner

Stern, visited the picket line of striking California Pacific Medical
Care workers to announce major financial support. More than 800 SEIU members at three San Francisco hospitals have been on strike since September 13th.

[Stern1] “This is a pretty fundamental fight about
whether or not we’re going to have a healthcare system
where the first question is, ‘Where does it hurt?’ and

not, ‘Where is your insurance card?’ Whether
healthcare is about patients or profits. Unfortunately

Labor dispute costing San Francisco hotels conventions - 07/11/05

Sat, 09 Jul 2005 08:20:42 -0700

By Jesse Russell

San Francisco hotels could lose close to $50 million next year because of an ongoing labor dispute. Five groups are currently considering moving their conventions if an agreement isn't reached between 14 hotels and workers represented by UNITE-HERE local 2. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement during contract negotiations. Workers have been without a contract since August of last year in a grueling battle that has included strikes and an employee lockout. The workers are seeking comprehensive healthcare, fair wage increases, fully funded pensions and card check neutrality.

Hotel workers struggle at boiling point again in California

Thu, 05 May 2005 21:08:09 -0700

The San Francisco hotel stand-off is once again moving toward it's boiling point. Thirty seven protestors were taken into "protective custody" by police on Tuesday. They were a portion of a 500 strong contingent of UNITE-Here local 2 employees who marched on the San Francisco Hilton. The demonstration came out of frustration over a contract negotiation stalemate between the union and 14 downtown hotels. The two sides had agreed to a "cooling-off" period last November after a two-week strike and six-week lockout. Health, contract length, wages and pensions are all concerns of the workers.

Thousands of working families expected to protest Gov. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco

Tue, 05 Apr 2005 17:36:16 -0700

Thousands of workers and their families are expected in the streets of San Francisco today to protest what they say are the anti-worker policies of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tim Paulson is Executive Director of the San Francisco Central Labor Council.

[Tim Paulson 1] : "He's traveling the state right now and he's collecting money from corporate interests to basically attack workers' rights."

UNITE-HERE workers in San Francisco continue their boycott

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 12:13:10 -0800

Thousands of hotel workers represented by UNITE-HERE in San Francisco continue to struggle with hotel owners over settlement of a fair contract for the workers. UNITE-HERE Local 2 Communications Director Valerie Lapin says health care, pensions and pay raises are issues that remain unresolved in on and off talks with hotel management.

[Valerie Lapin 1]: "We've been at the bargaining table on and off but we're still quite a distance apart on some major issues, particularly in the area of health care."

Social Security fight taken to door step of Charles Schwab

Thu, 27 Jan 2005 08:17:21 -0800

The AFL-CIO is launching a national grassroots fight to defend social security against the Bush privatization attempt. Actions in San Francisco and Boston Wednesday singled out financial firms like Charles Schwab
urging them not to assist social security privatization. Tim Paulson is the Executive Director of the San Francisco Labor Council.

[Tim Paulson]: "Social security is not broken and the only thing that's attempted to be broken is the promise to working men and women that when they retire that they will have guaranteed benefits. And we believe that corporate America is just drooling right now waiting to get a piece of our retirement and make sure that they can profit off of it and let it get into the speculative realm."

The AFL-CIO believes that private financial companies, rocked by corporate crime and scandal in recent years, should never be trusted to handle social security accounts.

Supreme Court refuses to hear living wage case

Fri, 14 Jan 2005 14:41:01 -0800

The U.S. Supreme Court has handed a victory to low-wage workers. It refused to hear an appeal of a San Francisco U.S. Court decision upholding Berkeley, California's living wage ordinance. Skates on The Bay, a non-union waterfront restaurant in Berkeley¹s marina had challenged an extension of the law. Berkeley City Attorney Manuela Albuquerque (Albu-kirk) says this is important for other cities around the nation that want to enact similar living wage ordinances.

[Manuela Albuquerque 1]: "The ninth circuit decision which the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear was a very thoughtful, scholarly opinion and it established that social welfare legislation of this sort is to be treated with a great deal of deference in the courts."