Author Archives : The Left Hook

Policy Watch: Week of 2/19


County of Santa Clara Updates on negotiations for a development agreement between with Stanford University related to its General Use Permit The October 16, 2018 (Item No. 9) Board meeting, the Board of Supervisors considered a report arising from a Board referral at the September 25, 2018 (Item No. 15) meeting requesting information about proceeding with a process to negotiate…

Storm Prompts San Jose to Call Speedy Evacuation Orders


The City of San Jose has been quick to send out evacuation orders this storm, something it failed to do the last time the city was hit by a strong rainstorm. A couple of years ago, the City took a lax approach to evacuating its citizens, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars of personal property. This time, it…

Board of Supervisors Votes Unanimously to Increase Funding to Aid Wage Theft and Sexual Assault Victims


Today, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to double the funding of the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement – increasing the capacity of the current wage theft prevention program and protecting thousands of workers and women from wage theft, human trafficking, and sexual abuse. This vote, which provides $500,000 of funding to the Office of Labor Standards…

SCU faculty demand union vote at annual fundraising gala


Over 100 Santa Clara University faculty, students and community allies rallied outside of SCU’s fundraising gala on Saturday, Jan. 19 in support of a fair vote on unionization for non-tenure track faculty. The gala featured musician James Taylor, who performed to a sold-out crowd of the university’s most elite donors. While community members marched with signs calling for a vote…

Policy Watch: Week of 2/4


City of San Jose NEW MEMO + LETTER – Update on design concepts for Diridon Station redevelopment MEMO FROM MAYOR, JIMENEZ, PERALEZ, DAVIS & ESPARZA –  As leaders whose constituents live in districts through which the train will likely pass, these elected identify four key issues that they ask Partner Agencies to thoroughly address: 1. Having grade separations (i.e. rails…

San Jose Rules Committee to Vote on Whether to Update Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance


Tomorrow, the San Jose Rules Committee will vote on whether to update the City’s Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance. The ordinance, which was originally enacted in 2016, excluded one of the industries most impacted by wage theft: construction.  One in six California construction workers is a victim of wage theft. Since 2011, approximately 7,000 Bay Area construction workers at over 500…

Policy Watch: Week of 1/28


County of Santa Clara Adding $500,000 to new OLSE budget for community-based outreach & giving direction on workplan On December 4, 2018 (Item No. 22 and Item No. 31), the Board approved the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) wor kplan with an allocation of $500,000 for the Labor Standards Outreach and Education Initiative. The Board directed Administration to report…

Bloomberg: Google Urged the U.S. to Limit Protection For Activist Workers


While Google publicly supported employees who protested company policies, it quietly asked the government to narrow the right to organize over work email By Josh Eidelson, Hassan Kanu, and Mark Bergen January 24, 2019, 2:00 AM PST Google, whose employees have captured international attention in recent months through high-profile protests of workplace policies, has been quietly urging the U.S. government to narrow legal protection for…

UTLA Reaches Bargaining Deal with District


After six days on strike along with parents, students and community members across Los Angeles, UTLA has reached a historic agreement that addresses major issues impacting schools, students and professions. Below are links to the full text and summary of that agreement, which the UTLA Board of Directors has endorsed for a YES vote. Click here to read the 2-page…

Policy Watch: Week of 1/21


City of San Jose Amending contract w/ Transdev (formerly Veolia) for 6.9% wage increase for airport shuttle bus staff (incl. Teamsters Local 665); new RFP for these services will be issued in FY18-19 On the Consent Calendar, Council will approve an amendment to the Agreement with Transdev Services, Inc. for airport shuttle bus service to increase compensation by 6.91% beginning…