Jun 19, 2014
Get ready to voice your opinion about what a good job really looks like. It’s one with wages that allow workers to support themselves and their families; it’s one where workers have a voice on the job to speak up about abuses or inequity; it’s one where a mother or father whose child is sick, can stay home for a…
Jun 18, 2014
Minimum wage increases are being enacted in cities across the country, from SeaTac, Washington, to Washington, D.C. Wherever a hike is proposed, free market conservatives offer the same dire warnings: Raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment, depress growth and hurt workers. The latest example is Seattle, where Mayor Ed Murray finds himself under pressure from the city’s businesses after…
Jun 17, 2014
Silicon Valley badly needs transportation improvements. Without investments in transit, expressways, bike lanes and more, our quality of life and our economy will deteriorate. Soon our community may have the opportunity to make decisions that can help make progress on these critical infrastructure issues. The Valley Transportation Authority is considering placing a quarter-cent sales tax on the November ballot. As…
Jun 16, 2014
City of San Jose Fire department response time and action plan Staff will report back to the San Jose Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee about actions that have been taken to improve response times for 9-1-1 emergency calls in San Jose, including future actions to improve response times and sustainable data collection for accurate reporting. The City is…
Jun 16, 2014
Given the increasing disparity among wage earners here, passing higher minimum wage laws in all cities in Santa Clara County is long overdue. The City of San Jose set a great example that should be emulated. If we are committed to creating and supporting a healthier, more vigorous and equitable community, this is one way to begin to address the…
Jun 13, 2014
How San Jose’s suffered under Chuck Reed A once fine city now gone to seed No A’s, no cops, no libraries open From the Merc, not a word of dissent is spoken AND SAM DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN Tweet
Jun 12, 2014
You may have heard about a campaign by 900 immigrant workers at a place called Taylor Farms in Tracy who are organizing with the Teamsters union. Maybe you thought that it’s interesting, but it’s over the hill in Tracy. Or maybe you’ve never heard of Taylor Farms, so you think it doesn’t affect you. Time to think again. Have you…
Jun 10, 2014
The current City administration likes to talk about running the City at the speed of business. Who knew it was the molasses business? On December 10, 2010, the Certificate of Occupancy was issued for the Bascom Community Center / Library Café at 1000 South Bascom Ave. On June 7, 2014 the third and final part of that facility was finally…
Jun 9, 2014
City of San Jose Councilmember Kalra to introduce Wage Theft Task Force Councilmember Kalra is proposing to establish a Wage Theft Task Force to develop a wage theft ordinance for San Jose. The proposed Task Force will bring together stakeholders from the business community, labor, workers, community-based organizations and the City to develop an ordinance to track and enforce wage…
Jun 9, 2014
The new Mayor of San Jose will face a number of different obstacles upon taking the oath of office. He will have a demoralized work force, a rising crime problem, a polarized political atmosphere and a new City Council. It is the new City Council that will determine whether San Jose moves forward or stays mired in its current malaise. …