In the Valley of Plenty, one in three residents do not earn enough to get by. As the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors contemplates creating an ordinance requiring its contractors to pay employees a living wage, a new economic report was released Tuesday, Oct. 14, illustrating the profound and widening economic gap in Silicon Valley. Tweet
Sep 16, 2014
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was pushed primarily as a way to extend health insurance coverage. This was and is an important goal. However another important aspect of the ACA is its impact on the labor market. The vast majority of people who are below Medicare age get their insurance through their job. This meant that tens of millions of…
Aug 28, 2014
One by one, they lined up and waited for their turn at the microphone. Santa Clara County is weighing what it can do to help lift the working class of Silicon Valley out of poverty wages and these people had come with their stories – backed with powerful statistics: 30% of county residents fall below the self-sufficiency standard for basic…
Aug 26, 2014
While tech workers reap high salaries and lavish benefits, the people who cook and serve their food, maintain their offices and provide workplace security often live in poverty – and for every tech job created, four service workers are needed to support it, creating a large and growing underclass of “invisible workers” in Silicon Valley. The issue — and startling statistics…
Aug 22, 2014
There’s been a very discernible shift in the American work environment since the beginning of the Great Recession of 2008. That’s for those Americans who are actually working full-time jobs. Just to remind you, unemployment is still painfully high. Last week’s headlines boast the ‘hot streak’ of new jobs being added to the economy and unemployment falling to 6.2%. But if…
Aug 19, 2014
The Whopper of the Week is back. I admit one reason I’ve returned to the Left Hook is that San Jose Inside’s interview with Mayor Chuck Reed provided such an irresistible target. First, let’s check out the whoppers in the Mayor’s discussion of the City Council’s deadlock on the sales tax issue. Chuck and 5 Councilmembers including Republicans Constant and Khamis…
Aug 13, 2014
UPDATE: AB 1522 passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee with unanimous approval. The bill is now on the floor of the Senate. Assemblymember Gonzalez anticipates a Senate floor vote on the bill next week or the following and if it is passed out, then it needs to come back to the Assembly for a concurrence vote, in which the amendments (none…
Aug 8, 2014
Some political debates have two equally valid sides. More often than not, however, the evidence is significantly more one-sided than journalists and pundits suggest. AB 1522, a bill that currently sits on the California Senate’s Committee on Appropriations on its Suspense File for consideration on August 14, is an example of legislation for which there is no ethical, intellectually honest opposition. Three related lenses…
Jul 31, 2014
The general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Tuesday that McDonald’s could be held jointly liable for labor and wage violations by its franchise operators — a decision that, if upheld, would disrupt longtime practices in the fast-food industry and ease the way for unionizing nationwide. Business groups called the decision outrageous. Some legal experts described it…
Jul 28, 2014
San Jose Potential measures for November Ballot San Jose City Council has a lot on its plate when Council Members come back from their July break. Polling results show support for a City sales tax increase and for a 20% Marijuana Business Tax. The Council may decide whether or not to put either or both items on the November ballot.…