South San Francisco city employees, including 911 dispatchers, park workers, preschool teachers, librarians and others, are on the verge of striking, according to a group claiming affiliation with AFSCME 829, a union that represents public employees.

The group, People For A Fair South City, said in a release about 120 employees could strike later this month. Facilities maintenance workers, Public Works employees and building and construction inspectors are also among those represented, according to the release.

The workers are seeking raises for their upcoming three-year contract.

According to a statement from the city, the workers were offered a 12% raise over three years, 6% in the first year and 3% in the second and third year of the contract. But sought are across-the-board wage increases of 13% to 16% over two years, with increases up to 20% for some employees, according to the statement.

The workers say they are demanding raises to align with pay offered in neighboring cities, where employees make 12% more, according to People For A Fair South City. More than 95% of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 829 members working for South San Francisco have signed commitments to go on strike if necessary, according to the group.

The move also comes after the City Council approved $4,800 bonuses to be given to its workforce, nearly 450 employees, in June after fruit negotiations with the same union.

Council member Mark Addiego said the bonus negotiation “set the tone for a real contentious time with the regular contract.”

He said while he agreed wages should be increased amid inflation and other factors driving up the cost of living, the raises asked for would cause the city’s budget to go into a deficit. He said preliminary projections indicate the city’s revenue will increase in coming years, however, he would be uncomfortable approving such an ask.

“I believe we’ve gone as far as we can, because in all my time serving, I don’t remember a time when contracts took us into red ink,” he said. “They have their fears, the rank-and-file have their fears about the future, and so does this councilperson.”

The group points to nearly $60 million in the city’s reserves, roughly half the city’s annual operating budget.

“We have more than enough to pay our workers a little more,” the group’s website reads. It further states that as the cost of living in the region has increased, city employees have absorbed a 9.1% pay cut in the last 14 years.

Council member James Coleman indicated support for the requested raises.

“At the city of South San Francisco, we really value our workers and we want to make sure that they are given fair wages, a fair contract,” he said.

He said while there was uncertainty in the budget in coming years, and a balance would be required to ensure fiscal responsibility, he believed the budget would be “definitely able to sustain a raise that our workers could be proud of.”

“We do have a healthy amount of reserves in the city, which can be used in times like these, when there’s COVID still happening, there is a recession,” he said.

Along with the bonuses for city employees in June, the City Council last week approved $4,800 bonuses for executive management and public safety managers, including the city manager, department heads and high-ranking fire and police department members — employees left out of the first round of bonuses.

Also approved with the council’s action were across-the-board raises of 6% in the first year and 3% increases in both the second and third years for the group.

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If your travel plans this week include a stop at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) you might want to pack a few extra snacks and grab a coffee before you get there.

Following nine months of wage negotiations, SFO restaurant workers declared a general strike early Monday morning, SFist reports.

Workers previously voted by a margin of 99.7 percent to authorize a strike if a deal couldn’t be reached, according to a news release. Now, 1,000 of the airport’s cashiers, cooks, bartenders, baristas, servers and dishwashers are following through.

Unite Here Local 2, the union representing SFO’s food service workers, held a demonstration outside the airport on September 16. Forty-one workers and their supporters, including some elected officials, were arrested for blocking traffic outside of Terminal 3.

The majority of the airport’s restaurant workers make around $17.05 per hour and haven’t gotten a raise in three years, union members said in a statement. In a few videos posted to social media, workers have compared their wages to the prices of popular menu items at the airport. One such video has been viewed over 500,000 times.

In the short clips, workers take special care to note that their hourly wage isn’t even enough to cover a meal at their employer’s establishment.

All told, the strike will affect 30 different employers at 84 food and beverage outlets throughout the airport. The employers are bargaining as a collective, represented by the SFO Airport Restaurant Employer Council.

In a statement from SFO, airport officials pointed out that while a majority of their food and beverage locations will be shut down, staffing at airport newsstands isn’t currently affected. Those outlets will still be able to offer grab-and-go food and beverages.

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Hundreds of workers at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, the largest operator of single-room occupancy buildings in San Francisco, said they were planning a one-day strike expected to commence on Wednesday.

The employees overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike in May, with 99% in support. Since then, the union and THC have continued meeting for bargaining talks that have now been grinding on for nearly eight months.

While the two sides made progress addressing worker fatigue — agreeing to allot three mental health days for each employee — they remain at odds over wages, the key issue driving the strike.

“Wages pay rent, they pay rising gas bills, they pay for groceries,” said Evan Oravec, a THC community organizer and president of its union, which is affiliated with Service Employees International Union Local 1021.

So far, THC’s position on wages increases “is not satisfactory for workers,” Oravec said. “It doesn’t raise everyone enough,” he said, referring to the proposed scale of $19 to $21 an hour for desk clerks, $20 to $22 for janitors and $22 to $24 for maintenance workers.

That range is too low, Oravec said, and has triggered fears of pay compression, which occurs when employees with different levels of experience earn roughly the same amount. A desk clerk with one or two years of experience already makes $18.40 an hour, Oravec said, fearing the new rates would effectively lock these employees in at a salary barely better than their current earnings.

Tenderloin Housing Clinic’s executive director, Randy Shaw, said he shares the union’s concerns about setting the bottom of the pay scale too low. Though Shaw believes that Wednesday’s action will have little impact on SRO residents — given its short anticipated duration — he and other managers have pressed the city to raise the proposed bar as contract negotiations wear on.

“We know it’s disruptive to not go in for a day,” clinical case manager Marissa Roarty said, indicating that without janitors, toilets might get clogged and trash might not get taken out, and without desk clerks, guests might not be able to come and go.

She said the workers “feel like this is a last resort.”

Union organizers were threatening to strike for several days, even as they continued bargaining with management. Though the talks appear amicable, workers sent a strong message when they held a picket sign-making party last Wednesday.

Mayor London Breed and the Board of Supervisors boosted funding in San Francisco’s budget this year for city-contracted nonprofits — and specifically those that oversee permanent supportive housing — with an eye toward increasing wages. The budget includes a 5.25% pay increase for all employees of nonprofits funded by the city, plus a 2.5% increase for all nonprofit contracts, which could also go to worker earnings.

Additionally, the city is providing $3 million annually to nonprofits in the permanent supportive housing sector, to bring case manager salaries up to $28 an hour, according to the mayor’s office.

However, Shaw said he’s been assured only that case managers’ salaries would rise to $25 an hour.

Another item in the budget allocates $12 million annually to raise wages of other frontline workers in the permanently supportive housing sphere.

Shaw said he agrees with the union that the minimums established in the current proposed pay scales for desk clerks, janitors and maintenance workers are all too low. He said the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing set those ranges, and the Tenderloin Housing Clinic has emphatically pushed to increase them.

A representative of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing said officials have prioritized “wage equity” in this year’s budget.

“We’ve been pounding HSH as hard as we can,” Shaw said, adding that clinic management also tried lobbying members of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget and Appropriations Committee, but could not persuade the majority of its five members to mandate that the department set pay at the higher end of the scale.

Robert Crockett, a custodian at THC who currently makes $17.37 an hour, said he’s confident his union will negotiate a better wage.

“The cost of living in San Francisco is very high: telephone bills, washing clothes and then I have grandkids,” Crockett said during a phone interview Thursday afternoon from the Raman Hotel, one of the clinic’s buildings on Howard Street.

Crockett lives in the Galvin Apartments, a separate Tenderloin Housing Clinic property in SoMa.

Chronicle staff writer Sabrina Pascua contributed to this report.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA — More than 8,000 nurses and health care workers are striking today outside 18 Sutter Health facilities across Northern California, including in San Francisco and nine others in the Bay Area.

Union representatives say Sutter Health has refused to address concerns about safe staffing and health and safety protections.

The one-day strike was authorized by a nearly unanimous vote in March and advance notice was given to Sutter Health for the strike, according to the California Nurses Association and the Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union.

The nurses and health care workers have been in negotiations since June 2021 for a new contract, with little to no movement on key issues, according to a statement from the union.

Sutter officials, however, said Sunday that the nurses’ strike comes despite the resumption of negotiations that involve a federal mediator.

“Work stoppages at 18 of our sites — even for a single day — require complex and costly preparation, and obligate us to make plans that our teams, patients and communities can rely on,” Sutter said in a statement.

Contracted replacement workers would staff the facilities during the strike, according to Sutter.
The nurses are calling on management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides safe staffing that allows nurses to provide safe and therapeutic care. The nurses and health care workers also want the hospitals to invest in personal protective equipment stockpiles and comply with California’s PPE stockpile law.

“We are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of PPE supplies and contact tracing,” said Renee Waters, an intensive care RN with 26 years of experience. “They resist having nurses directly involved in planning and implementation of policies that affect all of us during a pandemic.”

The nurses are set to picket from 7 to 11 am and 2 to 6 pm on Monday at Sutter Health facilities in cities that include Berkeley, Oakland, Vallejo, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Castro Valley, Antioch, Burlingame and Novato.

Copyright © 2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

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OAKLAND (CBS SF) — The Oakland Education Association on Sunday announced it was planning a one-day teacher strike this Friday over planned permanent school closures and what the group called “unfair labor practices.”

The official Oakland Education Association Twitter account posted information about the strike Sunday afternoon. In addition to pickets outside of Oakland Unified School District schools starting at 6:30 am on Friday, April 29, the post said there would also be an OEA block party at the Lake Amphitheater.

pic.twitter.com/MtyfyJyKnn

— Oakland Education Association (@OaklandEA) April 24, 2022

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“OEA is launching a new contract campaign for safe and racially just community schools for all Oakland students!” the message read. The organization is pushing to garner support as they negotiate their next three-year contract with the district.

For months, the OEA — along with Oakland Unified parents and students — have been protesting planned closures approved by district officials earlier this year.

According to the plan, Brookfield Elementary, Carl B. Munck Elementary, Grass Valley Elementary, Horace Mann Elementary and Korematsu Discovery Academy will close in the 2022-2023 school year, while Hillcrest K-8 would close its middle school grades. Rise Community Elementary and New Highland Academy will merge this year into one school.

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Oakland Unified issued a letter in response to the strike announcement later Sunday afternoon. It read in part:

“The purported basis for this potential strike is in protest over the consolidation of district schools. If this is correct, we demand that OEA immediately cease and desist from moving forward with this strike.

There is no legal basis for any concerted activity that would justify a strike or refusal to perform services benefiting District students. OEA is strongly encouraged to consult with its legal counsel before counting any votes, before announcing any results, and especially before taking any actual action. To be clear, any strike, other withholding of unit member services, or other concerted activity that disrupts the education of District students would be unlawful and an unfair labor practice, a violation of the current collective bargaining agreement between the District and OEA, and a
violation of the EERA.

More importantly, the impact on students would be significant. In light of the lost instruction due to the pandemic, OEA and OUSD worked hard together to ensure that in-person instruction was the norm for this school year. Even the threat of again depriving students of instruction, let alone an actual deprivation, especially without legal justification, will only further hurt students.”

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Oakland teachers have also been calling for improved COVID safety protocols and funding since last fall.

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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN/CBS SF) — More than 8,000 nurses and health care workers are striking today outside 18 Sutter Health facilities across Northern California, including a dozen in the Bay Area.

Union representatives say Sutter Health has refused to address concerns about safe staffing and health and safety protections.
The one-day strike was authorized by a nearly unanimous vote in March and advance notice was given to Sutter Health for the strike, according to the California Nurses Association and the Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union.

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The nurses and health care workers have been in negotiations since June 2021 for a new contract, with little to no movement on key issues, according to a statement from the union.

The nurses are calling on management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides safe staffing that allows nurses to provide safe and therapeutic care. The nurses and health care workers also want the hospitals to invest in personal protective equipment stockpiles and comply with California’s PPE stockpile law.

“We are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of PPE supplies and contact tracing,” said Renee Waters, an intensive care RN with 26 years of experience. “They resist having nurses directly involved in planning and implementation of policies that affect all of us during a pandemic.”

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The nurses were scheduled to picket from 7 to 11 am and 2 to 6 pm on Monday at Sutter Health facilities in cities that include Berkeley, Oakland, Vallejo, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Castro Valley, Antioch, Burlingame and Novato.

Sutter officials said contracted replacement workers would staff the facilities during the strike.

In an email to KPIX 5 a Sutter Health spokesperson said, “By moving forward with today’s costly and disruptive strike, union leadership has made it clear they are willing to put politics above patients and the nurses they represent – ​​despite the intervention of federal mediators and our willingness to bargain in good faith while under threat of a strike. Our attention is on providing safe, high-quality care to the patients and communities we’re honored to serve. We are confident in our ability to manage this disruption. We are hopeful CNA shares our desire to reach an agreement and enable our nurses to turn their focus back to the patients the union has asked them to walk away from.”

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© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.

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Students in California’s Oakland Unified School District are demanding that better coronavirus safety measures be taken or they will “go on strike” and skip school until their demands are met.

The group of students issued a “district-wide petition” earlier this week demanding that OUSD either switch to distance learning or KN-95 or N-95 masks for all students, two weekly PCR and rapid tests for each person distributed on campus. and “More outdoor places to eat safely when it rains.”

Over 1,200 students have signed the petition, which gives the school until January 17 to meet their demands, or the students will “go on strike” and stay out of school from January 18 until their demands are met.

The students will then protest in front of the district office building from January 21st.

CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION ENTERS MAYOR LIGHTFOOT’S COVID-19 SAFETY PROPOSAL: “ONE-WOMAN KAMIKAZE”

A disinfection station is placed in Catherine Fletcher’s first-grade classroom on the first day of partial in-person instruction at Garfield Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. (Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images).
((Jessica Christian/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))

Around 52,000 OUSD schools attended in the 2020-2021 school year, according to the district.

According to the document, the petition is addressed to OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel and school board members.

“With this letter we would like to inform you that OUSD students do not feel comfortable going to school in light of the rising cases of COVID-19. There are many concerns about safety measures and how we can protect ourselves from COVID-19, particularly the highly contagious Omicron variant. We must return to distance learning until cases start to go back up,” the petition reads. “To ensure a safe learning environment, we request you to give us KN95/N95 masks and weekly PCR tests. If these requirements are not met, we will go on strike by not going to school. We will strike until we get what we need, rest assured.”

In part, students claim in-person study is unsafe due to increased coronavirus cases, no access to N-95 masks, no weekly tests and classroom desks.

BIDEN TO SEND MILLIONS OF COVID-19 TESTS TO SCHOOLS TO FOSTER REOPENING

Students at Carl B. Munck Elementary School while California Gov. Gavin Newsom visits their classroom on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 in Oakland, Calif. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
((Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))

OUSD communications director John Sasaki provided a statement to Fox News Digital, saying the district is “aware” of the petition and is working to honor most of the students’ demands.

“We share students’ concerns about the rise in Omicron cases of COVID-19. This concern is the reason why we have distributed KN-95 and N-95 masks to all employees. We have also ordered enough KN-95 masks for all students. They will be distributed to students as they are delivered. We have ordered deliveries for new covered dining areas to dozens of schools, including new tables and shade structures, in some cases since last summer and have significantly slowed down their delivery. Where deliveries have been made, our staff are already installing these structures in schools and this process will continue as we receive more deliveries,” the statement said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A teacher instructs her second graders before California Gov. Gavin Newsom visits the classroom at Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images).
((Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images))

In response to student concerns about coronavirus testing, the district said testing is available at ten hubs in the school district.

Sasaki also said the school district has received 200,000 KN-95 masks and is distributing them to individual schools.

He added that OUSD had been in contact with the students who created the petition and said discussions were continuing.

“We also run weekly pooled tests at primary schools and have bi-weekly drop-in tests for our secondary schools. We already meet or are in the process of meeting most of the demands mentioned in this petition. And we will continue to work to fulfill the rest in the coming weeks,” the statement continued.

The relocation of students within the district comes after teachers conducted a “sickout” on Jan. 7.

Students across the country are also demanding their school district implement better coronavirus safety policies.

A group of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school students are planning to go on strike Friday, demanding that the Chicago Public Schools issue coronavirus “assistance grants” to students and switch to a distance learning format for two weeks.

Fox News’ Audrey Conklin contributed to this report

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Concession workers at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park overwhelmingly voted for a strike Saturday, raising concerns about the safety and health of COVID-19.

According to UNITE HERE Local 2, at least 20 concession workers have contracted COVID-19 since the stadium reopened this season. According to the union, 96.7% of active stadium workers voted in favor of the strike.

BREAK

96.7% of the concession workers at @SFGiants Oracle Park voted for STRIKE for safety, health care and hazard compensation.

At least 20 concession workers have contracted COVID-19 since the stadium reopened. pic.twitter.com/UcNrn9Pwm4

– UNITE HERE Local 2 (@ UniteHereLocal2) September 5, 2021

The workers are hired by Bon Appetit, a company contracted by the Giants. They were working on Saturday night’s 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oracle Park and union president Anand Singh said they will also work on Sunday’s series finale.

“The 96.7% of workers at Ballpark Food Service yesterday for approving a strike show that we are ready to do whatever we can to win health care, compensation and safety in the workplace,” said Singh in a statement on Sunday. “We’ll return to the negotiating table on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday next week and the workers will report to work for tonight’s game.

“It is outrageous that the COVID infections have not been enough for Bon Appetit and the Giants to take more effective security measures, but we hope our strike vote is the turmoil they need.”

The Giants will begin a six-game road trip on Monday before returning to Oracle Park on Monday, September 13, to face the San Diego Padres.

In a statement to ABC7 News on Saturday, the Giants said they would encourage Bon Appetit and Local 2 to “work productively to reach an agreement as soon as possible”.

“The Giants value the health and safety of everyone who works and visits Oracle Park,” said the team. “We operate our venue in accordance with local and state health regulations.”

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The latest number of confirmed cases in the U.S. can be found at the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the U.S. page. (The CDC updates the webpage on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.)

Join anchor Kristen Sze for ABC7’s daily, interactive newscast about the coronavirus outbreak in the Bay Area and around the world. You can check here to stream the show Monday-Friday at 3 p.m.

Here are the latest developments on the respiratory illness in the U.S.:

Sept. 2, 2021

1:20 p.m.
Sonoma County lieutenant dies from COVID-19 complications, sheriff says
A Sonoma County sheriff’s lieutenant died of complications from COVID-19 on Wednesday, the department confirmed Thursday.

From 2001 to 2006, Lt. Bobby Travelstead served in the U.S. Navy. He joined the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department in June 2007 as a correctional deputy. He is survived by two daughters, the department said.

1 p.m.
Giants concession workers to consider strike over COVID-19, union says
A union representing concession workers at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, announced Thursday that employees are considering going on strike because of a COVID-19 outbreak, lack of hazard pay and mask enforcement. In a statement, the union said at least 20 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the stadium reopened. The workers are employed by Bon Appetit, a company contracted by the Giants, according to the union. The union will hold a vote Saturday at 2 p.m. before the Giants game to decide whether workers will strike.

“The Giants have failed to mandate and/or enforce masks and social distancing at concourse concessions stands, private suites, and more, and food service workers frequently have to deal with maskless guests who are often drinking,” the union’s statement said.
The strike vote will take place Saturday afternoon at the union’s office in San Francisco.

11:30 a.m.
Berkeley health officials announced an order today that will require people to show proof of vaccination to enter most indoor settings starting tomorrow, September 3.

This includes restaurants, bars, gyms and other congregate settings, the City of Berkeley said.

“The virus continues to prey on the unvaccinated,” said Mayor Jesse Arreguín. “Those refusing to get the vaccine are jeopardizing public health, and they are prolonging this deadly pandemic. Requiring face coverings and proof of vaccination will preclude those who pose a heightened and unnecessary risk to others from fraternizing in high-risk settings. This is fundamental to public health, but it’s also the responsible thing to do for our business community and their workers. The vast majority of those who are eligible have already gotten the vaccine and I am so proud to serve a community that continues to demonstrate resilience, empathy, and compassion. But for everyone else, we’re past the point of politely asking you to get vaccinated.”

This requirement includes indoor event spaces where food or drink is served. The city also says while this order will become effective September 3, it will not be enforced by the city until 8a.m. on Friday, September 10. This will allow a one-week grace period for businesses to come into compliance.
Also by October 15th, the city adds, “these businesses must also ascertain employee vaccination status.”

The new requirement does not apply to individuals ineligible for vaccinations including children under the age of 12. But the city says children two years and older must continue to follow indoor mask requirements under local and state health rules.

6:30 a.m.
San Leandro delays city hall reopening plan
San Leandro has delayed its reopening plan for city hall because of surging COVID-19 rates. The city manager says in-person services will remain by appointment only. Visitors will still be required to wear face masks.

Sept. 1, 2021

7:10 a.m.
Sonoma Co. workers must be vaccinated or test weekly
Starting today, all Sonoma County emergency workers must be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID testing. County health officials expanded the state’s health order last month.

Aug. 31, 2021

10:45 a.m.
Newsom speaks in Alameda Co. on vaccination efforts
Governor Gavin Newsom was in Alameda County to highlight ongoing efforts to encourage more Californians to get vaccinated. More than 80% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose. California has put more shots in arms than any other state — – administering over 47 million doses of the vaccine. The state has implemented measures requiring that workers in health care settings be fully vaccinated, as well as stricter requirements for visitors at health care facilities. California has also implemented a standard that all school staff and all state workers either show proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once per week.

6:30 a.m.
If you haven’t been back on BART since the beginning of the pandemic there’s a new incentive. BART is offering 50% off all Clipper fares in September. The discount is taken when you tap your card at a fare gate. BART set a pandemic ridership record last Friday with 105,000 riders. Still, That’s just 25% of what it was pre-COVID.

Aug. 30, 2021

7 a.m.
A charity golf tournament will test participants for COVID-19 today. The NFL Alumni Northern California Chapter is hosting the tournament at the Stonebrae Country Club in Hayward. Organizers say they want to motivate other people hosting events to offer COVID tests, and stop the spread of the virus.

Aug. 29, 2021

11:30 a.m.
Eighty-percent of eligible San Franciscans are now vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Mayor London Breed. The mayor called this a “major milestone” on Sunday, but said there is still “work to do.”

As of today, 80% of eligible San Francisco residents are fully vaccinated!

This is a major milestone but we still have work to do to make sure that all of us are protected. Now is the time to take your shot if you haven’t already.

Visit https://t.co/tQiw14NHYD. pic.twitter.com/PvQZqITv0t

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) August 29, 2021

Aug. 27, 2021

6:45 a.m.
Every state now reporting high community transmission
Every state in the country is now reporting high community transmission of COVID-19, according to newly updated federal data. In mid-June, no states were reporting high transmission, and just six states were reporting substantial transmission. Now, 10 weeks later, all 50 states are in that category, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aug. 26, 2021

2:10 p.m.
Alameda Co. court to require COVID-19 vaccination for employees
The Alameda County Superior Court will require all employees, volunteers, interns and contractors to be full vaccinated by Nov. 1, the court announced Thursday. In a statement, the court said some exemptions will be made for disabilities, medical contraindications and “sincerely held” religious beliefs, though those individuals will be required to be tested regularly for the virus.

7:15 a.m.
CDC to meet next week on booster shot rollout
A CDC advisory board plans to meet next week to discuss the booster shot rollout. Yesterday, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson revealed data showing their boosters dramatically increase protection.

Aug. 25, 2021

7 a.m.
Vaccine mandate issued for Santa Cruz Co. employees
All Santa Cruz County employees will need to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or be tested weekly. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the measure yesterday. Employees have 30 days to comply. If they refuse, they could face leave without pay or termination.

Aug. 24, 2021

12:45 p.m.
Outside Lands announces COVID-19 policy for attendees
San Francisco’s Outside Lands festival will require attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or show proof of a negative test within 72 hours of the event. Organizers announced the COVID-19 policy on Tuesday. The event kicks off at Golden Gate Park on Oct. 29.

ranger dave has a COVID-19 policy update:
1 – full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result will be required for entry to the festival
2 – for those not fully vaccinated, attendees must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours of attending pic.twitter.com/VA2CQbFPBq

— Outside Lands (@sfoutsidelands) August 24, 2021

6:45 a.m.
2 Bay Area city councils to vote on COVID mandates today
There are two COVID-19 mandates up for discussion in the Bay Area today. The San Jose City Council is expected to vote on a proposal that would require full vaccinations for people at events with 50 people or more. And the Benicia City Council will vote on an indoor mask mandate.

Aug. 23, 2021

2:40 p.m.
California Academy of Sciences to require proof of vaccination or negative test results for entry
Starting Aug. 27, California Academy of Sciences will require proof of vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours of scheduled visit. The museum says the policy does not apply to youth ages 11 and under who are not currently eligible for vaccination. Masks will continue to be required indoors for all guests ages 3 and up, and all guests must continue to reserve their tickets in advance. More info here.

5:45 a.m.
SJ city employees must show proof of vaccination or negative test results
Starting today, San Jose city employees must show proof of vaccination or submit weekly negative test results. Those who fail to do so could be placed on unpaid leave. The city plans to mandate vaccines for all city employees who do not have an exemption at a later date. City officials says the mandate is in line with recommendations from Santa Clara County Health officials.

Aug. 22, 2021

11:50 a.m.
Benicia to consider indoor mask mandate at this week’s city council meeting
The Benicia City Council will consider a resolution this week that would implement an indoor mask mandate in the city due the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. If passed, Benicia would be the first city in Solano County with a mask requirement in indoor, public settings.

Solano County is the only Bay Area county without an indoor mask mandate. In early August, eight counties and the City of Berkeley implemented a mask policy, following the CDC recommendation that even fully vaccinated people wear a mask indoors. If the resolution is passed, people over the age of 12 would be required to wear a face mask in public, indoor settings in Benicia.

The mandate is scheduled to be discussed at the Aug. 24 city council meeting at 6 p.m.

Aug. 20, 2021

1:30p.m.
Marin County to require COVID-19 vaccine verification for first responders next month

Marin County Public Health announced an order today that will require first responders to verify that they are fully vaccinated starting next month. Unvaccinated staff will be required to test weekly for the virus.

This will take effect on September 15 and applies to law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical (EMS) personnel and staff who manage emergency calls at hospitals, jails, nursing and congregate care facilities, the health agency says.

“We’ve seen that outbreaks in high risk settings, when they occur, are often sparked by infected staff or visitors who unknowingly bring the virus into the facility,” said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County Public Health Officer in a press release sent today.

The agency says Marin County has seen an increase in cases and hospitalizations, with over 90 percent of current cases being infected with the Delta variant.

You can get more information about COVID-19 vaccines and to find a Marin County Public Health vaccine clinic here.

11:15a.m.
Chase Center says fans must show proof of full vaccination

Chase Center announced today fans ages 12 and older must provide proof of full vaccination. San Francisco’s indoor proof of vaccination requirement took effect Friday as it was previously issued back on August 12.

The order stated that all indoor events with more than 1,000 attendees, 12 and older, must show proof they are fully vaccinated in order to gain entry to the venue unless there are medical or religious exemptions, but must provided a current negative COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to the game.

The next Chase Center event, Tame Impala, is scheduled for September 15, 2021. The Warriors’ 2021-22 NBA regular season and preseason schedule will be announced in the near future, the organization said.

Click here for more information on the Golden State Warriors 2021-22 season.

You can learn how to access your vaccination card on your mobile device by clicking here.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health mandates all indoor events with more than 1,000 attendees require fans 12 years and older show proof of full vaccination to enter the venue unless they have a medical or religious exemption.

Here’s how you’ll enter Chase Center pic.twitter.com/n09MqKxdPk

— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) August 20, 2021

5:15 a.m.
SF vaccine mandate takes effect today
San Francisco’s new vaccine mandate takes effect today. Proof of vaccination is now required at indoor businesses like restaurants, bars, gyms and museums.

Aug. 19, 2021

2:30 p.m.
Masks recommended at Marin County schools, even outdoors, health officials say
Health and education officials in Marin County are calling on students and families to wear masks at all times while on school campuses, even outdoors. The county says universal masking adds a layer of protection while the Delta variant of COVID-19 continues to spread.

“Looking across the nation as schools reopen it’s clear the Delta variant presents new challenges,” Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County health officer, said in a statement Thursday. “We’ve risen to challenges before by following the guidance and using common sense. Face covering is among the easiest and most effective tools we have.”

6:30 a.m.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival canceled in Golden Gate Park
The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival has been canceled in Golden Gate Park because of COVID concerns. The event will be live streamed on October 1, 2, 3 starting each day at 1 p.m. PT.

5:40 a.m.
SJSU students return for 1st day of fall semester
San Jose State University will welcome back students for the first day of the fall semester today. SJSU will hold an on campus celebration starting at 11 a.m. that includes remarks from University President Mary Papazian and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. Students will return to campus after more than 17 months of mostly virtual learning due to the pandemic.

Aug. 18, 2021

10 a.m.
US health officials recommend COVID booster shots as infections soar
U.S. health officials Wednesday announced plans to offer COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and signs that the vaccines’ effectiveness is falling.

The plan, as outlined by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other top authorities, calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The doses could begin the week of Sept. 20. Get more details here.

9:40 a.m.
LA County requiring face coverings at major outdoor events
People attending major outdoor events in Los Angeles County will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, under a new order issued by the county health department. The order says those attending “outdoor mega-events” must wear a face covering at all times except when eating and drinking.

6:10 a.m.
San Jose Unified students return to classrooms
It’s the first day of school for kids in the South Bay. The San Jose Unified School District says teachers and students are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

Aug. 17, 2021

2:15 p.m.
Lafayette Art and Wine Festival canceled due to COVID-19 ‘setback’
The Lafayette Art and Wine festival held annually in downtown Lafayette has been canceled due to the Delta variant and spread of COVID-19, according to the event website.

“As we all know, there has been a significant setback in the public health response to the pandemic, driven by the delta variant and low vaccination rates (not in Lamorinda, but elsewhere),” the event website read.

Next year’s event will be held Sept. 17-18, 2022. For more information, click here.

2 p.m.
San Francisco’s Great Dickens Christmas Fair canceled due to Delta variant
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair held annually at the Cow Palace in San Francisco has been postponed until 2022, organizers announced on the fair website.

Organizers cite the transmissible Delta variant as the reason for canceling this year’s event. The fair will be held virtually for the second year in a row.

11 a.m.
CA test positivity rate under 6%
Today’s California coronavirus data shows our test positivity rate is under 6%. The positivity rate hasn’t been this low since July 28, when it was 5.9%. It jumped to 6.2% on July 29. For reference, the state has been above 5% since July 23.

Here are the latest numbers:
9,748 new cases
4,043,407 total cases
7 new deaths
64,201 total deaths
7 day test positivity rate = 5.8%

7,837 hospitalized patients (up 262)
1,746 icu patients (up 56)

4:30 a.m.
New CA cases 600% higher among unvaccinated
California released new COVID-19 numbers showing the vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated. Those cases are 600% higher compared to cases among the vaccinated. The CDC says 78.3% of eligible Californians have now received at least one dose. The California Department of Health says more than 45-million doses have been administered.

Aug. 16, 2021

6:30 p.m.
Vaccinated staffer in Gov. Newsom’s office tests positive for COVID-19
A vaccinated employee in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office tested positive for COVID-19, a spokesperson confirmed Monday night. The person has not interacted with the governor or staff that “routinely interacts” with Newsom, according to his press office.

3:30 p.m.
San Francisco to reopen mass COVID testing site
The City of San Francisco will open a mass COVID-19 testing site at the South of Market neighborhood due to rising daily cases, Mayor London Breed announced on Monday. The site will open on Aug. 18 on 7th and Brannan Streets with the capacity to administer 500 tests per day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week by appointment only. Drive-thru and walk-up services are available, and test results will be ready within 24 to 48 hours. More info here.

6:40 a.m.
West Contra Costa Unified returns to in-person learning
27,000 students in the West Contra Costa Unified Schools will also be returning to in-person learning today for the first time in a year and a half. That includes students at Michelle Obama Elementary School. They’ll be on the Richmond campus for the first time since the school was re-built and named after the former first lady. Michelle Obama held a virtual grand opening at the start of the 2020-21 school year.

Aug. 15, 2021

3 p.m.
Nearly 22 million fully vaccinated in California
California is distributing more than 76,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on average each day, according to the latest state data. Nearly 22 million eligible residents are fulyl vaccinated, and another 3.4 million are partially vaccinated as of Sunday, the data shows.

Aug. 14, 2021

12 p.m.
Santa Clara County approves extra vaccine dose for immunocompromised

Transplant recipients, cancer patients and people with immunodeficiencies can receive a third dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in Santa Clara County as of Saturday. People with diabetes, heart disease or the elderly are not authorized by the FDA to receive a third dose unless they have additional conditions that weakens their immune system “to the same extent as someone who had a solid organ transplant,” says a press release by the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department. Those unsure of if they fall under the eligible category should consult with a medical professional, said the county. Appointments can be scheduled at sccfreevax.org.

9 a.m.
Bay Area counties suspend jail visits

In-person visits at Santa Rita Jail have been suspended. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office says it’s due to a rise in coronavirus cases. Professional non-contact appointments are still available. San Francisco County Jail has also suspended in-person visits. A jail spokesperson tells ABC7 the visits will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so, but there’s no word on how soon that could be.

Aug. 13, 2021

12:30 p.m.
Contra Costa Co. announces vaccine, weekly test requirement for first responders
Contra Costa Co. health officials announced a new health order requiring first responders to verify they are fully vaccinated or test weekly for the virus.

The order goes into effect Sept. 17 and applies to law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel who work in or may respond to emergency calls at high-risk facilities such as hospitals, jails, nursing and congregate care facilities. It also applies to non-emergency ambulance workers who provide medical transport for such facilities.

10:30 a.m.
CA superintendent discusses vaccines for kids
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond hosted a discussion on the importance of vaccines for kids as schools across the state prepare to open for in-person learning.

7:20 a.m.
Contra Costa Health Services has a new program paying residents $100 each time they convince someone to get fully vaccinated in an effort to boost vaccination rates. The “Helping Hands Referral Program” is open to anyone age 14 or older. The person must not have been previously vaccinated for COVID-19. They must also make an appointment using a unique website you provide to them. You will be paid $100 total as a check or gift card after each person you help gets fully vaccinated. You have to register on the county’s health services website.

Aug. 12, 2021

2 p.m.
SF vaccine mandate will not apply to Oracle Park, Giants says
The San Francisco Giants said the latest announcement from Mayor London Breed on the proof of vaccination requirement to enter many establishments will not apply to Oracle Park because it’s an outdoor stadium.

Chase Center, home to the Golden State Warriors, said on Twitter today it will comply with the city’s guidelines – which requires attendees 12 and older to show proof of vaccination at a venue with more than 1,000 people. The next event at Chase Center is Sept. 15.

Chase Center and the Golden State Warriors will issue further information regarding logistics for fans to show proof of vaccination leading up to the venue’s next event, scheduled for September 15, 2021. pic.twitter.com/wbKmP6BuAb

— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) August 12, 2021

1 p.m.
Facebook delays employees’ return to office until 2022
Facebook employees will not be required to return to the office until January 2022, the company announced Thursday. A company spokesperson told ABC7 that COVID-19 case data and the Delta variant are driving its approach to employees’ return to the office. Employees will have “ample” notice before needing to return to the office.

5:35 a.m.
Move-in day for students at Cal State East Bay
Today is move-in day for students at Cal State East Bay in Hayward. This is the first time students will be live on campus since March of 2020. Classes start next week.

CDC COVID-19 Transmission Categories by California County

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CDC COVID-19 Transmission Levels by U.S. County

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VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine

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The post Coronavirus Bay Space dwell updates: San Francisco Giants concession employees to think about strike over COVID-19, union says appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Thousands of SEIU supervisors on strike in Philadelphia in 2019. Cory Clark / AP

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More than 700 San Francisco janitors represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) quit their jobs yesterday morning and launched a three-day strike for improved COVID protection and working conditions after months of contract negotiations collapsed.

Hundreds of workers waved protest signs and sang in front of the Salesforce Tower – Salesforce chairman, CEO and billionaire Marc Benioff’s passion for skyline capping – in San Francisco’s high-dollar SoMA district, home to the offices of Silicon Valley giants Amazon, Airbnb and Facebook are located, Google and Twitter. The companies enter into contracts with custodians through facility management companies such as ABM and Able Services.

“These buildings won’t be safe until the janitors have a fair contract,” Olga Miranda, a striking janitor, told local CBS subsidiary KPIX – and if the janitors aren’t sure, Miranda said, “others will definitely not be safe be.”

“Strike”
Hundreds of SF caretakers are on STRIKE today.
The caretakers – mainly women, colored people and migrant workers – fight for a fair trade union contract with protection from sexual harassment and security measures!
Boost @Ableserve & @ABM_Industries #JusticeForJanitors pic.twitter.com/KR8bGd0P4A

– Justice for Janitor (@JusticeforJans) March 24, 2021

Since the pandemic began, over 3,000 caretakers, mostly black migrants, have been laid off and at least 26 workers have died of COVID-19, according to SEIU Local 87 members. With their eight-month struggle for a new contract at a dead end, the union janitors are demanding not only better ventilation and protective equipment, but also a raise in salaries, health insurance coverage, improved sick pay and protection from sexual harassment in the workplace.

When the pandemic hit in March last year, the precarious conditions for low-wage workers were exposed – and a series of strikes sparked, which led the calls related to COVID to a wider struggle for improved working conditions. All over the west coast similarly endangered farm workers Strikes – with and without the support of the trade unions – not only because of insufficient cover-ups of PPE and COVID, but also because of wage cuts and insufficient sick pay during the pandemic. As my colleague Julia Lurie reported in December:

When some pickers and packers hit this breaking point, there were COVID-related slips on the west coast … Hundreds of fruit packers in the Yakima Valley in Washington left production lines to protest a lack of safety and hazard payments. In Santa Maria, California, strawberry pickers left work to protest falling wages, just as many families were particularly financially stricken. Blueberry pickers near Fresno also encountered a wage cut and stood beside the red and black waving fields [United Farm Workers] Flags.

As in San Francisco, these strikes were not limited to masks and hand sanitizer. Workers who have mobilized over imminent threats to their health and safety have expanded their demands to include working conditions exacerbated by the pandemic – particularly in Bessemer, Alabama, where Amazon warehouse workers are casting their final votes in the most serious attempt to date, the company to merge into trade union organizations. (Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, saw his net worth grow by $ 58 billion during the pandemic.)

These efforts were supported by, among others, President Joe Biden and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. And, according to Gallup, two-thirds of Americans are in favor of unions – their best poll in more than a decade.

STRIKE ALERT

26 caretakers have died of # COVID19 in San Francisco. We’re in the pandemic for a year – but janitors still don’t have the PPE and ventilation they need.

As SF moves to the orange plane today, @ SEIU87’s janitors have started a ULP strike to demand safety at work. # 1u pic.twitter.com/3IqeDKgaXO

– UNITE HERE Local 2 #PROAct (@ UniteHereLocal2) March 24, 2021

Caretaker strikes across town are not new. In 2018, SEIU 87 caretakers struck outside the offices of troubled cooperating startup WeWork with a mariachi band playing in support. In 2019, the union fought for a fairer contract on the steps of the fitness company Equinox, both times drawing attention to the divide between the treatment of higher-level employees by startups and their essential employees. Elsewhere, the union is fighting for more than 10,000 airport workers pushing for health care in New York and New Jersey, as well as immigrant domestic workers struggling for permanent residence.

“I deserve to feel safe at work,” said Ramiro, another caretaker for the SEIU, during the strike. “But almost a year after the pandemic, and we’re still collecting trash without masks or hand sanitizer.”

The post San Francisco Janitors Are on Strike for COVID Security—and the Struggle Doesn’t Finish There – Mom Jones appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.