Marg Gruberg, a San Francisco taxi driver since 1983 and a board member of the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance, talked with “Civic” about what this has meant for cab drivers and how he and others have stayed busy with advocacy even if they haven’t been driving in the pandemic.
Category: Labor
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Economy & Business, Labor
With California Set To Reopen, Backlogs Persist at Unemployment Agency
The state’s Employment Development Department, which handles unemployment claims, is still working to resolve thousands of backlogged cases and battling fraud. Emily Hoeven, who writes the daily WhatMatters newsletter for the nonprofit newsroom CalMatters, returns to “Civic” with the latest on how the state is handling unemployment.
Posted inCoronavirus, Economy & Business, Essential Workers, Labor
Cleaning During COVID-19: How the Pandemic Affected Janitorial Work
Janitors have been taking to the streets in San Francisco for weeks to advocate for better working conditions during the pandemic, even going on a three-day strike in mid-March.
Juan Hernandez, a janitor with decades of experience who works at a 42-story office building, joined “Civic” to give a sense of the day-to-day reality of this work during the pandemic.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Health, Labor
Frontline Dispatch: SF Paramedic Reflects on Pandemic
Before coronavirus cases were confirmed in San Francisco, paramedic Alfredo Banuelos and his colleagues were watching case numbers in other cities, still at a distance. Then he got his first patient. When the virus arrived in San Francisco and the city locked down and everything changed, procedures on the ambulance changed too. He reflects on […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health, Labor
Gig Worker Classification Worsens Inequities During Pandemic, Organizer Says
Drivers for apps like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash have said that being classified as independent contractors while working during a pandemic means they face the impossible choice between paying their bills and managing their exposure risk. Cherri Murphy, a lead organizer for Gig Workers Rising, spoke with “Civic” about drivers’ circumstances.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Labor, Social Services
Yes, Mail-Order Boxes Are a Pain for Sanitation Workers
Some customers had their boxes broken down and neatly bundled, which Recology recycling driver Gareth Willey said helps, Willey but too often, he would open a door to a basement and find the boxes piled high, and would have to figure out a way to get all the material out onto the street and into the truck.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Labor, Transportation
Muni Operators Face Threats From Coronavirus, Hostile Passengers
Hundreds of Muni workers have fallen ill with the coronavirus and two have died, said Roger Marenco, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 250A. For others, he said, the pressures of the job have only been worsened by the additional dangers posed by a global pandemic.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Back to School, Coronavirus, Education, Labor
Preventing Community Spread of COVID-19 Crucial in Return to Schools, Union Leader Says
“We had to look at community spread,” said Susan Solomon, president of the United Educators of San Francisco. “That was very important to us, that we not just protect ourselves, but protect our communities as well.”
Posted inEconomy & Business, Labor, Law & Justice
Event Company Non Plus Ultra Accused in Lawsuit of Unemployment Fraud
Non Plus Ultra, an event company that leases the Palace of Fine Arts, Pier 70, and the Old Mint, is under fire from employees who allege it filed fraudulent unemployment claims, harassed and bullied staff, and fired them when they confronted leadership, according to a lawsuit filed March 1 in San Francisco Superior Court.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Economy & Business, Essential Workers, Government & Politics, Labor, Vaccine Distribution
Vaccinations and Hazard Pay Remain Concerns of Grocery Store Union
Grocery store workers are the latest to be eligible for vaccination. As part of our “Essential Worker” series we spoke with Jim Araby, director of strategic campaigns for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5 about how they are trying to get their 28,000 members vaccinated and why they are fighting for hazard pay during the remaining days of the pandemic.