A development firm worth $60 billion intends to challenge a state decision that it must pay prevailing wages to workers on its massive project planned for Santa Clara.
The $8 billion Related Santa Clara project, from New York City-based firm The Related Companies, benefits from public subsidies granted by the city.
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 2.5 million people have been infected with coronavirus in California, the latest epicenter of an unceasing pandemic. In Southern California, a person dies of COVID-19 roughly every 8 minutes in Los Angeles County where overrun county hospitals are considering rationing medical care after an after-holiday surge in new cases.
John Grant's voice breaks as he talks about it.
"It's overwhelming to us. The stories leave all of us weeping," Grant said. "We've never had to make calls to workers who survived their husband's death or their wife's."
Grant is president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, the union that represents thousands of Los Angeles-area grocery employees, hundreds of whom have been infected and sickened by the virus in a string of workplace outbreaks in recent weeks.
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TURLOCK (CBS13) – Police have confirmed that a worker was killed while on the job at a Foster Farms facility in Turlock.
The employee was working at the business in the 500 block of F Street just before 7 p.m. Monday. According to a Cal/OSHA statement, a source outside the company said the worker was reportedly seen falling asleep while on the production line and was awoken several times by co-workers. He was later pulled into the production conveyor by his neck, resulting in fatal crushing injuries to his skull and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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As the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus rises in the central San Joaquin Valley, so does the concern among workers at large companies deemed “essential” to keep food and supply chains intact.
No employees have been confirmed as infected with the virus at Foster Farms, which has two plants in Fresno and facilities in Livingston and Turlock, said Ira Brill, the company’s vice president of communications.
Still, some workers at the poultry company wonder whether enough is being done to keep them safe from the spread of the contagion, said Naindeep Singh, executive director of the nonprofit Jakara Movement, a Sikh community and youth organization.
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Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 8-Golden State who work at Albertsons’ Safeway and Vons chains and The Save Mart Cos.’ Save Mart, FoodMaxx and MaxxValue banners in Northern, Central and Southern California have voted overwhelmingly to ratify new labor contracts. The mail-in ballots were counted on Oct. 3-4 at the union’s Roseville and Bakersfield, Calif., offices.
“Our members appreciate the value of their new contracts, which are a model of what can be accomplished through interest-based bargaining,” noted Jacques Loveall, president of Roseville-based UFCW 8-Golden State.
According to the union, the agreements include “meaningful” wage increases for about 14,000 UFCW 8-Golden State members at the five grocery banners. The contracts also guarantee continued funding for benefits, including an additional retirement plan for all members.
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