Recently, NBJwJ Executive Director Mara Ventura was interviewed on bilingual radio station KBBF.
The English-Spanish program on the need for Paid Sick Leave can be heard by using these links:
Download the mp3 audio HERE Go to the YouTube link HERE
Click HERE to download a pdf of this flyer:
As a partner in So Co United in Crisis, NBJwJ is calling on the City of Santa Rosa and the County of Sonoma to pass an emergency ordinance that would give workers 10 PAID SICK DAYS for any workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Santa Rosa City Council will be voting on this ordinance on
Tuesday, July 7th.
You can email the Santa Rosa City Council by 5 pm Monday, July 6th at
to ask that they pass this ordinance to protect Santa Rosa's workers.
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In addition, we will be bringing this ordinance to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors soon. We have started a petition on change.org which you can sign HERE urging the Supervisors to ensure So. Co. workers don't have to go to work sick in order
to provide for their families.
No one should have to make such a choice!
Here are some recent articles on Paid Sick Leave:
Close To Home: Workers Need Paid Sick Leave
By Martin J. Bennett
The Press Democrat
June 28, 2020
The United States is the only country among 22 wealthy nations that doesn’t guarantee universal paid sick days for its workforce. The global COVID-19 pandemic has ignited a long-overdue public dialogue about the issue. In March, Congress and the president approved temporary sick leave legislation, but it expires on Dec. 31. There is so much more to be done.
The federal legislation mandates 14 paid sick days for workers who have coronavirus symptoms, are under quarantine or isolation orders, or are caring for affected family members, including children whose schools are closed. Employers receive a payroll tax credit to offset the costs.
But the law contains giant loopholes: companies with more than 500 workers are exempt, and firms with fewer than 50 can apply for a hardship waiver. The New York Times estimated that only 20% of the workforce is eligible.
READ MORE HERE
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The Coronavirus Message: America Needs Universal Paid Sick Leave
By Martin J. Bennett
BeyondChron
April 14, 2020
The global coronavirus pandemic is walloping California, and Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all 40 million residents to ‘shelter in place’ except for travel to purchase groceries and prescription drugs. He also urged Californians to practice ‘social distancing’ from non-family population members. The governor banned large public gatherings and ordered all schools and non-essential businesses to close. The legislature appropriated $1 billion to fight the deadly virus.
Public health and infectious disease experts cannot foresee the development of a successful vaccine for another 18-24 months. Yet these experts suggest that the experiences of other countries that the virus first hit hard—including China, South Korea, and Italy—point to a successful public health strategy, which includes early and widespread testing; closing schools and non-essential businesses; two-week quarantine for those exposed to infected individuals; and isolation for people testing positive can significantly slow the spread of the highly contagious disease and prevent overburdening hospitals and the public health infrastructure.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 29 percent of the workforce can work remotely, however. Consequently, paid sick leave is necessary for those who must work away from home; and those who are quarantined, isolated, caring for ill family members or children; and health care workers exposed to the virus. Paid sick leave is critical for the effective implementation of a comprehensive ‘shelter in place’ strategy to curb the pandemic.
The Center for Economic and Policy Research documents that the United States is the only country among 22 wealthy democratic nations that does not guarantee universal paid sick days or paid sick leave.
READ MORE HERE
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM
NBJwJ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARA VENTURA
North Bay friends and community partners, it’s with both a heavy and hopeful heart that I announce my departure from Sonoma County and thus North Bay Jobs with Justice toward the end of this year.
Joining North Bay Jobs with Justice has been such a gift, and I can only hope I have helped it grow and strengthen even more over the years. The decision to leave did not come easily, as I’m very proud of the work we’ve accomplished together at North Bay Jobs with Justice over the last four years. Through my positions both as Lead Organizer and as our first staff Executive Director, I have had the opportunity to build partnerships with so many inspiring community leaders, organizations, and unions -all of which has helped us shape our work and our coalition into one that is firmly rooted in racial and immigrant justice, and that seeks to help move the labor movement into the future.
We now find ourselves in an uncertain time for workers but with endless opportunities for systemic reform and rebirth. I feel incredibly hopeful for the role North Bay Jobs with Justice can play in helping move our community forward. With our talented consultant and committed transition committee helping shape my departure and the recruitment and on-boarding of a new Executive Director, I am excited for what the future holds for NBJwJ. I know our team will identify a new leader to carry on the work of our organization and take us to the next level.
As I said in my speech at our 2018 awards ceremony, we have big goals at NBJWJ and we intend to see them through. Less than one year later we successfully released two reports to help guide our work, raised the minimum wage in four cities, broadened our coalition, brought on all new Board members, and laid the groundwork for deeper movement building.
I believe another one of my greatest achievements since becoming Executive Director is the hiring of our new Lead Organizer Omar Paz. He brings with him the passion, vitality, experience and talent to lead us in the direction we need to go.
While it will be sad to leave, I can feel the gratification of knowing that I’m going to leave North Bay Jobs with Justice in good hands. Powerful hands that will put in the work necessary towards equity, improved worker’s rights, and a more just community.
See the Job Announcement for NBJwJ's Executive Director position HERE
Webinar and Resources:
Workers’ Rights: Critical Labor Protections for Immigrant Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The National Immigration Law Center hosted this webinar on April 15, 2020.
TOPICS COVERED
- Safety and Health on the Job
- Using Collective Action to Improve Workplace Safety and Health
- Unemployment Insurance
- Paid and Unpaid Time Off from Work
- State/local responses springing up to address gaps left by federal response
- Q&A and Resources
Go here to watch the video, download the powerpoint or read the resources
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
National Immigrant Law Center COVID Resources for Immigrant Communities
CA Department of Social Services: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Relief Assistance for Immigrants
CA Immigrant Policy Center: COVID-19 Resource Guide for Immigrants in California
Dolores Huerta Foundation: COVID-19 Resource Guide
CA Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance: COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented People
Click HERE to read the SoCo UIC's statement condemning Sheriff Essex's refusal to enforce public health orders. (Spanish translation HERE)
In partnership with North Bay Organizing Project, we are proud to announce the formation of a 13-point policy agenda for the County of Sonoma that will ensure an equitable response to the COVID-19 crisis that puts the collective needs of our community first.
Just as our fires brought to the surface the vast inequalities in Sonoma County, so too has the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than corporate bailouts and commitments to simply not evict families ‘for now’ we need a real community bailout. One in five Sonoma County residents are living in poverty1 and hundreds of thousands are now out of work. Members of our community need to know they will not lose work permanently only to come out of this pandemic owing thousands of dollars to landlords and banks.
We need paid sick leave for workers, we need to ensure laid off workers are guaranteed their jobs back when re-hiring begins again, and workers need real assurances from our elected leaders that they will not be put into enormous debt while billionaire corporations get bailed out. To accomplish this, we must work together. With NBOP we brought 10 organizations together to build this platform and we ask you to join us in passing these policies.
Go to our website at www.SoCoUnitedinCrisis.org to read our full platform and sign the petition!
COVID-19 Support for Workers
We hope you are all safe and staying as healthy as possible. It’s a scary time right now but less so if you stay informed and aware. We wanted to let you know that we are staying on top of the impacts COVID-19 is having on workers and we wanted to share some resources and information for anyone that may be impacted or know someone who is. We are working to spread information about Governor Newsom's expansion of unemployment insurance for workers, identify any employers who aren't following the law on paid sick time, and help provide support for undocumented workers who may be losing wages and aren't eligible for unemployment.
Please download this pdf with resources for sharing widely.
In addition, we thank UNITE HERE for sharing the following fact sheets on the Emergency Relief for both workers and businesses. Feel free to download and share:
Emergency Relief Available to Workers
Emergency Relief Available to Businesses
This info will also be posted on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/nbjwj. Please note that our office will be closed but you can still reach us at 707-293-2863 or [email protected]
Become a Monthly Donor Today!
$25/month or more and get a FREE NBJwJ t-shirt and bandana
Sizes Small - 3 XL available
click here or the link in blue above to sign up!
Raise the Wage! Campaign Update April 2020:
Like everything else, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge interruption in our Minimum Wage Campaign. However, the work continues, to the extent possible, as workers will need this raise more than ever, once workers are back in the workplace, with much ground to make up in terms of lost wages.
Using our report from the UC Berekely Labor Center that we commissioned in 2018, ("The State of Working Sonoma 2018") four North Bay cities have passed minimum wage ordinances: Sonoma, Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Novato. We still hope to pass such ordinances in Sebastopol, Cotati and for the County of Sonoma in 2020. The Good News: In July 2020, thousands of North Bay workers will be due for a raise!
Click HERE to visit our Raise the Wage Campaign page for petitions and more information.
SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL PASSES OUR $15 MINIMUM WAGE ORDINANCE IN A UNANIMOUS VOTE!
See photos HERE!
Thank you Santa Rosa City Council for taking a bold and principled stand for the most vulnerable workers in our community!
Blazing a Trail for the Green New Deal in the North Bay
One of the best ways to ensure the labor standards of the Green New Deal come alive in the North Bay is to:
- Support our local pre-apprenticeship program and construction apprenticeship programs. These FREE schools provide the highest level of training to any construction worker, and provide a direct pathway into a career with $25+ an hour wages, workman's comp protections, access to healthcare, and upward mobility. But...
- 70% of our local construction workers are commuting out of Sonoma County every day because our local elected officials are not asking any of our local developers to be using local workers. So the second best thing you can do is call/email your city council-members and ask that all public projects, retail and commercial, schools, and most importantly affordable housing only be built with a Project Labor Agreement (PLA)!! PLA's are the ONLY way that we can ensure local workers are rebuilding in the North Bay, and are guaranteed livable wages and safety standards. The Pre-Apprenticeship program will soon offer all-female cohorts and Spanish co-horts, because a pathway to the middle class needs to prioritize folks of color, immigrant workers and women who are often exploited by bad developers.
- Check out our report: Apprenticeship Programs are Building Career Opportunities for Women and People of Color. CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT
The UndocuFund for Disaster Relief in Sonoma County, was founded in October 2017, in response to the Tubbs wildfire. It was launched by a coalition of immigrant service providers and advocates to provide direct assistance to undocumented victims of the Northern California fires. The fund ceased operations December 31, 2018; it was re-activated in October 26, 2019 in response to the Kincade Fire. We are now activating the fund again in March of 2020; the fund seeks to support undocumented children, families, and communities in Sonoma County affected by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
Donate here online: UndocuFund.org or send a check to: UndocuFund c/o GCIR, P.O. Box 1100, Sebastopol, California 95473-1100
If you or someone you know could benefit from this fund, please go to Undocufund.org for information. Or contact: Omar Medina at [email protected]