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City Attorney Permitted to Sue Companies That Abruptly Cut Janitorial, Security Jobs

The San Francisco City Attorney is now authorized to bring civil action against janitorial, security and building maintenance contracting companies if they abruptly terminate jobs. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that aims to better protect workers from unlawful layoffs.

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Janitors marched from City Hall to the Twitter Headquarters on Market Street to demand their jobs back, which they alleged they lost without severance or proper notice. San Francisco's head policymakers like Mayor London Breed, state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney drew their support.
Janitors marched from City Hall to the Twitter Headquarters on Market Street to demand their jobs back, which they alleged they lost without severance or proper notice. San Francisco's head policymakers like Mayor London Breed, state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney drew their support.

By Olivia Wynkoop
Bay City News

The San Francisco City Attorney is now authorized to bring civil action against janitorial, security and building maintenance contracting companies if they abruptly terminate jobs.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that aims to better protect workers from unlawful layoffs.

The ordinance comes after 48 Twitter custodians were abruptly fired in December after the social media company cut ties with Flagship, a janitorial company.

Janitors marched from City Hall to the Twitter Headquarters on Market Street to demand their jobs back, which they alleged they lost without severance or proper notice. San Francisco’s head policymakers like Mayor London Breed, state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney drew their support.

Under current city police code, security, janitorial and maintenance services contracting with a building must retain employees who were working with the building prior contractor for the first 90 days, otherwise called a “transition employment period.”

The ordinance passed on Tuesday allows labor standards regulators to facilitate the transition period, obtain employee information and share it with a building’s successor contractor.

Under the new amendment of the police code, the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement is permitted to investigate violations, order relief like backpay and penalties, and create pathways for companies to appeal violations.

The policy also allows both aggrieved employees and the city attorney to file suit against a successor contractor for injunctive relief if it fails to retain workers.

“Our law is set up to be very clear to say if you displace workers, they have a just transition period. You have to notify them,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai during Tuesday’s meeting. “With this legislation today, we essentially say the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement now can come in and enforce this law.”

“It’s unconscionable that a company and a person like Elon Musk would target the lowest, lowest wage workers and treat them without dignity and respect,” Safai added.

Supervisors Myrna Melgar, Matt Dorsey, Rafael Mandelman and Hillary Ronen requested to be co-sponsors of the ordinance before the board unanimously passed it.

Copyright © 2023 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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Bay Area

Gov. Newsom Looks Back at 2024 Milestones; Presents Vision for 2025

Newsom opened by recounting his announcement atop the Golden Gate Bridge of $150.4 billion in record-breaking visitor spending. He reflected on signing a bill with singer Demi Lovato to protect young content creators from financial exploitation. He celebrated the Olympic flag transfer ceremony, signifying California’s preparation for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo Courtesy of California Governor’s Office.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Photo Courtesy of California Governor’s Office.

By Joe W. Bowers, California Black Media 

In a recent video address, Gov. Gavin Newsom shared key moments that shaped California in 2024. He emphasized achievements in tourism, technology, public safety, and environmental resilience while underscoring the state’s ability to tackle challenges head-on.

Newsom opened by recounting his announcement atop the Golden Gate Bridge of $150.4 billion in record-breaking visitor spending. He reflected on signing a bill with singer Demi Lovato to protect young content creators from financial exploitation. He celebrated the Olympic flag transfer ceremony, signifying California’s preparation for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Focusing on innovation, Newsom praised NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang for his leadership in advancing generative AI. He showcased the transformation of an abandoned mall into a quantum computing center in L.A. that addresses global challenges.

He also highlighted the ARCHES coalition’s work on green hydrogen, aiming to decarbonize California’s industries.

Newsom emphasized California’s leadership on clean transportation with over 2 million electric vehicles sold and a statewide network of 150,000 public chargers. He spoke about joining Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi to celebrate the long-awaited electrification of Caltrain, linking San Francisco to San Jose.

In climate resilience, Newsom spotlighted removing the Klamath Dam, the largest project in U.S. history, restoring salmon migration and tribal lands. He discussed agreements with Italy and Pope Francis to address greenhouse gas emissions and praised the legislature’s action to increase transparency and hold oil companies accountable for gas price spikes.

Turning to health, housing, and education, Newsom outlined progress on Proposition 1 to improve mental health care, legislative efforts to increase housing construction, and the expansion of universal free school meals for all public school students.

Public safety highlights included combating fentanyl trafficking, expanding the California Highway Patrol, and addressing organized retail theft through new legislation.

Newsom also celebrated the state’s balanced budget for the current and upcoming fiscal years. He joked about his detailed budget presentations as his “yearly Super Bowl,” highlighting the importance he places on fiscal responsibility.

The Governor closed by reflecting on 2024 as a year defined by resilience and optimism, crediting California’s ability to navigate polarization and overcome challenges. He emphasized the importance of preserving California’s values of innovation and inclusiveness while continuing to invest in communities, infrastructure, and equity as the state looks ahead to 2025.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 12 – 18, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 12 – 18, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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