service worker water committee calls for compliance with ...€¦ · 7/22/2017 · jim stenson,...

CALIFORNIA SERVICE

WORKERVOL. 43 NO. 2 BAY AREA EDITION

Western Service Workers Association

$2.00 Suggested Donation

InsideGigEconomy Gold Rush . . . . .Pg. 2

SWPAUW elevates demandsto State Water Board. . . . . . . . Pg. 7

Tamale Benefit & Spring PartyPhoto Essay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pg. 12

What’s Happening . . . . . . . . Pg. 18

Over 9,000 Households Shut Off Last YearService Worker Water Committee Calls for

Compliance with State LawEBMUD Board ‘Agrees’ with Zero Shutoffs, Votes for 19% Rate Increase

Left photo: Olivia Rodriguez, RN (center) explains SWPAUW’s demands to Channel 5 news reporter Juliette Goodrich (left), flanked by SWPAUW members Ola O’Neil (center right),Khalifa Shakur (right) and Ryan Wong (center photo). Right photo: SWPAUW member Rudolph McAllister, along with half a dozen other volunteers, organizes over 100 people in twohours to fill out SWPAUW’s postcards opposing EBMUD’s rate increase outside the EBMUD office.

Over two dozen volunteers with ServiceWorker Project for Affordable Utilities andWater (SWPAUW) testified before localand state water agencies, demanding a stopto residential water shutoffs of low-income

residents, suspension of rate increases andenactment of water access policy consistentwith state law AB 685, which includes themandate: “Every human being has the rightto safe, clean, affordable and accessible

water adequate for human consumption,cooking and sanitary purposes.”

Over 500 East Bay residents signed onto SWPAUW’s demands leading up to East Bay Municipal Utilities District’s

(EBMUD) vote on its latest water andwastewater rate increases. Despite deliveryof those signatures plus 100% oppositionfrom speakers representing ratepayers, the

Hundreds of Western Service WorkersAssociation (WSWA) members, volun-teers and supporters participated in aWSWA postcard and call-in campaign thisspring, organized to demand full fundingof California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, and in the im-mediate to rein in the state’s plan to shiftover $600 million in costs to Californiacounties, the majority of which do not havethe financial resources to manage a jumpfrom 5% to 35% responsibility for the non-federal funding of this vital social serviceprogram. IHSS provides personal care forlow-income elderly, blind and disabled res-idents, enabling them to remain in theirown homes.

WSWA Battles State’s IHSS Cost Shift Advocates Win Coverage for Elderly, Disabled

Continued on page 4

WSWA Canvass Captain Fletcher Cole (left) leads 11 volunteers on a door-to-door canvass in the Fruit-vale District in East Oakland, including from (left to right) Jaquai Wiley, Legal Benefit CoordinatorRachel Scheibe, Khalifa Shakur, Transportation Coordinator Jim Stenson, Membership CoordinatorAmanda Nervig, Leslie Hensley, and Grace Spangler.Continued on page 14

Attention All WSWA Members!Can’t afford to buy an air conditioner?Can’t afford the electricity to run one?

Come Beat the Heat!Make WSWA Your Cooling Center!

The office is open 7 days a week!

WSW

A photo

All WSWA Members are entitled to come toyour association’s office central to benefit from

the central air conditioning during periods ofextreme hot weather. High temperatures can be

dangerous to your health!

August 2017

All photos by Terrence Koga

Gig Economy Gold Rush: Debunking the Myth of the Micro-entrepreneur

EDITORIAL

AUGUST 2017

If you have received this publication in error, please call WSWA and let us know that we havethe wrong address for the person the publication is addressed to so we may update our records.

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For the millions struggling to make endsmeet, the gig economy’s promise of “easymoney on your own terms” through con-tract work seems too good to be true, andit is. Services like Taskrabbit and Uberpaint a rosy picture of flexible workingconditions with an endless number of con-tracts to be hired for, but the reality of workthrough the digital marketplace is far moregrim as loopholes in the system allow prof-iteers to overwork contractors withoutmeeting minimum wage, providing bene-fits, or complying to the sorts of protectionsthat create safe and fair working conditions.

The idea of the micro-entrepreneur, self-regulating workers who are able to supportthemselves or even prosper through a fullschedule of contracts, is promulgated bymainstream media and startup culture. Weare bombarded by success stories from thetransportation industry to food delivery,house cleaning and “skill sharing” of thosewho are happier, freer and more financiallysecure thanks to work provided by thebooming economy of apps and conven-ience services.

Real life success stories are few and farbetween, however. The media ignores theharsh labor conditions required to makesuch “successes” possible. When com-plaints do come to light there is little effortmade to rectify the problems that causethem, taking advantage of a desperateworkforce, seemingly with impunity.

Employers, unhampered by governmentregulation, continue to find ways to cir-cumvent workers’ rights.

Unemployment is down since 2009, butas of 2016, 20-30% of the current laborforce is made up of “independent contrac-tors.” Income inequality is at its highestsince 1927 and it is only expected to in-crease. Service corporations like Uber andPostmates employ thousands of Bay Areaworkers. Contract wages rarely reach min-imum wage, despite promises of earning$30 to $40 an hour, with no allowance forthe difficulty of the job or the time requiredto complete it. Some services pay as lowas $5 per “gig” while still requiring con-tractors to pay their own medical or liabilityinsurance and other fees required. Thisleaves little take-home pay for workerseven after exceeding an eight-hour day.

As independent contractors, gig econ-omy workers are prevented under U.S. la-bor laws to make their demands heard byunionizing. This is the heart of the issueand the true face of the app-based job mar-ket. In exchange for the promise of a self-determined schedule and paycheck, work-ers sign away rights hard won by Americanlabor a century ago that federal and statelaw ostensibly upholds for workers con-sidered employees of employers. Their eco-nomic desperation pushes gig workers tooffer themselves over to a ruthless systemthat only benefits tech profiteers.

WSWA Administrative Assistant Olivia Rodriguez, RN (third from right) trains a team of house-to-house canvassers in East Oaklandnear 38th and Allendale to sign up four new members working as independent contractors.

WSW

A photo

Continued on page 16

CALIFORNIASERVICE

WORKER

California Service Worker1141 Peralta Street, Oakland, CA 94607

(510) 832-2111

Published by Western Service Workers Association (WSWA), 1141 Peralta Street, Oakland, CA 94607. California Service Worker is published to tell the story to every WSWA member, volunteer, supporter and friendof what WSWA is doing. As WSWA grows in dimension and reaches out to more of the Bay Area and beyond, sodoes the California Service Worker. We need your support more than ever. Expanded circulation and distributionare critical. We need community reporters, writers and photographers now for our next issue. There is always aneed for experienced and apprentice desktop publishers, layout people and printers. Contact us as soon as you can.

California Service Worker is distributed free of charge to WSWA members. Others are asked to contribute a suggested minimum of $20.00 for an annual subscription to help WSWA cover production costs.

Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer LovewellEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Rodriguez, RNWriters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia MorganPhotography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Juan Calderón, Scott Cianciosi, . . . . . . . . Terrence Koga, Maren Poitsas, Grace Spangler, Jack Stills, Dylan Vermule

Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nina Cayan, Scott CianciosiCirculation . . . . . Khurshida Begum, Stanley Brown, Eric Cadey, Fletcher Cole, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carla Fuller, Alex Gubert, Kevin Holden, Crystal Huang, . . . . . . . . . Kevin Jordan, Al Kueffner, Ann Lyttle, Benny Murillo, Amanda Nervig, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharon Reinbott, Dakota Russo, Rachel Scheibe, Khalifa Shakur, . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim Stenson, Clark Stone, Herman Tse, Grace Wong, Ryan Wong

By choice and necessity your financial gifts to WSWA are not and never have been tax deductible. For that reason, your donations are doubly appreciated!

Labor donated

Contractors do not have a minimumwage requirement, overtime pay, no unem-ployment or workers compensation bene-fits, no sick days, pension, maximum orminimum working hours and are forced totake on risks without any accommodationsbeing made in return.

Western Service Workers Association(WSWA) volunteers canvassing door-to-door in West and East Oakland find thatone fourth of those working are employedin the “gig” economy. One new memberworks for the Richmond Amazon ware-house, also known as a fulfillment center.She signed a contract for $150 to make de-liveries of multiple packages at each of 200stops within a 10 hour timeframe. One ofthe first nights on the job she was out de-livering until 3am. Her shift was supposedto end at 10 pm, reducing her expectedwage of $15/hour to far below the Califor-nia state minimum wage of $10.50 per hour.

Several other WSWA members de-scribed their wages and working conditionsat Winolo (an online app warehouse tempagency) where they worked as temp work-ers for 11 hours. Because their contract wasfor $90 per “gig,” their hourly rate was farbelow minimum wage.

Blue Apron, a 2012 startup that deliversfresh, pre-proportioned ingredients for

CALIFORNIA SERVICE WORKER 3

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen uni-versal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions,including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sus-tainable development.

All countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan.We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secureour planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently neededto shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, wepledge that no one will be left behind.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demon-strate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals and complete what they did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rightsof all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are inte-grated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic,social and environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importancefor humanity and the planet.

Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere•Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote•sustainable agriculture

Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages•Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong•learning opportunities for all

Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls•Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation•for all

Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for•all

Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and•productive employment and decent work for all

Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable• industrialization and foster innovation

Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries•Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and• sustainable

Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns •Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*•Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for•sustainable development

Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,•sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse landdegradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development,•provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusiveinstitutions at all levels

Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global• partnership for sustainable development

* Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating theglobal response to climate change.

La presente Agenda es un plan de acción en favor de las personas, el planeta y la prosperidad. Tambiéntiene por objeto fortalecer la paz universal dentro de un concepto más amplio de la libertad. Reconocemosque la erradicación de la pobreza en todas sus formas y dimensiones, incluida la pobreza extrema, es elmayor desafío a que se enfrenta el mundo y constituye un requisito indispensable para el desarrollosostenible.

Este plan será implementado por todos los países y partes interesadas mediante una alianza de colab-oración. Estamos resueltos a liberar a la humanidad de la tiranía de la pobreza y las privaciones y a sanary proteger nuestro planeta. Estamos decididos a tomar las medidas audaces y transformativas que se nece-sitan urgentemente para reconducir al mundo por el camino de la sostenibilidad y la resiliencia. Al em-prender juntos este viaje, prometemos que nadie se quedará atrás.

Los 17 Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible y las 169 metas que anunciamos hoy demuestran la magnitudde esta ambiciosa nueva Agenda universal. Con ellos se pretende retomar los Objetivos de Desarrollo delMilenio y conseguir lo que estos no lograron. También se pretende hacer realidad los derechos humanos detodas las personas y alcanzar la igualdad entre los géneros y el empoderamiento de todas las mujeres yniñas. Los Objetivos y las metas son de carácter integrado e indivisible y conjugan las tres dimensiones deldesarrollo sostenible: económica, social y ambiental.

Los Objetivos y las metas estimularán durante los próximos 15 años la acción en las siguientes esferasde importancia crítica para la humanidad y el planeta.

Objetivo 1. Poner fin a la pobreza en todas sus formas y en todo el mundo •Objetivo 2. Poner fin al hambre, lograr la seguridad alimentaria y la mejora de la• nutrición y promover la agricultura sostenible Objetivo 3. Garantizar una vida sana y promover el bienestar de todos a todas las•edades Objetivo 4. Garantizar una educación inclusiva y equitativa de calidad y promover•oportunidades de aprendizaje permanente para todos Objetivo 5. Lograr la igualdad de género y empoderar a todas las mujeres y las niñas •Objetivo 6. Garantizar la disponibilidad y la gestión sostenible del agua y el•saneamiento para todos Objetivo 7. Garantizar el acceso a una energía asequible, fiable, sostenible y moderna•para todos Objetivo 8. Promover el crecimiento económico sostenido, inclusivo y sostenible, el•empleo pleno y productivo y el trabajo decente para todos Objetivo 9. Construir infraestructuras resilientes, promover la industrialización• inclusiva y sostenible y fomentar la innovación Objetivo 10. Reducir la desigualdad en los países y entre ellos •Objetivo 11. Lograr que las ciudades y los asentamientos humanos sean inclusivos,•seguros, resilientes y sostenibles Objetivo 12. Garantizar modalidades de consumo y producción sostenibles •Objetivo 13. Adoptar medidas urgentes para combatir el cambio climático y sus• efectos* Objetivo 14. Conservar y utilizar sosteniblemente los océanos, los mares y los• recursos marinos para el desarrollo sostenible Objetivo 15. Proteger, restablecer y promover el uso sostenible de los ecosistemas•terrestres, gestionar sosteniblemente los bosques, luchar contra la desertificación, detener e invertir la degradación de las tierras y detener la pérdida de biodiversidad Objetivo 16. Promover sociedades pacíficas e inclusivas para el desarrollo sostenible,•facilitar el acceso a la justicia para todos y construir a todos los niveles institucioneseficaces e inclusivas que rindan cuentas Objetivo 17. Fortalecer los medios de implementación y revitalizar la Alianza•Mundial para el Desarrollo Sostenible

* Reconociendo que la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el CambioClimático es el principal foro intergubernamental internacional para negociar la respuestamundial al cambio climático.

Los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible 2030The Sustainable Development Goals 2030

Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Transformar Nuestro Mundo: La Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible

WSWA Endorses Sustainable Development GoalsIn this issue and all subsequent issues of the California Service Worker, we will be publishing

the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by way of endorsing them and making them knownto our membership and friends of labor throughout the area. The Economic and Social Councilof the UN General Assembly has called upon organizations to make the people of their countriesaware of the goals and to press their governments to be accountable to them.

WSWA Respalda los Objectivos de Desarrollo SostenibleEn esta publicación del California Service Worker y en todas las subsecuentes publicaremos los Objetivos

de Desarrollo Sostenible (SDGs) de la Organización de las Naciones Unidos (ONU), para hacer que nuestramembrecía y amigos de los trabajadores de la área los conozcan y que los hagan suyos. El ConsejoEconómico y Social de la Asamblea General de la ONU pidieron que organizaciones informen a la gente ensus países acerca de los objetivos para que puedan poner presión a sus gobiernos y hacerlos responsable ala misma gente.

Estos 17 objetivos globales fueron adoptaron de forma unánimemente por todos los miembrosde la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU) el 25 de septiembre 2015 como la agenda deprioridad y para realizarlos para todos los países para todos los países por el año 2030, para ase-gurar que todo ser humano pueda cumplir su potencial en dignidad y igualdad y en un medioambiente sano.

These 17 global goals were adopted unanimously by all member states of the UnitedNations on September 25, 2015 as the Agenda for all countries to prioritize and achievecooperatively by 2030, to ensure that all human beings can fulfill their potential in dig-nity and equality and in a healthy environment.

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EBMUD board passed the nearly 20% rateincrease on July 11, effective the very nextday.

“Most people are unaware that anyonein the wealthy Bay Area is being forcedto live in Third World conditions,” saidAmanda Nervig, Western Service WorkersAssociation (WSWA) Membership Coordinator and a volunteer with exten-sive experience in utility bill advocacy,who joined in supporting SWPAUW’s po-sition. “EBMUD’s newly approved waterrate hikes of 18.25% over the next twoyears plus 5% wastewater rate increasesfor each of the next two years exacerbatean already dangerous public health crisis.”

Prior to EBMUD’s vote to raise rates,Janet Clark, President of the AlamedaCounty Civil Grand Jury Association,voiced her group’s objections in a letterstating, “In 2013-2014, the Grand Jury in-vestigated the East Bay Municipal UtilityDistrict. After reviewing EBMUD’s ratesand rate-setting practices, the Grand Juryfound that EBMUD did not disclose suf-ficient information in its June 2013 Noticeto enable consumers to understand the

need for a rate increase. Consequently, theGrand Jury’s investigation found a greaterneed for transparency in EBMUD’s publicnotifications regarding rate increases. Webelieve the public would not know thatsimilar rate hikes averaging four times therate of inflation have been approved byEBMUD. If the 2017 rate increase is ap-proved, customers’ water bills since 2003will have increased by 143%.”

SWPAUW went before the EBMUDFinance Committee June 27 and July 11meetings to demand EBMUD rescindpunitive fees that make it infeasible forlow-income service workers and residentsbarely surviving on low fixed incomes torestore water service following a discon-nection.

Also on July 11, SWPAUW packed ameeting of the full EBMUD board, atwhich they delivered hundreds of signedpostcards calling for an immediate mora-torium on home water shutoffs and a “no”vote on the new rate increases. SWPAUWspeakers called on EBMUD to end the in-humane living conditions their policiescreate.

SWPAUW members took the fight tothe state level on June 28, where the com-mittee was the sole representatives of low-income ratepayers at a state Water

Water CommitteeContinued from page 1

Photo by JuanC

alderón

AUGUST 2017

SWPAUW members and WSWA volunteers (from left to right) Kevin Holden, Mat-T Scottand Amanda Nervig advocate for members whose water has been shut off to EBMUD Cus-tomer Service Director Sherri Hong (right) and her assistant Latrice King (second fromright). Clockwise from upper right to lower left on facing page 5: Volunteers from SWPAUWand WSWA testify at May 9, June 27 and July 11 EBMUD hearings, including: 2. SWPAUWmember Danielle Rodriguez; 3. SWPAUW member Rudolph McAllister; 4. SWPAUW mem-ber Erin Smith; 5. SWPAUW member Kevin Holden; 6. SWPAUW member Kevin Jordan;7. SWPAUW member Peter Kurtz; 8. WSWA volunteer Al Kueffner; 9. SWPAUW memberNicolas Oakley.

The SWPAUW delegation

speaks:I am disabled, afterbeing hit by a forklifton the job. My wifeand I support our sixchildren all under tenyears old, survivingon only $745 amonth. Our water wasshut off by EBMUDand ultimately with$2400 in fees andfines we were forcedto live without water for three months. I’ve got an infant, I can’t wash him up, newborn baby,less than a year old, but I can’t give him a bath. I got to go to my neighbors and say, “Hey canI wash my son up, wash my kids up?” So I spread my family out to live in San Francisco withmy aunt. My kids went everywhere, anywhere I could get them. We stayed in hotels here andthere. Something happened and my water got back on thanks to WSWA. Then EBMUD makesme a payment plan to keep the water on. They say, “You have to pay $395 a month.” I said“$395 a month? I still got PG&E, I still got to get the kids to school...”

- Eugene Rubin, disabled worker

The SWPAUW delegation speaks:

I am a disabled steel worker. Your staffreported over 9,000 families had their watershut off by EBMUD over a ten month pe-riod last year. That is 900 families a monthor 30 families a day. Try to think aboutwhat it is like living without water, notbeing able to flush the toilet, bathe, haveclean water to drink. I know it happened tome. We have met and resolved cases forcountless families living without water formonths, often single parent householdswith very limited incomes. On top of beingforced to live without water, you further pe-nalize low-income families with deposits,disconnection fees, water theft fees, thatyour staff reported earlier today before theFinance Committee that these fees are re-ally there to “help” low-income customers. Despite our bringing this to your attention at overa half dozen meetings, you have not done anything to solve this problem, and now you areasking us for another rate increase. As our representatives, you know we cannot live withoutclean water. Hence water must be treated as a right. Start there.

- Ryan Wong, disabled steel worker

Photo by Scott Cianciosi

Photo by Maren Poitsas


Resources and Control Board hearing. Themeeting’s purpose was to elicit requiredpublic input prior to codifying criteria forimplementation of a 2012 state law, AB 401, “Low-Income Water Rate Assistance Act,” for which recommenda-tions are due in early 2018 to the statelegislature. (See story on page 7.)

Sierra Club Endorses SWPAUW Demands

“I represent the San Francisco BayChapter of the Sierra Club,” stated ChrisGilbert of the Sierra Club Water Sub-Committee at the June 27 EBMUDFinance Committee meeting. “I want tothank SWPAUW for bringing this issueto our attention. We often get lost in savingfish and forget about people. We sent aletter to all board members and are goingto take on the water issue within the con-text of the state’s law passed in 2012 thatpeople have a right to safe, affordable,clean water. The [EBMUD “water theft”]penalty is too draconian; if only 15% arepaying, that means the [other 85%] arefor the rest of their lives possibly [livingwithout water] and thereby in danger ofbeing evicted. It goes on their docketedcourt record. This thing is held againstthem. It’s like the drug war. We went forheavy penalties and we ended up with fulljails and people who couldn’t function insociety. So I’m saying, ‘Roll it back.’”

A letter to the EBMUD board from theSan Francisco Bay Chapter of the SierraClub stated in part, “We urge the EBMUDBoard of Directors to place a moratoriumon and reexamine its policies regardingwater shutoffs for residential users for in-ability to pay, to offer more solutions forthe numerous households with unpaid billsand shutoffs in place. We urge EBMUDto reject the water and wastewater fee and

rate increases as proposed by EBMUDstaff.”

EBMUD agreed to place the questionof eliminating their “water theft” penaltybefore the full board on August 8, andthat they would consider other SWPAUWdemands in November.

“We appreciate the Sierra Club WaterSub-Committee endorsing SWPAUW’sdemands, as we have been going to thesehearings for over ten months and despitesix of seven of the elected EBMUD WaterBoard members saying EBMUD must ac-complish the goal of zero water shutoffs,we have yet to see any material action,”said SWPAUW member Stanley Brown.“EBMUD’s newest rate increase comeson top of a series of rate hikes. Spendingpower of low-paid service and temp work-ers has gone down, not up, so we see thisas a recipe for disaster. How many morepeople have to have their water shut offbefore EBMUD will actually implementthe policies they have repeatedly verballyagreed to carry out?”

Ratepayers want answers – follow the money trail

Demands for a moratorium on watershutoffs echoed throughout the testimonybefore both the Finance Committee andthe full EBMUD Water Board hearingson July 11. Several speakers called onEBMUD to comply with international andstate law. In 2010, the United Nations pub-licized their policy that water is a right.The United Nations went further, recom-mending that no household shall pay morethan 1.5% or 2% of their income for water.The U.S. government accepted and ap-proved the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) in September 2015, adoptedby all 193 member nations of the UnitedNations. Goal #6 is “Ensure availability

and sustainable management of water andsanitation for all.”

Steve Lautze, SWPAUW supporter,speaking before the Water Board on July11 said, “I work in the city economic de-velopment division. When I heard thatEBMUD averages 1,000 shutoffs permonth or 30 per day, I felt compelled totake action. Furthermore, you say only7% of eligible households are signed upfor CAP (low-income assistance pro-gram). For a low-income person who isunable to pay their bill, that is not watertheft. Stop using ‘water theft’ fees on low-income families. The fact that staff hasdeferred the larger issues for later in theyear, that’s unacceptable in light of theprojected rate increases. Please link thoseissues and elevate it to the full board.”

The board stated the rate increase wasneeded for infrastructure, yet EBMUD’sofficial website reported that from 2004to 2014 EBMUD borrowed over $3.4 bil-lion via bonds from Wells Fargo Bank,U.S. Bank and New York Bank Mellon.EBMUD’s budget allocated $234.2 mil-lion in 2018 and $242 million in 2019 fordebt service out of a total yearly budgetof over a billion dollars. “That’s moneythat could provide relief to ratepayers.One of their bondholders, Wells Fargo, isone of 26 corporations also includingPG&E, General Electric and Boeing thatpaid no federal income taxes from 2008-2012. Wells Fargo’s subsidy was over $21


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I am a designer, living in West Oakland.The U.S. adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015along with 192 member states of the UnitedNations to prioritize and achieve coopera-tively by 2030 to ensure that all human be-ings can fulfill their potential in dignity andequality and in a healthy environment. Goal#6 states “Ensure availability and sustainablemanagement of water and sanitation for all.”California laws AB 685 and 401 state that,“Every human being has the right to safe,clean, affordable, and accessible water.”

I am here to demand that you enact amoratorium on shutoffs. Shutting off thou-sands of households in less than one yearalone constitutes a public health crisis for ourcommunities! When you shut someone’s water off, you are denying their human right to anadequate level of water for sanitation, drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. The greatestsource of the spread of disease is brought on by lack of sanitation and clean drinking water.Your policy means workers employed at restaurants and other occupations dealing with thepublic may pass on disease. Until there is a moratorium on water shutoffs, no one is safe.

- Amanda Nervig, designer


Photo by Terrence Koga





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billion. I told the EBMUD board, if theboard needs money for infrastructure, whynot go to the state,” said Olivia Rodriquez,RN.

EBMUD Board member Doug Linneystated, “We do have to look to the state toprovide some relief that way. I agree thatwe have moved too slowly.” Added Boardmember Andy Katz, “I agree we need toaddress equity and the human right to wa-ter in our policies and our water rates. Weneed to bring this to review of the boardurgently. And there are gaps in the CAPprogram. We must address the problemof water shutoffs impacting low-incomefamilies and set forth meaningful policiestowards the goal of zero water shutoffs.In 2011 we implemented a permanentmoratorium to water shutoffs in multi-family buildings.”

“Despite all their promises,” explainedSWPAUW member Kevin Jordan, “theboard voted 6-1 for the rate increase. Yet

this only strengthens our resolve for a per-manent moratorium on water shutoffs forall ratepayers living at 200% of the federalpoverty level! We had three families whocalled our office the day of the hearingwith their water off! We have since foughtand gotten them all back on, but we areprepared to take this as far as we have tountil water is truly a right for all humanbeings.”

“EBMUD board members claim towant to build an alliance with low-incomeratepayers,” explained Khalifa Shakur,SWPAUW member, “yet the nature oftheir financing and why the dramatic rateincreases is not apparent to their ratepay-ers. Their actions to date belie theirclaims.”

Volunteers ramp up advocacy, membership outreach

Through active door-to-door canvass-ing in low-income communities in Eastand West Oakland with Western ServiceWorkers Association (WSWA), SWPAUW volunteer advocates have pub-licized its demands for the right to waterand have located families facing shutoffs.

“EBMUD continues to shut off water tothese families daily,” continued RachelScheibe, SWPAUW volunteer advocate.“We have had no shortage of memberscoming in with cases, including an elderlyveteran living without water for a month,a single mom with two children livingwithout water for six weeks, a family ofeight living without water for threemonths, several other families and indi-viduals living without water for a weekand more. But in each case, volunteer ad-vocates spent hours on the phone workingout real, affordable payment plans andtracking down an assistance agency tohelp. With the newly approved rate in-crease, we urgently need volunteers tohelp with the growing number of waterand utility advocacy requests.”

Volunteers are also urgently needed toreach out to low-income neighborhoodsaffected by the rate increase. Volunteerscan enroll in WSWA’s Captain CanvassTraining Program, including coordinatinghouse meetings, as well as enroll in benefitadvocacy training. The need is greaternow more than ever for a membership-controlled organization of low-incomeworkers providing a means for workingpeople to persevere in the fight to makeaffordable, clean and sufficient quantitiesof water supplies a right for all human beings now. Call Stanley today at 510-832-2111 and find out how you can get involved. n

AUGUST 2017

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SWPAUW members and WSWA volunteers led by Olivia Rodriguez, RN (third from right) including (from left to right beginning thirdfrom left) Rachel Scheibe, Jaquai Wiley, Stanley Brown and Kevin Jordan meet with EBMUD Water Board members Doug Linney (left)and Marguerite Young (second from left) in April regarding SWPAUW demands.

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Endorsement of SWPAUW position:

“I represent the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club. I want to thankSWPAUW for bringing this issue to our at-tention. We often get lost in saving fish andforget about people. We are going to takeon the water issue within the context of thestate’s law passed in 2012 that people havea right to safe, affordable, clean water. The[EBMUD “water theft”] penalty is too dra-conian; if only 15% are paying, that meansthe [other 85%] are for the rest of their livespossibly [living without water] and therebyin danger of being evicted. It goes on theirdocketed court record and is held againstthem. It’s like the drug war. We went forheavy penalties and we ended up with fulljails and people who couldn’t function insociety. So I’m saying, ‘Roll it back.’ Our chapter has sent all of the board members a letterstating, “We urge the EBMUD Board of Directors to place a moratorium on and reexamine itspolicies regarding water shutoffs for residential users for inability to pay, to offer more solu-tions for the numerous households with unpaid bills and shutoffs in place. We urge EBMUDto reject the water and wastewater fee and rate increases as proposed by EBMUD staff.”

- Chris Gilbert, co-chair of the Sierra Club Water Sub-Committee


My name is Crystal Huang and I am aweb designer and consultant. Sherri Hong,director of EBMUD Customer and Community Services, reported that imple-mentation of the Water Theft Penalty savedEBMUD $75,000 in operational costs. Formost of the 328 households penalized bythis fine, this amounted to a permanentshutoff: sentencing a family to never beingable to get their water back on and likelybeing forced to move out of their residence,split up their family, and perhaps becominghomeless. We know, as we have heard firsthand that this is what happens to low-in-come families who are not able to pay thewater theft penalty. Is that $75,000 savingsworth that to EBMUD? Hong also reportedthat issuing a moratorium on water shutoffs would cost EBMUD a potential $4.5 million inannual revenue. EBMUD's proposed rate increase of 18.5% over the next two years, amountsto additional revenue of $140+ million, which could easily cover the cost of implementing amoratorium on water shutoffs. You have the duty to implement your mission statement andprotect your ratepayers’ right to fair and reasonable rates and the human right to water.

- Crystal Huang, Consultant

Water CommitteeContinued from page 5


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I work for the City of Oakland Eco-nomic Development Division. I haveknown Water Board Director MargueriteYoung for over 20 years when we used tocanvass together for Clean Water Action.When I heard that EBMUD averages1,000 shutoffs per month or 30 per day, Ifelt compelled to take action. Further-more, you say only 7% of eligible house-holds are signed up for CAP (low-incomeassistance program). There are twice asmany people getting their water shut offas you have signed up for your assistanceprogram! For a low-income person who isunable to pay their bill, that is not water theft.Stop using ‘water theft’ fees on low-income families. The fact that staff has deferred the largerissues for later in the year, that’s unacceptable in light of the projected rate increases. Pleaselink those issues and elevate it to the full board.

- Steve Lautze, Oakland Economic Development Division


I am a retired software developer fromStanford University. I have with me over atwo hundred post cards signed by local res-idents in Alameda and Contra CostaCounty opposing this rate increase. JanetClark, President of the Alameda CountyCivil Grand Jury Association, reported thatyour 2017 water rate increase notice “omitsdetails regarding historical rate increases asrecommended by the 2014 Grand Jury.”She continues, “We believe the publicwould not know that similar rate hikes av-eraging four times the rate of inflation havebeen approved by EBMUD. If the 2017 rateincrease is approved, customers’ water billssince 2003 will have increased by 143%!”

If you don’t have sufficient funds, go tothe state. The state just passed their budget to include $48 billion in corporate tax breaks. Theyhave no shortage of funds. There are other utility districts in the same bind – you could joinwith them in demanding that the state provide the resources to ensure water is a human right.

- Sharon Reinbott, retired software developer from Stanford University

Service Worker Project for Affordable Utilities and Water (SWPAUW) delegates made up overhalf the attendees at a public input hear-ing convened in Oakland on June 28by the State Water Resources and Control Board, one of seven scheduledthroughout the state this summer re-garding implementation of a state lawpromising financial relief to low-income water utility customers.

SWPAUW speakers presented offi-cials with data as to why AB 401, the“Low-Income Water Rate AssistanceAct” (LIRA, 2015), does not go farenough to prevent life-threatening shut-offs. “Water companies and utility dis-tricts keep raising water rates, makingthe proposed 20-35% assistance fromthe potential LIRA program negligi-ble,” said SWPAUW supporter andWestern Service Worker Associationvolunteer organizer Fletcher Cole.

Amanda Nervig backed SWPAUW’s position, citing the California State Constitution, Article1, Section 1, “All people are by naturefree and independent and have inalien-able rights. Among these are enjoying

Resources and Control Board, thankedSWPAUW for being there and said thiswas the first they’d heard from grass-roots level urban voices. Many in theaudience said they were surprised thatover 9,000 families’ water was shut offby EBMUD in 2016. Gomberg said hewill personally recommend to the StateWater Board the moratorium on watershutoffs. The State Water Resourcesand Control Board regulates anyone’sright to access state water from riversand public bodies of water.

According to Laura Feinstein, Ph.D.of the Pacific Institute, the state of California is responsible for research-ing ways to implement AB 685, a 2012amendment to the state Water Code,that states in part: “It is hereby declaredto be the established policy of the statethat every human being has the rightto safe, clean, affordable, and accessi-ble water adequate for human con-sumption, cooking, and sanitary pur-poses.” She expressed a desire topartner with SWPAUW to determineways to develop a low-income assis-tance program that is reflective of therealities of the urban poor.

and defending life and liberty, acquir-ing, possessing, and protecting prop-erty, and pursuing and obtaining safety,happiness, and privacy.” Nervig added,“There are now eight men who own asmuch wealth as the poorest half of theentire world, according to an Oxfamstudy. If you don’t have sufficientfunds, seek out additional sources offunds from the state to ensure that wa-ter is truly a right to every human be-ing. The state is outlaying $48 billionin corporate tax breaks per year toGoogle, Disney, Apple, Facebook, etc.They have no shortage of funds. Youcan go to the federal government ifneed be. In the wake of GovernorBrown’s visit to China, Chinese lead-ership met with state officials recentlyin San Francisco to extend their ‘Beltand Road’ program to aid California’sinfrastructure.”

“There was a general consensus inagreement with our demand for a mora-torium on water shutoffs from the ma-jority of the people there,” explaineddelegate Carla Fuller.

Max Gomberg, the climate changeconservation supervisor for the Water

SWPAUW Elevates Water Demands to StateWater Resources and Control Board

SWPAUW members and WSWA volunteerspresent SWPAUW’s demands for a morato-rium on water shutoffs statewide at the June28 State Water Resources & Control Boardmeeting, May 9, June 27 and July 11EBMUD Planning Committee, FinanceCommittee and full Water Board hearings.Clockwise from upper right of page 6 tolower right of page 7: 1. SWPAUW memberStanley Brown; 2. SWPAUW member Khal-ifa Shakur; 3. WSWA volunteer RachelScheibe; 4. SWPAUW member Mat-T Scott.






SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION is Here to Win, Here to Stay with WSWA!

8 AUGUST 2017

SWPAUW members and WSWA volunteers (from left to right) Peter Kurtz, Mat-T Scott, Kevin Holden, Ola O’Neil, Eugene Rubin,Rachel Sheibe, Erin Smith, Bjorn Ivar Gran, Kim Smith, Olivia Rodriguez, RN, Al Kueffner, Maren Poitras, and Stanley Brown gatherat the EBMUD main building on May 9 for the Planning Committee meeting.


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By choice and necessity, your financial gifts to WSWA are not and never have beentax-deductible. For that reason, your donations are doubly appreciated!

California Service Worker is published as a benefit for members of WESTERN SERVICEWORKERS ASSOCIATION (WSWA). Like all of WSWA’s 11-Point Benefit Program, it isfree of charge to members. WSWA asks those who have joined our cause to support the pro-duction of our membership newspaper with a suggested donation of $20, or as much as youcan help with.

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12

1. Volunteers from the Piedmont Community Service Crew assist in making over 500 tamales in one day. 2. Volunteers Eric Sanchez of Mandela Marketplace and Bjorn Ivar Gran (right) makemasa, while Juan Calderon cuts up chilies. 3. Naomi Sakamoto and Lionel Jingles learn how to mix the masa. 4. Lauren Halpern (third from left) and her third grade class at Marin Elementaryroll tamales. 5. Volunteer Kitchen Captain Celia Medina (left) trains (clockwise from left to right) Fernando Rodriguez, Nathaniel van Dike, Katie Lovewell, Fred Jardin, AdministrativeAssistant Olivia Rodriguez, RN and Louise Lovewell in the art of tamale making. 6. WSWA Operations Manager Jennifer Lovewell (left) and Benny Murillo (right) determine the black beanand nopales mixture are ready for filling the tamales.

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Spring Family Party & Egg Hunt





1. WSWA volunteer Jaquai Wiley leads the children’s dance contest. 2. Steven Runyon, PhDleads dozens of WSWA members and their children in the Easter Egg Hunt. 3. The childrenline up to take turns swinging at the piñata under Steven Runyon’s watchful eye. 4. Artist forthe National Labor Federation Calendar Dylan Vermule paints the official “Easter Bunny”for the Spring Family Party. 5. Linda Kallenberger with Three Stone Hearth (left) and RickyParnam of Oakland’s Very Own (right) prepare a delicious high protein meal for the guests.6. Rachel Scheibe, Legal Benefit Coordinator (right) trains Manuel Sandoval (left) on a legalbenefit intake at the party. 7. The children anxiously await charging into the egg hunt.

Photo by Dylan Verm

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14 AUGUST 2017

IHSS FightContinued from page 1

WSWA in the Bay Area with sister or-ganizing drives statewide and other alliessucceeded in reducing the state’s IHSScost shift to counties by $400 million forthe fiscal year that began July 1.

WSWA Benefit Program advocates si-multaneously have been conducting train-ing sessions and winning cases to increasehours for IHSS recipients, as well as thecorresponding hours of work for IHSScaregivers as well as other types of socialservice program advocacy.

WSWA member and Volunteers Coordinator Stanley Brown led a dailycall-in campaign to legislators on the Sen-ate Budget Subcommittee on Health andHuman Services, explaining that forcingthis cutback on cash-strapped countieswould result in counties choosing betweencutting caregivers’ hours and pay or re-ducing or eliminating other vital socialservices, which is no choice at all.

One WSWA member and IHSS recipi-ent organized fellow IHSS recipients andworkers to sign and mail in over a thou-sand postcards demanding that the statefind the funds via identifying and elimi-nating state tax breaks and/or organizingwith other states to demand federal fundsto cover the IHSS program so that theIHSS workers have living wages and therecipients receive enough hours of care toremain safely in their homes.

“We already know the state is instruct-ing county welfare directors that they areallowed to reallocate funds earmarked formental health, children’s services, fosterprograms and other social services to makeup their shortfalls in IHSS monies. Thisjust pits one group of poor people againstanother,” explained WSWA OperationsManager Jennifer Lovewell.

With the 2017-18 state budget signedinto law by Governor Brown on June 27,

California began a major shift of In-HomeSupportive Services program costs tocounty governments, adding $141 millionthis fiscal year and going up to $251 mil-lion by 2020-21, according to the state’sestimates. Historically 65% of IHSS non-federal dollars have been allocated by thestate. California’s 58 county governments,already strapped with increasing costs forpublic services, have been instructed bythe state to take out loans if they cannotmanage this year’s increase to 35% costresponsibility. Alameda County has al-ready cut back other programs to maintainIHSS services, according to a January 12statement published by California StateAssociation Counties (CSAC). AlamedaCounty Supervisor Keith Carson, who isalso CSAC President, stated the ‘cost shift’is “devastating to counties all over thestate. We undoubtedly would have tomake cuts in other vital social services tocover these costs. These services are re-quired by both state and federal laws, soif the costs do fall on the counties, we haveto pay them and we don’t have the abilityto raise the revenue we’ll need to do so.That means cutting other critical local serv-ices.”

Advocates win over 600% more hours of care

WSWA Legal Benefit CoordinatorRachel Scheibe described the process forsuccessfully fighting for home care for amember’s two very disabled children.Scheibe worked with volunteer advocatesMaren Poitras, Ruby Matsumo and MyaMatsumo to get supporting documentationfrom the children’s pediatrician and teach-ers to document the level of servicesneeded for the children to remain safelyin the home. The appeal process requiredtwo administrative hearings, and then wait-ing several months for the administrativelaw judge’s decision. The member, a singleparent, employed outside the home tocover basic living expenses for the family

had exhausted herself trying to seek assis-tance on her own for over a year.

“We just got a call that the memberwas awarded an increase from 19 hours amonth to 218 hours of home care for theolder child and for the second child an in-crease from 45 hrs to 283 hours a month!”exclaimed Scheibe. “This is a huge vic-tory, but no one should have had to gothrough this. This member has cared fortwo extremely high need children on herown for ten years. She’s exhausted andhad finally asked for help, and then re-ceived authorization for so few hours thatit was a slap in the face. The county makesyou fight tooth and nail.”

“This type of care is exactly what ourtax dollars should be used for. Instead,the state and federal government gives tensof billions of dollars in tax breaks for Apple, Google, Facebook, etc.,” saidMaren Poitras. In this year’s state budget,Lockheed Martin’s tax subsidy was over$429 million, Disney’s was $487 millionand Northrop Grumman’ $440 million. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, hasaccumulated more cash than any othercompany in the United States - $257 bil-lion as of April 1 – and virtually all of it is stashed untaxed in foreign bank ac-counts, reported Vindu Goel of The NewYork Times. According to Dave Johnson,in a posting on May 13, 2016 at Our-Future.org, if Apple didn’t hold $181 bil-lion overseas, it would owe $59 billion inUS taxes, a large portion of which shouldbe going to California.

“We know that IHSS advocacy requestsare going to increase, so we are workingto learn as much as we can about IHSSassessments and fair hearings to walkIHSS workers and recipients through the

(From left to right) WSWA Volunteers Coordinator Stanley Brown (left) and volunteer JeffLindley (right) display hundreds of postcards gathered from WSWA members and allies thatthey mailed to Governor Brown opposing his $140 million in cuts of home care to low-incomeelderly and disabled recipients in the In-Home Supportive Services Program.

assessment and fair hearing processes tofight for the maximum number of hours,”continued Scheibe.

Another member requested assistancefor an elderly parent in his eighties whowas being prematurely discharged from aSkilled Nursing Facility (SNF). Medicaredetermined that the patient was “not pro-gressing enough medically.” The SNF didnot provide sufficient data or medicalrecords as to why the elderly parent wasn’tprogressing enough to warrant his contin-ued care, and told the family they wouldhave to pay $12,000 a month for their eld-erly parent to remain in the facility. Whenthe family couldn’t pay the elderly patientwas sent home with no home health planset up to feed and administer his medicinesvia a “PEG” tube (tube passed into a pa-tient’s stomach through the abdominalwall), bathe him, provide therapy and otherdaily life functions.

“At the family member’s request, ateam of WSWA volunteer advocates diddaily advocacy to ensure he had a team ofhealth care providers, some of whom werecovered by Medicare, except the most crit-ical provider, a live-in aid,” explainedWSWA Administrative Assistant OliviaRodriguez, RN. The member found a live-in aid through WSWA’s Information andReferral Benefit and Job Board to care forher father.

Volunteers are needed now to join thesemembership canvass teams and benefit ad-vocacy sessions to advocate for IHSSworkers who are not receiving pay for allthe hours they work or overtime pay they are entitled to. To get involved in thecampaign to fully fund IHSS and de-mand state and federal accountability, please call 510-832-2111. n

Photo by Jack Stills

Canvass Captain Eric Cadey trains volunteer Jesslin Wooliver to sign up new WSWA mem-bers, including a home care worker on a membership canvass in East Oakland.

WSW

A photo


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(From left to right) WSWA Operations Manager Jennifer Lovewell joins Benefit CoordinatorKevin Holden in a presentation about WSWA’s fight to fully fund the IHSS program at theImpact Hub in downtown Oakland.

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home-cooked meals, opened up a ware-house in Richmond. The company employs4,000 workers and has raised $193.8 mil-lion in venture capital, according to 4rich-mond.org posted on June 3, 2014.

Yet there’s another side to Blue Apronaccording to Annie Sciacca and Karina Ioffee of the East Bay Times in an articlethat appeared on October 4, 2016. “Mymanager stands on a forklift and yells at usto hurry up. I call him the slave driver,”said the young woman, who did not wantto reveal her name because she feared re-taliation. In one shift, workers are expectedto assemble around 18,000 orders, destinedfor all over the West Coast.

The conditions at Blue Apron illustratea broader problem, said Kate O’Hara, ex-ecutive director for the Oakland-based EastBay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy.“This is emblematic of a larger trend con-cerning the quality of jobs in our economy,”O’Hara said, pointing to the increasing useof subcontractors. These formerly unionjobs are now low paid, offer unpredictablehours and, in the case of many warehousejobs, unsafe conditions caused by the pres-sure to produce.

Blue Apron also relies on outsidestaffing firms and temporary employmentagencies to fill positions. The use of third-party staffing agencies has become com-mon in the Bay Area and across the countryto fill low-wage jobs like those of ware-house line workers. “There are certain sec-tors, and certainly in the on-demand sector,that are using intermediary firms like tempand staffing agencies to recruit and hireworkers,” said Catherine Ruckelshaus, gen-eral counsel and program director for theNational Employment Law Project. “Com-panies do it because they see it as easier…but it is not a way to outsource responsi-bility for workers.”

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On the rare occasion that workers areable to voice their complaints, little effortis made by the companies or governmentto address them. Employers who take ad-vantage of the lack of government regula-tions are treated by government officialswith near-impunity, allowing them to con-tinue finding ways to circumvent workers’rights and labor laws in the future.

Hiring through staffing agencies allowscompanies like Amazon, Tesla and BlueApron to bring in laborers without offeringjob security, benefits, compensation, or le-gal protection and without having to paypayroll taxes. At the same time allegationsof wage theft, long hours and speed upsare many. They feel no obligation to treatworkers fairly when staffing agencies allowworkers to be easily replaced.

Last year the Economic Policy Institutepublished a study that reports wage thefthas risen to an estimated $50 billion peryear nationwide. By comparison, accordingto the FBI, all other kinds of thefts and rob-beries combined in 2012 amounted to about$14 billion – that is, not even a third of theamount attributed to wage theft suffered byworkers. Yet the mainstream media is silenton these topics.

Amazon: A case study in modern exploitation

In July 2013, then-president BarakObama visited the Amazon fulfillment cen-ter in Chattanooga, Tennessee as part oflaying out his future job creation plans,“because it is an example of a successfulAmerican business growing and boostingemployment,” according to the WhiteHouse from an Associated Press report onJuly 30, 2013.

In October 2015, Dave Jamieson of theHuffington Post wrote, “The life and deathof an Amazon warehouse temp,” describingthe death on the job of a 29 year-old tempworker at an Amazon warehouse in Chester,Virginia. Jamieson wrote that a “quiet castesystem separated the [temps] from the full-

timers” and quoted another former tempworker, Lisa Vacula, as saying, “It was sortof like a class-warfare kind of thing.” Tempworkers are viewed as disposable. They donot have the same status as the people theywork beside who are direct employees.”

Like their counterparts working gigs,temps face difficulties when it comes to or-ganizing for protection. This again is dueto the separation between employees andthe companies whose factories, warehouses,and offices they work in. The employerswho contract temp agencies are not boundto bargain or negotiate with temp workerson issues like labor conditions and the tempagencies themselves do not have the re-sponsibility or power to alter on site con-ditions for their workers.

The models for both gig and temp workare constructed around providing 24 hour,rapid convenience services that can makea maximum profit while keeping labor costsat an absolute minimum. It’s an industrythat views laborers as easily replaceableparts and keeps low-wage workers in com-petition with one another for jobs. There isno accountability to the worker; they are acommodity to be discarded when they areno longer able to produce.

According to David Streitfeld of TheNew York Times on September 19, 2011,he quoted The Morning Call, a local news-paper in Allentown, Pennsylvania, “Oneemployee told the paper, the environmentin the warehouse resembled ‘working in aconvection oven while blow-drying yourhair.’” The Call said a warehouse employeecontacted the Occupational Safety andHealth Administration on June 2 to reportthat the heat index in the warehouse hadreached 102 degrees and 15 workers hadcollapsed. The employee also said workerswho were sent home because of the heatreceived disciplinary points. So many am-bulances responded to medical assistancecalls at the warehouse during a heat wavein May, the paper said, that the retailerspaid Cetronia Ambulance Corps to have

16

Gig EconomyContinued from page 2

AUGUST 2017

paramedics and ambulances stationed out-side the warehouse during several days ofexcess heat over the summer. About 15people were taken to hospitals, while 20 or30 more were treated right there. Yet, in-vestors were undaunted; on a down day forthe market, the retailer’s stock rose to anew high of $241.69, giving Amazon amarket value of $110 billion.

The Amazon model is spreading all overthe country as the employment model ofthe future. Hal Bernton and Susan Kelleherof The Seattle Times, in an article that ap-peared on April 3, 2012, entitled “Amazonwarehouse jobs push works to physicallimit,” described how there are 70+ fulfill-ment centers in the US, Europe and Asia.Seventeen opened in 2012 alone. In Campbellsville, Kentucky, a picker couldwalk more than 10 miles a day to retrieveitems ordered by Amazon customers in thefulfillment centers. There are four fulfill-ment centers in the Phoenix, Arizona metroarea, with a combined total of more than 4million square feet. The workers at onecenter shipped a record of 2,086,548 itemsin one week.”

“There would be phone conferences[with Seattle, Amazon’s former headquar-ters, as they are now based in Luxembourg],and all this screaming, about productionnumbers. That was always the problem; theproduction numbers weren’t high enough,”said a former safety manager in Kentuckywith oversight of the warehouse who spokeon condition of anonymity. “This was justa brutal place to work.” After two years onthe job, one former manager was troubledenough about conditions to write an emailto an Amazon regional vice president. Hesays he detailed concerns about unreason-able expectations of workers during ex-tremely hot days, how production rateswere set and other issues. A week later theformer manager says, he was accused of aminor rules infraction and given the choiceof leaving the company or getting fired.“They would have meetings on how we

17CALIFORNIA SERVICE WORKER

could get rid of people who were hurt. Itwas horrible,” she said. “I would try to findthem [the workers] light-duty jobs that theycould do, and they [managers] would sayno. They wanted the workers to exhausttheir time off so they could fire them.”

Organized labor now represents lessthan 8 percent of the warehouse workforce.Early on, Amazon took a hard line againstunions. A high-profile organizing effort bythe Communications Workers of Americaat an Amazon call center in Seattle endedin 2001, when the center was shut downand some 400 workers were laid off as partof a larger company restructuring.

Like other jobs in the gig economy,Amazon is handsomely rewarded in taxbreaks, despite these conditions. For ex-ample, the state of Kentucky alone, gaveAmazon $19 million in tax credits. Thegovernment collusion and gigantic corpo-rate tax breaks have led to Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, to have now attained theposition of the second wealthiest man inthe world. In his article titled “Amazon:How the world’s largest retailer keeps taxcollectors at bay,” in the July 13, 2016,Newsweek,” Simon Marks wrote, “Newlyrevealed documents seen by Newsweekfrom a landmark court case in Seattle be-tween Amazon and the IRS reveal how thecompany has attained global dominanceover competitors in part by moving itsglobal headquarters from Seattle to thesmall, landlocked state of Luxembourg.While Amazon’s corporate structure therehas been well-documented, the court doc-uments from Seattle shed new light on al-legations of tax avoidance. In the last quar-ter of 2015 Amazon paid just $73 millionin taxes on $35.7 billion in revenues.”

Amazon continues to expand its modelin the Bay Area. richmond.org reported onJuly 12, 2016, Amazon opened their Fulfillment Center in Richmond, California,leasing a 224,154 square foot space. TheRichmond warehouse will join Amazon’sadditional Bay Area locations in South SanFrancisco, Newark and Tracy.

Uber, following the Amazon model, justbought the $70 million Oakland downtownSears building and has plans to open it inthe second quarter of 2018, according toMarisa Kendall of the Mercury News onMarch 20, 2017.

Blaze a new trail based on living wagesWe must build a new economy that is

based on living wages for all workers,where every worker is compensated fortheir role. We define a “living wage job”as the hourly wage required for a head ofhousehold of four to afford all costs of basicnecessities to thrive: nutritious food, safeand sanitary housing and utilities; preven-

tive medical, dental and optical care; trans-portation; clothing; educational expenses –the wage will be set according to the actualcosts for these necessities in the area wherethe worker lives and works.

In order to have a chance at combatingthe growing economic divide, we urgentlyneed to strengthen independent organiza-tion from the bottom up. We demand realliving wage jobs and the ability to establishpolicies consistent with the needs of work-ing people and a healthy future for thewhole community versus the present sac-rificing of some segments of the populationfor the benefit of others. It is time to take astand to reverse this destructive trend.

In times of extreme political polarizationlike the present, the power of free and vol-untary non-governmental organizing gov-erned by principles of mutual assistancecan be profound. At WSWA, members,joined by concerned community profes-sionals, business people, clergy, house-wives, students and others, build the means

Robert J. Wheeler51 Mission Hil ls StreetOakland, CA 94605(510) 635-0535 Phone

Executive/Technical Recruit ingAMERICAN TECHNOLOGY TRADING GROUP LTD.

(510) 908-1492 Cell(510) 635-0539 Fax

[email protected]

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE!

JOIN WITH SERVICE AND DOMESTIC WORKERS TOBUILD A FUTURE FOR

ALL WORKERS

FULL & PART-TIME ORGANIZERS

NEEDED NOW! CALLWSWA TODAY AT

510-832-2111 AND ASKFOR OLIVIA.

LEARN basic organizing skills.

BUILD a self-help benefit program.

LEAD door-to-door membership canvasses.

PRODUCE an independent newspaper.

FIGHT for the change we all want and need!

Want to attract agents & publishers?Want to be your own publisher?

Get your manuscript professionally editedBuild your writer’s platform NOW

Hire Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan5 1 0 - 9 1 8 - 6 2 2 2 < w r i t i n g c o a c h Te r e s a @ g m a i l . c o m >

h t t p : / / w r i t i n g c o a s h Te r e s a . c o m

novels children’s novels memoirs

to provide material hope toward meetingday-to-day needs and joining together todetermine the course of action their organ-ization will take. We teach the tried andtrue method of Systemic Organizing andtraining is open to anyone who cares tomake the time to join us in our winningstruggle on behalf of low-income workers.Call us today at 510-832-2111 and lendyour voice and your energies for true com-munity betterment from the bottom up. n

Seeking Volunteers

As a food-first effort, our focusis on maintaining a minimal foot-print with an all-volunteer team.

To volunteer or support us, visit www.foodrev.org!

Based in San Francisco - alsotransports food in Union City

especially in Union City!

WSWA - The Original Green

Machine. Sign up here!

18

W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G

Door-to-Door Membership Canvasses:Thursdays 1:30 - 5 pm

Saturdays 11 am - 3 pmHouse-to-house canvassing is the

primary way WSWA signs up newmembers and keeps current membersinformed about what WSWA is doing,allowing them to stay active in the or-ganization. Canvasses are held from10am-3pm every Saturday. If you areinterested in volunteering or want ourvolunteers to canvass your neighbor-hood, call our office at (510) 832-2111.

Publication Sessions:Wednesdays 7 - 9 pm &

Saturdays 1 - 4 pmJoin WSWA’s publication sessions,

where we produce the California Service Worker, Sponsors Guide andliterature we use to publicize the strug-gles and victories of low-paid workerswho are denied a voice in the media.If you are interested in learning moreabout our publications or are able tovolunteer your time and skills in pho-tography, graphic design, writing, ordesktop publishing, call today!

WSW

A photo

WSW

A Photo

Year-round Food Drives and Information Tables:

Fridays 12 - 8 & Sundays 11 - 6 pmBay Area businesses, institutions

and individuals join the service workercause, making WSWA’s free-of-chargeemergency food distributions possible.Sign up to volunteer or to offer a boothor table space for WSWA outreach.Montclair Safeway, Lincoln SquareSafeway, and Grand Avenue Safewayin Oakland, Harbor Bay Safeway inAlameda, Shattuck Avenue Safeway inBerkeley, Solano Avenue Safeway inAlbany, the Lunardi’s in Danville,Walgreen’s in Berkeley on Adeline,Telegraph Avenue and Shattuck inNorth Berkeley participate monthly.

Utility & Water Advocacy:Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:30 - 4:30 pm

Every day 1500 households in California have their electricity shutoff for lack of ability to pay. This in-cludes those who rely on CPAP ma-chines to breathe, oxygen machines,nebulizers, or refrigerated insulin fordiabetics to survive. We’re fighting tokeep our members alive! Learn hereat WSWA what it takes to keep low-income families’ electricity, gas andwater service connected during ourUtility and Water Advocacy Sessions.Experienced advocates are ready andable to teach new volunteers.

Phone Training Sessions:Mondays, Wednesdays &

Sundays 6 - 10 pmReach members of the community

interested in volunteer opportunitiesso that they can be part of building astronger and organized voice of work-ing people to improve living andworking conditions for all of us.

Back to School Clothing and Supplies Distribution:

August 19, 10 am - 4 pmWSWA is collecting backpacks,

school supplies and new school clothesfor the Benefit Plan II Back-to-SchoolClothing and School Supply Distribu-tions. Benefit Plan II is a free-of-charge, year-round budget-savings pro-gram for enrolled WSWA members.Volunteers can join Benefit Plan IIcaseworker training programs, becomea WSWA benefit advocate, drive,match and pack donations of schoolsupplies, children’s clothing and back-packs. Please call today to sign up!

Clothing Closet:Fridays 11 am - 2 pm

WSWA members and volunteersare needed to run distributions ofclothing and other household itemsevery Friday at the New St. Paul Community Baptist Church at 1012Martin Luther King Jr. Way at 10thStreet in Oakland.

WSW

A photo

WSW

A photo

AUGUST 2017

WILLIAM R. HUMMER, D.D.S.

1239 Harrison StreetSan Leandro, CA 94577510.351.5751 [email protected]

“I know some wonderful, conscientious, ethical people at WSWA, and I support themin all their endeavors.”

- William Hummer, D.D.S.

510.351.5711 office

Volunteers Sasha Morrison, Katie Lovewell, Anita Morrison, Tracy Morrison (fromleft to right) fill emergency food requests for WSWA members.

WSW

A Photo

WSW

A photo


Bruce Johnston, MD

“Intelligent and caring, Dr. Johnston is an old-school talk therapy psychiatrist who really listensand understands. I feel that I have benefitedfrom his experience.”

- Anonymous patient

5478 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618

Psychiatrist since 1961

Dana ArkinzadehDana ArkinzadehCertified Professional Organizer®

National Association of Professional Organizers

[email protected]

(510) 206-4816

= Downsizing = Closets, garages, = Clutter clearing storage= Move management = Paper organizing

Visualize Successat www.yesican.wikispaces.com

or call Al Kueffner at (510) 290-1394

WSWA thanks WSWA thanks Caramad ConleyCaramad Conleyfor strengtheningfor strengtheningWSWA’s water WSWA’s water

advocacy benefit.advocacy benefit.

You can become a part of the official WSWA Fan Club. WSWA iscollecting new and like new fans to distribute to members as partof WSWA’s Service Worker Summer Campaign. Tell your friends,

your neighbors and your co-workers. Call or stop by today!

JOIN THE WSWA FAN CLUB!

20

Western ServiceWorkers Association

1141 Peralta StreetOakland, CA 94607

Place PostageHere

Think green!

Give your used butrunning car a newlease on life with

WSWA.

Call (510) 832-2111

MAIL-OUT 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

VOLUNTEERSORIENTATION

1 - 2 p.m.

MEMBERSHIPPHONING SESSION

2 - 5 p.m.

PHONETRAININGSESSION6 - 10 p.m.

VOLUNTEERSCLASS

9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

VOLUNTEERS ORIENTATION

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

BENEFIT ADVOCACY

SESSION1:30 - 5 p.m.

SPONSORSHIPPHONING

1 - 5 p.m.

BUSINESS CANVASS

9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

VOLUNTEERSCLASS1 - 3 p.m.


6 - 7 p.m.

PUBLICATIONSESSION

7 - 9 p.m.


VOLUNTEERSCLASS

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.


12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

BENEFIT ADVOCACY

SESSION1:30 - 5 p.m.

MEMBERSHIPCANVASS1:30 - 5 p.m.


6 - 7 p.m.

BENEFIT ADVOCACY

SESSION6 - 10 p.m.

PHONETRAININGSESSION

9 a.m. - 12 p.m.


10 - 11 a.m.

CLOTHINGCLOSET

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

MAIL-OUT1 - 4 p.m.

INFORMATION TABLE12 - 8 p.m.

SUPPLEMENTALFOOD

DISTRIBUTION4 - 8 p.m.

VOLUNTEERSORIENTATION

10 - 11 a.m.

MEMBERSHIPCANVASS

11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

PUBLICATIONSESSION

1 - 4 p.m.

MAIL-OUT11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

STAFFMEETING

4 - 5 p.m.

MAIL-OUT10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

INFORMATIONTABLE

11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

VOLUNTEERSCLASS6 - 8 p.m.


VOLUNTEERS CALENDARMONDAy TUESDAy WEDNESDAy THURSDAy FRIDAy SATURDAy SUNDAy

OAKLAND TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE WEST

1680 14th St., Oakland, CA 94607, 510-893-1205

VOLUNTEER HOURS:Wed: 2:00 ~ 4:00 pm,

Thu: 2:00 ~ 4:00 pm, Fri: 9 am ~ 12 pm,OTXWEST.ORG

Ian A. CummingComputer Update and Repair

(510) [email protected]

AUGUST 2017

service worker water committee calls for compliance with ...€¦ · 7/22/2017 · jim stenson,...

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