A strike by county-employed doctors, dentists, psychiatrists and veterinarians in Los Angeles was averted Friday, Dec. 22 when the two sides agreed to have third-party experts intervene. The employees, who are represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists, say their current benefits plan, Choices, is the same one provided to rank-and-file county workers. … Read more
Striking workers at St. Francis Medical Center who have openly complained of understaffing and inadequate patient care were fired Wednesday, Dec. 20, just five days before Christmas. The seven employees who were terminated at the Prime Healthcare-owned hospital in Lynwood include the entire five-member bargaining team with SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents healthcare employees … Read more
By Levi Sumagaysay and Shreya Agrawal | CalMatters Californians in two industries are set to get new minimum wages just for them next year, and that could lead to pay bumps for other workers, too. Gov. Gavin Newsom this year signed two union-backed bills that will boost fast-food and health care workers’ minimum wages. California-based … Read more
Nurses, medical assistants, ER techs and others at four Prime Healthcare hospitals launched their second strike of the year Wednesday, Dec. 20, claiming severe understaffing and high turnover have undermined patient care. The 1,800 workers represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West also say Prime management has tried to prevent them from participating in union activities. … Read more
Southern California lost 37,149 residents in the past year, a drop one-third of what was seen in the previous two years. The six-county region had 21.7 million residents, according to the state Department of Finance tally as of July 1. The past year’s population decline was 68% less than the average 115,187 yearly loss in … Read more
Southern California’s massive hotel strike reignited Sunday, Dec. 17 as hundreds of workers from Santa Monica, Los Angeles and Pasadena walked off the job for higher wages and better working conditions. The walkout continued Monday at the Pasadena Hilton, Courtyard Santa Monica, Doubletree Los Angeles, Doubletree San Pedro, Hampton Inn Santa Monica and Holiday Inn … Read more
Five weeks after a Missouri jury issued a $1.78 billion judgment finding that Realtors charge anticompetitive commission rates, a “copycat” lawsuit has been filed in the Bay Area making similar claims. A Marin County home seller filed the antitrust complaint in federal court this month seeking unspecified damages from the National Association of Realtors, several … Read more
I often forget the sheer size of the Southern California economy. My trusty spreadsheet — filled with the federal government’s annual accounting of gross domestic product by county — says the six-county region produced $1.57 trillion worth of goods in services in 2022. Now 13-digit numbers are hard to fathom. So let’s add some perspective … Read more
LOS ANGELES — With Friday, Dec. 15, marking the official beginning of the holiday travel season, federal transportation officials are urging people heading to airports to plan ahead, arrive early and bring a dose of patience. Transportation Security Administration officials said they expect to screen more than 1.9 million passengers at Los Angeles International Airport … Read more
LOS ANGELES — The City Council approved a plan Friday for the installation of about 80 digital billboards on properties owned by Metro throughout the city. Council members voted 10-4 to amend city law to establish the Transportation Communication Network, a Metro program that will establish a network of transportation communication structures and digital displays … Read more
