Long Beach voters approve Measure WW to give ‘panic buttons’ to hotel workers

Voters in Long Beach overwhelmingly supported a ballot measure requiring hotels with 50 or more rooms to provide workers with “panic buttons” that could help prevent sexual assaults. The initiative also imposes limits on housekeepers’ daily workload.

Unions that represent hotel workers in Long…

L.A. Times – Business

Workers’ Pay Rises at Fastest Rate in a Decade

Compensation for U.S. workers grew at an accelerating rate in the third quarter, a sign a historically tight labor market is yielding better pay for employees.
WSJ.com: US Business

Grape-Harvesting Accident Claims Napa Worker’s Life

A grim work-related death out of California’s Wine Country, where a Napa man working at Beaucanon Winery’s Deconinck Vineyards got pulled into a grape harvesting machine with fatal results. KTVU identifies the victim as Leon Marcelo Lua, 49. The San Francisco Chronicle reports his clothing got caught in the machine…
Newser

Nearly 8,000 workers are striking at Marriott hotels. Here’s what you should know

A strike of nearly 8,000 hotel workers at Marriott hotels in seven cities is forcing some hotel managers to close pools, cut back on restaurant service and urge guests to leave their rooms to get their own towels.

The demonstrations, which began about three weeks ago, involve workers at Marriott…

L.A. Times – Business

Sex Worker’s Death in NYC: Family Rejects Suicide Story

It has the intriguing headline of “The Case of Jane Doe Ponytail,” and the lengthy New York Times story that follows reads like riveting fiction that is unfortunately all too true. The “Jane Doe” here is a 38-year-old Chinese immigrant living in Queens and working in the local sex trade,…
Newser

Amazon to Boost Pay for Longtime Workers

Amazon, facing a backlash from longtime warehouse employees who say its $ 15 hourly minimum wage wouldn’t benefit them, will provide a bigger raise to those workers, the AP reports. The company said Wednesday that some adjustments are being made this week, and workers who already made $ 15 an hour will…
Newser

Some Workers Not Happy After Amazon’s Big Move on Wages

Amazon is being widely praised for its decision to raise its minimum wage for all its workers to $ 15 per hour, but as the New York Times reports, many Amazon warehouse workers across the country are actually “fuming.” In addition to raising wages, Amazon will stop giving out new stock…
Newser

Amazon raising minimum wage for U.S. workers to $15 per hour

Amazon is boosting its minimum wage for all U.S. workers to $ 15 per hour starting next month.

The company said Tuesday that the wage increase will benefit more than 350,000 workers, which includes full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal positions. It includes Whole Foods employees. Amazon’s…

L.A. Times – Business

Trump touts NAFTA replacement deal with Canada and Mexico, proclaims ‘new dawn’ for US workers

President Trump on Monday announced a hard-fought trade pact with Canada and Mexico meant to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying the deal would bring a “new dawn” for American auto workers.
FOX News

L.A. and Long Beach port workers plan strike starting Monday

Warehouse workers and truck drivers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are planning to launch a three-day strike Monday, aiming to put pressure on logistics companies they claim owe them back wages.

The action targets XPO Logistics Inc. and NFI Industries and marks the 16th strike mounted…

L.A. Times – Business