News | Contra Costa Herald

Unions serve Kaiser executives with official notice that follow-up strike is possible

October 11, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Could occur Nov. 1 – 8

Kaiser Permanente “will continue to bargain in good faith with the Coalition”

By Allen D. Payton

Ahead of continued negotiations scheduled for Thursday and Friday the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions issued the following press release on Tuesday, October 10, 2023:

As an acute and dire staffing crisis continues at hundreds of their facilities, Kaiser executives have been served official notice that another significant work action by their employees could be possible from November 1 to November 8, 2023. Those employees remain concerned about unsafe staffing levels, the company’s labor law violations, securing adequate wages to stay on the job and attract new workers, and the company’s outsourcing threats against workers just recently hailed as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outsourcing, in particular, has emerged as a major sticking point in negotiations, as Kaiser executives have refused to agree to common sense limitations on subcontracting and outsourcing, which keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients.

“It’s simple: Kaiser executives need to be investing in healthcare workers right now amidst this short staffing crisis, not discarding them through a variety of expensive outsourcing schemes,” said Tamara Chew, a Healthcare Plan Representative, Kaiser Permanente, Roseville. “I can’t understand why anyone in the Kaiser boardroom thinks corporate outsourcing threats are the way to treat a workforce that just a short time ago were being hailed as heroes.”

Frontline healthcare workers say they will wait until November 1 for any potential further strike action, when an additional contract covering workers in Seattle expires, and to give Kaiser executives more time to organize themselves around viable proposals. The Seattle contract’s expiration on October 31, 2023 at midnight would enable another 3,000 healthcare workers also impacted by the Kaiser short staffing crisis to join strike lines in another major west coast metropolitan area. Workers in southern Washington state were part of the initial wave of action, and now those actions could be taking place at Seattle facilities, representing a significant potential expansion of the labor actions at Kaiser. Seattle is one of Kaiser’s newer emerging markets and an area that has been targeted by the company for future corporate growth.

If healthcare workers strike again on November 1, the strike will begin at 6 AM local times and continue until November 8, 6 AM local times.

Healthcare workers have made clear they hope not to strike again and that while taking the legal steps necessary to prepare for that possibility, they are primarily focused on encouraging Kaiser executives to follow the law and to listen to the needs of patients and healthcare workers who are buckling under the current short staffing crisis within Kaiser facilities. Bargaining resumes on October 12 and October 13.

“For months, Kaiser executives failed to listen to the feedback from frontline healthcare workers about the need for executives to follow the law in negotiations and about the impacts that the Kaiser short staffing is having on patients,” said Caroline Lucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. “This week, Kaiser executives will have another opportunity to listen to frontline staff, to follow the law in formal discussions, and to begin investing in ways that will solve the Kaiser short staffing crisis.”

The Kaiser workers are united within the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, a coalition of eleven unions that spans Washington, D.C. to the U.S. West Coast.

That coalition expects to hold a media briefing following the conclusion of this Friday’s negotiation sessions, unless those sessions continue further into the weekend, at which time an alternate briefing time may be announced.

Similar to the first strike, a potential second strike would involve workers from Kaiser facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

It would include frontline healthcare workers employed as registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, x-ray technicians, optometrists, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, dental assistants, call center representatives, and housekeepers, among hundreds of other positions.

Background:

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia. In April, the Coalition began its national bargaining process ahead of the September 30th contract expiration. On September 22nd, Coalition unions representing 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers gave Kaiser executives 10-day notices for an unfair labor practice strike beginning Oct. 4. Last week’s actions led by workers across multiple states and in Washington, D.C. constituted the largest strike of healthcare workers in U.S. history, running from Wednesday, October 4 – Saturday, October 7, as frontline healthcare workers from hundreds of Kaiser facilities took to picket lines decrying the company’s unfair labor practices and chronic short staffing practices. On October 9, Coalition unions issued a second 10-day notice for a strike that may commence on November 1. The Coalition and Kaiser Permanente last negotiated a contract in 2019, before healthcare workers found themselves on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic that has worsened working conditions and exacerbated a healthcare staffing crisis.

At issue, healthcare workers say, are a series of unfair labor practices related to bargaining in bad faith, along with simmering staff concerns related to unsafe staffing levels that can lead to dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnosis, and neglect. Outsourcing threats by Kaiser executives have also emerged as a sticking point in negotiations. After years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.

Workers say that Kaiser is committing unfair labor practices and also that understaffing is boosting Kaiser’s profits but hurting patients. In a recent survey of 33,000 employees, 2/3 of workers said they’d seen care delayed or denied due to short staffing. After three years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.

Kaiser has reported $3 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. Despite being a non-profit organization – which means it pays no income taxes on its earnings and extremely limited property taxes – Kaiser has reported more than $24 billion in profit over the last five years. Kaiser’s CEO was compensated more than $16 million in 2021, and forty-nine executives at Kaiser are compensated more than $1 million annually. Kaiser Permanente has investments of $113 billion in the US and abroad, including in fossil fuels, casinos, for-profit prisons, alcohol companies, military weapons and more.

—————-

Kaiser Responds

In response, Kaiser Permanente issued the following statement: “We have received notice from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions for a potential second strike, beginning November 1 to November 8. We are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on October 12 and Kaiser Permanente remains committed to reaching an agreement that is good for our employees, our members, and our organization, and we will continue to bargain in good faith with the Coalition.”

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions unites more than 85,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.

Antioch teen among 3 charged by U.S. Attorney, Postal Inspector for alleged mail delivery interference

October 10, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Participated in at least two armed robberies of letter carriers, one in Antioch and one in San Francisco

Enforcement actions are coupled with announcement of $150,000 reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of additional suspects

By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

OAKLAND – U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Rafael Nuñez announced today that multiple arrests have been made in cases involving the interference with delivery of the U.S. mail. The announcement was made at a press conference held this morning at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building.

The theft of postal keys, break-ins of postal vehicles, assaults on letter carriers, and various other criminal acts involving interference with delivery of the mail and the alleged illegal possession of personally identifying information were all discussed at the press conference. According to U.S. Attorney Ramsey, defendants in each case now are facing severe federal penalties that make clear their alleged crimes were not worth the consequences.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service released the following surveillance videos of the alleged suspects:

“In each of the cases I will discuss,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey, “the government alleges the defendants have violated federal criminal laws and, as a consequence, federal agents and local law enforcement has tracked them down . . .. The penalties for these crimes can be sobering.”

Inspector in Charge Nuñez reinforced the U.S. Attorney’s remarks and announced that the reward for information leading to arrest and conviction of any individual who robs or assaults a postal worker is now $150,000.

“There is no more important mission for us as federal agents than protecting postal workers from crime and violence,” said Inspector in Charge Nuñez. “To any copycats or wannabes out there who might consider robbing a postal worker, I ask you to consider the years you will face in federal prison, the price on your head, and that postal inspectors will not stop hunting you. The proceeds of this crime are not worth your freedom.”

U.S. Attorney Ramsey stated that most of the cases involved the theft of specialized postal keys that often grant access to large mailboxes or mail storage facilities. Holding one such postal key in his hand, U.S. Attorney Ramsey explained that federal laws have been “carefully crafted to protect the sanctity of the mail, including the sensitive information we entrust to the mail system; the safety of the federal employees and contractors who deliver the mail; and the federal property that is used to ensure mail delivery.”

He then went on to describe how three of the defendants are alleged to have violated the law as follows:

Robert Devon Nicholson Bell, Jr., 19, of Antioch, Calif., is alleged to have participated in at least two armed robberies of letter carriers, one in Antioch and one in San Francisco. Allegations in the criminal complaint filed against the defendant describe Bell’s use of mail keys to steal mail from blue mailboxes. According to a criminal complaint, Bell was found in Antioch in possession of robbed postal keys, a substantial quantity of stolen mail, a fraudulent USPS ID with his picture, and stolen and counterfeit checks. He now faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of the postal key, as well as 25 years for each of the armed robberies. (Case No. 23-mj-71439 MAG)
Anthony Medina, 42, of American Canyon, Calif., is alleged to have unlawfully possessed seven mail keys. According to the complaint, officers with the San Francisco Police Department were attempting to perform a traffic stop when the defendant attempted to flee. Officers arrested the defendant and, in addition to the keys, defendant is alleged to have possessed credit cards in the names of other individuals, images of suspected stolen mail, and access codes for an apartment complex in San Francisco. Medina now faces 10 years in prison for each violation of 18 U.S.C. section 1704—the unlawful possession of the postal keys, as well as possible prosecution for unlawful possession of mail and credit cards. (Case No. 23-mj-71443 MAG)
Derek Hopson, 33, of Oakland, Calif., is alleged to have stolen mail and postal keys in two separate incidents that occurred in June of 2023. The complaint alleges the San Francisco Police Department responded to a burglary in progress at a residence in the Mission District of San Francisco when officers encountered the defendant in possession of several postal keys. Hopson also allegedly used a mailbox key to gain access to mailboxes at a residential complex in the Presidio of San Francisco. He now faces a statutory maximum of 15 years in prison for violating 18 U.S.C. sections 1704 and 1706. (Case No. 23-mj-71403 MAG)

Indictments and criminal complaints merely allege that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Further, in addition to the prison terms described, as part of any sentence following conviction the court may order defendants to serve an additional term of supervised release to begin after a prison term, additional fines, and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The prosecution of these cases are the result of investigations by the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Richmond parents face 25 years to life in child abuse case that caused death of infant son

October 10, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Jury returns guilty verdict for 2021 crime

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

Yesterday, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, after four days of deliberation, a jury in Contra Costa County returned guilty verdicts against the parents who abused their infant son – which caused his death.

38-year-old Rayray Andrederral Darn and 31-year-old Marilyn Northington were charged with Murder [PC187(a)], assault on a child causing death [PC273ab(a)], child abuse [PC273a(a)], with a special allegation of willful harm or injury resulting in death [PC12022.95]. (See related article)

On February 4th, 2021, the couple’s actions led to the death of their 5-week-old son while they were residing at a hotel in Richmond. A hotel employee called Richmond police after witnessing Darn and Northington running out of their room with a baby reportedly not breathing. Officers responded to a local hospital after confirming there was an infant in the emergency room who was not breathing. During an investigation – and later after an autopsy by the Coroner’s Office – it was determined the infant died from injuries inflicted by his parents. The injuries to the baby included a broken femur, burn marks on his face and other parts of his body, fractured ribs, a skull fracture, and bleeding inside his skull. Additionally, the child suffered from severe malnutrition, and dehydration – as well as testing positive for methamphetamine.

The jury found the couple guilty of involuntary manslaughter [PC192(b)], assault on a child under 8-years-old causing death, and child abuse with the special allegation of willful harm or injury resulting in death.

The penalty Darn and Northington face is 25 years to life. Both defendants will be sentenced on December 15th at 8:30 a.m. by Judge Terri Mockler.

State Workforce Board awards $33 million to help rebuild California’s middle class

October 10, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

The Resilient Workforce Program invests in opportunities that advance job quality, environmental resilience

Contra Costa Refinery Transition Partnership program receives $400K

By Anna Champe, Communications Manager, California Workforce Development Board

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), in partnership with the Labor & Workforce Development Agency, recently awarded $33,155,915 to nine projects across the state to advance High Road Training Partnerships (HRTPs) that move underserved populations into better jobs.

Monday’s funding announcement is part of a larger, multi-level investment to advance state workforce development efforts to prioritize equity, quality jobs, and climate resilience

while meeting regional labor market needs. With the addition of these nine new projects, California is investing more than $260 million in nearly 100 active state-funded HRTPs.

The Contra Costa Refinery Transition Partnership received $400,000 in RWF funding in Spring/Summer 2022.

“Funding for existing HRTPs, which invest in industry-led worker-informed efforts, deliver on Governor Newsom’s promise of a California for All,” said California Workforce Development Board Chief Deputy Director Curtis Notsinneh. “California continues to lead the nation in investments that recognize and lift up a middle-class, while meeting the skills needs of our employers to stay competitive and innovative.”

Projects receiving funding include:

$7.5 million for High Road to Tribal Forest Restoration and Stewardship – expands job pathways with living wages for underserved tribal and rural populations, including tree and native plant nursery work, forest health, and forest and meadow restoration.
$5.1 million for Early Care & Education Pathways to Success – this existing apprenticeship program will expand to new under-sourced regions and serve 655 new apprentices to earn certifications in education serving Pre-K to Third-grade students.
$5 million for Vocational English as a Second Language Home Care Immersion Training Program – Homebridge will partner with SEIU Local 2015 to provide language skills and advanced home care training to immigrant, refugee, and formerly incarcerated populations. Participants will immediately earn $25 an hour after graduating and have opportunities for advancement.
$5 million for Dental Assistant Training Program – will scale successful earn-as-you-learn bootcamps to more regions and fill the gap between unlicensed dental assistants and licensed Registered Dental Assistants. Target populations include low-wage workers, communities of color, youth, immigrants, and workers without a college degree.

Contra Costa Harnessing Change: Refinery Transition Partnership (CCRTP)

Contra Costa County (CCC) communities, particularly low-income communities of color, bear major health burdens inflicted by the refineries and their toxic emissions. Additionally, the Bay Area refineries emit significant amounts of climate warming greenhouse gasses, posing one of the state’s most significant challenges to climate resilience. As California works to establish a carbon neutral economy, the oil refining sector will unavoidably undergo a massive transition. This transition is already taking place in CCC, where two of the four refineries are transitioning to biofuels, resulting in a significant workforce reduction–most notably at the Marathon Martinez Refinery, which laid off approximately 700 workers in 2020.

The Contra Costa Refinery Transition Partnership (CCRTP) is the first effort to bring together frontline workers and community organizations to plan for refinery transition. CCCRTP brings together CCC oil refinery workers, the refinery community, allies, and high-road industry stakeholders to develop shared strategies to prepare for this significant economic shift, including leading research and developing policy recommendations to support refinery communities and workers, as well as the development of a regional high-road economic development vision to advance CCC’s economic resilience as the state transitions to a low-carbon economy.

This project addresses the critical need to plan for economic transition in one of California’s most oil-industry dependent counties, through deep engagement and shared visioning led by impacted workers and community members themselves, in partnership with the broader community of stakeholders.

Project Highlights

Strengthen the CCRTP for the long-term, as a coalition of frontline workers, community organizations and allies.
Complete and publish a detailed report and recommendations on planning for refinery transition in the Bay Area.
Complete and publish a Contra Costa High Road Economic Development Vision.

Key Partners

Contra Costa Central Labor Council
BlueGreen Alliance Foundation
United Steelworkers District 12
United Steelworkers Local 5
UA Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 342
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
California Labor Federation, Workforce & Economic Development (WED)
UC Berkeley Labor Center

A complete list of awardees can be found on CWDB’s website.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Governor signs Glazer’s first-in-nation consumer protection bill

October 10, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

SB644 allows 24-hour hotel booking cancellations with full refund

By Steven Harmon, Office of State Senator Steve Glazer

SACRAMENTO – Consumers will be able to make cancellations with a full refund, at no charge, up to 24 hours after they make a booking with hotels, short-term rentals and third-party booking services if they book at least 72 hours before their stay under a bill signed Tuesday by Governor Gavin Newsom.

“This first-in-the-nation law will end the confusing maze of misleading cancellation policies for lodging on the Internet,” said Senator Glazer (D-Orinda, CA7), author of the bill, SB 644. “Now, consumers will have a chance to correct mistakes and cancel bookings they hadn’t intended to make and get a full refund.”

According to the California Legislative Information website, the new law reads as follows:

“SEC. 3. CHAPTER 2. Hotel and Private Residence Rental Reservation Refunds

A hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall allow a reservation for a hotel accommodation or a short-term rental located in California to be canceled without penalty for at least 24 hours after the reservation is confirmed if the reservation is made 72 hours or more before the time of check-in.

1748.82.

(a) If a consumer cancels a reservation pursuant to Section 1748.81, the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental shall issue a refund to a consumer of all amounts paid to the hosting platform, hotel, third-party booking service, or short-term rental to the original form of payment within 30 days of the cancellation of the reservation.

(b) The refund required by this section shall include a refund of all fees charged to the consumer for optional services.”

Glazer represents most of Contra Costa County.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Highway 4 in Brentwood to close for trail overcrossing construction tonight, Tuesday night, Oct. 9 & 10

October 9, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road

Single-lane closures Wed.-Sat. nights, Oct. 11-14

By City of Brentwood

The construction of the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing span over State Route 4 (“SR4”) in Brentwood requires a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions for two consecutive nights. Additionally, there will be single lane closures for several subsequent nights.

The highway will be closed in both directions, between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road on the following dates/times:

Monday, October 9, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Detours will be in place as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Westbound traffic will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

There will be single-lane closures in the eastbound and westbound directions on the following dates/times:

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Thursday, October 12, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., the following morning.

Friday, October 13, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., the following morning.

Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m., the following morning.

Visit the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing web site for more information on the project.

Road work in Contra Costa Centre Oct. 10 – Nov. 10

October 9, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works

October 9, 2023, Contra Costa Centre, CA– Contra Costa County Public Works will be repairing pavement base failures, as needed on various roadways in the Contra Costa Centre area. Work will begin on Tuesday October 10, 2023, through Friday November 10, 2023, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 7:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, weather permitting. Nighttime work is anticipated along Treat Boulevard and Buskirk Avenue to limit disruptions. Restrictions will be in place to minimize impacts to drivers during commuting hours.

Funding for this project is provided by Gas Tax (SB1 Road Repair and Accountability Act). For more information regarding this work, including a list of the streets impacted, visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/2023CountywidePavementDigouts

About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @cccpublicworks.

CONTACT: Pavement Dig outs: Eric Sanders, 925.595.5992

Lafayette man arraigned on armed home invasion, kidnapping, child abuse charges

October 6, 2023 By Publisher 1 Comment

By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office

A Lafayette man faces a 12-count felony complaint related to an armed home invasion incident wherein the victims were held hostage for hours.

31-year-old Kenneth David Mcisaac was arraigned today at 1:30 pm in Martinez for kidnapping, false imprisonment by violence, second-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, criminal threats, and child abuse. He entered a plea of not guilty in front of Judge Rebecca Hardie.

The charges stem from when Mcisaac pulled a gun on a mother and her daughter on September 24th around three o’clock in the afternoon. The victims were walking back to their apartment complex in Lafayette when Mcisaac forced them into their residence at gunpoint and proceeded to hold the entire family of four hostages for over five hours.

At one point during the ordeal, an adult victim was able to break free and physically overpower Mcisaac. Police and emergency crews arrived after a 911 call was placed, and Mcisaac was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries. Three days later on September 27th, he was booked into the West County Detention Facility where he remains in custody. His next court date is November 30, 2022, at 8:30 am with Judge Mary Ann O’Malley.

According to localcrimenews.com, Mcissac was also arrested in October 2020 by Oakland Police for battery with serious bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.

01-22-01678 | The People of the State of California vs. McIsaac, Kenneth David

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Antioch Council opposes returning to public comments via Zoom to avoid abuse, hate speech

October 6, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker speaks on teleconferencing as District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica listens during the city council meeting on Sept. 26, 2023. Video screenshot.

Joins other cities in ending the practice

Torres-Walker only Antioch council member to want it

East County Rabbi responds to hate speech during Brentwood Council meeting

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, the Antioch City Council by a vote of 3-1-1 decided to not return to allowing call-in public comments via Zoom the same night the Brentwood City Council received a call filled with anti-semitic hate speech. Antioch joins other cities throughout the state ending the remote public comments due to the abuse of the medium which increased in use during the response to COVID. But Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker who voted against the motion wasn’t happy about it and accused her fellow council members of voting based on politics, with District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson, who voted to abstain, running for State Assembly, District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica running for County Supervisor and Mayor Lamar Thorpe facing re-election next year. (District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock’s seat is up for election next year, as well but she can’t run for it, as she was moved into District 4 due to gerrymandering during last year’s council redistricting process).

Following public comments on the item, Torres-Walker was the only council member to speak on the matter arguing in favor of allowing public comments via teleconferencing. (See 3:09:30 mark of meeting video)

“I keep asking for it to come back. If the council has to be here, the council has to be here. We ran to show up and there’s a large public that want to be here. There are rules that have been made up as we go. There’s a large part of the public that can’t be here in person”

“If we can’t take time to listen to the people whose business we’re doing then none of us should be up here. So, I think at least the public should be able to participate and teleconference in,” Torres-Walker said.

“I sat here for almost three years with people calling in over Zoom calling me everything but a child of God, grossly misinformed all the time, and I was told to get a thick skin. Nobody wanted to vote to take teleconferencing away until they started experiencing that same backlash. Now, it’s like if someone wants to talk crap to me they gotta show up in person. They should be able to use teleconferencing to do it and we all need to get a thick skin…and we should bring teleconferencing back for the public.”

“We are not making up rules as they go along. They’ve been written in the agenda for some time,” Thorpe responded. “Not making two comments at the meeting was pointed out by the City Clerk’s Office. We just didn’t enforce the rule and I was pointed out that we needed to enforce the rule by the City Clerk’s Office.”

Barbanica then moved approval, seconded by Ogorchock to continue holding city council, board and commission meetings in person without teleconferencing. Without any further discussion, the motion was adopted.

But it was at the end of the meeting, during the Council Communications and Future Agena Items portion, that Torres-Walker took a swipe at her fellow council members for their decision saying, “I’ve always been against ending teleconferencing. Because no matter whether I like to hear what the public has to say or not, I listen. Tonight, I think what we just saw was like, replay this because you just got to see people say they don’t want to hear you. And so, because we are coming up on an election year, they’re going to want to hear from you when they’re knocking on your doors, canvassing your neighborhood and they’re going to want to have your vote when you go to the ballot. So, I’m going to keep asking for this to keep coming back whether we vote for it or not.” She asked for it to return to an agenda for further discussion.” (See 3:36:04 mark of meeting video)

Her accusation didn’t sit well with Barbanica, who said later, “That was a ridiculous comment by her. Absolutely ridiculous. Let’s not allow people to abuse the system and target people.”

“So, if Tamisha doesn’t get her way, she’s going to weaponize others of us running for office?” he asked. “We never did that to her. I could not believe she made that statement.”

“As she was making that statement, the Brentwood Council fell victim to exactly the reason we made the decision to not to return to public comments by Zoom. It was abused,” the District 3 Councilman continued. “We had people appearing to be intoxicated, singing, using profanity. There are other cities that are having religious groups, etcetera being singled out. I was told by city administration that other cities have experienced people going on Zoom making pro-Nazi, anti-semitic comments, faking their names, using names of famous Nazis. That was the exact thing we were concerned with.”

“It was done during COVID when people couldn’t attend meetings in person,” he explained. “This has nothing to do with elections. We are still making sure people are heard. To sit at home and hide behind your keyboard and use Zoom as a weapon to spread hate speech and your own personal hate was never the intent.”

“Lamar and I had it happen to us during subcommittee meetings,” Barbanica shared. “They tried to put photographs up on the screen. We killed it. But it showed me right there how people have abused the system. When I was at Cal Cities, they had a talk about it, that people were weaponizing it for their own hate speech.”

Racist Comments on Zoom Call-In During Brentwood Council Meeting

An Oct. 1st tweet on X by the Brentwood Press confirmed Barbanica’s comment. It reads, “at our City Council meeting (Tuesday) night, a man called in to talk about kosher soap developed in Germany. He was cut off as this comment did not seem to be on topic, and he yelled, ‘Heil Hitler! White Power!’ before hanging up.” A resident submitted a letter to the editor decrying the hate speech.

According to an Oct. 4 ContraCosta.News report, Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant apologized to the public for hearing the comment and Brentwood City Manager Tim Ogden issued a statement condemning the hate speech.

Brentwood Rabbi Responds

In response to the comments made during the Brentwood City Council meeting, Rabbi Peretz Goldshmid, Director of Chabad of the Delta said, “When it’s dark outside you don’t need to be told you need a flashlight. This is the time to call for everyone to stand up and say something positive in response.”

“When one idiot talks, we need a thousand people to stand up and respond. Instead of the story being hate speech it should be about the thousand people offering good speech,” he continued. “The only way to stop the damage is with positivity in general and specifically about this incident.”

Peretz issued the following statement on Oct. 4:

“Positivity is the best weapon against antisemitism. Such awful sentiments must be responded to! Every individual, and especially those with a platform, should make a clear statement that we do not accept such behavior and that, on the contrary, we stand with the Jewish community and all that stands for good.

When we do, the attempted attacker will learn that negativity will always be met with an outpouring of positivity. So, I invite you to be part of the positive response!

It is also important to remember that antisemitism is not just a problem for the Jewish community. It is a problem for all of us. When we stand up against antisemitism, we stand up for justice and equality for all people.”

Walnut Creek City Council Also Ends Remote Public Comments

Remote public comments during Walnut Creek City Council meetings were also discontinued City Manager Dan Buckshi announced during his report on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. He said council meeting public comments have been hijacked throughout the state.

Historic Kaiser healthcare worker strike continues into third day

October 6, 2023 By Publisher Leave a Comment

Healthcare workers participate in the strike at Kaiser Permanente’s Antioch Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. Photos by Allen D. Payton

Largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history spans hundreds of hospitals and facilities across the nation

Includes Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek hospitals

Outsourcing and under-staffing emerge as key sticking points

Bargaining scheduled to continue Oct. 12

On Friday morning, October, 6, 2023, SEIU-United Health Workers union issued the following announcement:

More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in multiple states are continuing their historic three-day strike to protest unfair labor practices and Kaiser executives’ failure to bargain in good faith over unsafe staffing levels and outsourcing protections at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities across the United States.

In Contra Costa County, the strike includes workers at Kaiser facilities in Antioch, Richmond and Walnut Creek. During the strike at Antioch Kaiser, today – part of a nationwide action – Antioch resident Angela Glasper, who has been a Kaiser employee for 35 years working as an optical services clerk, said, “We’re not backing down.”

The strike at Kaiser facilities expanded from coast to coast this week, following months of bad faith bargaining activity by Kaiser executives and repeated appeals by frontline workers for Kaiser executives to make the kinds of investments in staffing that could help stem employee turnover and reduce growing patient wait times.

The strike began in DC and VA at 6AM ET on Wednesday morning at 6AM EST, expanded to CO at 6AM MT, then culminated with tens of thousands of workers striking in CA, OR, and WA at 6AM PT. It is already the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. The current strike is expected to conclude on Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 6:00 A.M. It is possible that the coalition will issue a 10-day strike notice after Saturday, which could lead to further striking by Kaiser employees after those ten days if Kaiser executives continue to commit unfair labor practices and bargain in bad faith.

Additional bargaining sessions were scheduled by the parties this morning for the dates of Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13, 2023.

Kaiser Permanente confirmed that in the following statement issued Friday morning, Oct. 6: “The next bargaining session has been scheduled to begin on October 12. We look forward to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages and benefits, and ensures our high-quality care is affordable and available to meet our members’ needs.”

Outsourcing of critical healthcare duties has become a key sticking point in negotiations in recent days, as Kaiser executives have refused to put limitations on subcontracting and outsourcing, which keep experienced healthcare workers in jobs and provide strong continuity of care for patients.

“Now more than ever Kaiser Permanente needs to retain and attract qualified healthcare professionals. Outsourcing and subcontracting would have the opposite effect,” said Kathleen Coleman, Medical Assistant Message Management, Arapahoe Primary Care in Colorado.

“Frontline healthcare workers continue to await meaningful action by Kaiser executives to address our key priorities, including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” said Gwendolyn Holloway, a Contact Lens Technician at Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center.

Signs carried by healthcare workers on strike at the Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center.

Workers on strike include those employed as licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, x-ray technicians, optometrists, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, dental assistants, call center representatives, and housekeepers, among hundreds of other positions.

WHAT: 75,000 healthcare workers are on strike at Kaiser Permanente hospitals across the U.S.

WHEN: Today, Friday, October 6th, 2023 @ 6AM – Afternoon times TBD

WHERE: Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente hospitals and facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

ANTIOCH: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center, 4501 Sand Creek Rd, Antioch, CA 94531

RICHMOND: Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, 901 Nevin Ave., Richmond, CA 94801

WALNUT CREEK: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, 1425 S Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

BACKGROUND

At issue, healthcare workers say, are a series of unfair labor practices related to bargaining in bad faith, along with simmering staff concerns related to unsafe staffing levels that can lead to dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnosis, and neglect. After years of the COVID pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are calling on management to provide safe staffing levels.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.