After more than a month of deliberation, a Kern County Superior Court judge has sided with Wonderful Co. and issued a preliminary injunction that will temporarily halt a contentious bargaining process between the agricultural giant and the state’s largest farmworker union.
In a ruling issued Thursday, Judge Bernard C. Barmann said Wonderful “was likely to prevail” in its legal challenge to the state’s relatively new system for organizing farmworkers and faced irreparable harm if the United Farm Workers is allowed to unionize the company’s nursery workers before the case is decided.
“The court finds that the public interest weighs in favor of preliminary injunctive relief given the constitutional rights at stake in this matter,” Barmann wrote in the 21-page decision. Wonderful “has met its burden that a preliminary injunction should issue until the matter may be heard fully on the merits.”
Wonderful, the $6-billion agricultural powerhouse owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, sued the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board in May, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s so-called card-check system, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2022. Under its provisions, a union can organize farmworkers by inviting them to sign authorization cards at off-site meetings, without notifying an employer, rather than voting by secret ballot at a designated polling place.
Union organizers had pressed for the revised card-check law, contending the secret ballot process left workers fearful of retaliation from their employer.
But Wonderful, whose portfolio includes such well-known brands as FIJI Water and POM Wonderful, alleges in its lawsuit that the law deprives employers of due process on multiple fronts. Among them: forcing a company to enter a collective bargaining agreement even if it has formally appealed the ALRB’s certification of a union vote and presented what it believes is evidence that the voting process was fraudulent.
The temporary injunction marks the latest twist in a tumultuous dispute over the UFW’s unionization campaign at Wonderful Nurseries in Wasco, the nation’s largest grapevine nursery.
In late February, the UFW filed a petition with the labor relations board, asserting that a majority of the 600-plus farmworkers at the nursery had signed authorization cards and asking that the UFW be certified as their union representative.
Within days, Wonderful accused the UFW of having baited farmworkers into signing the authorization cards under the guise of helping them apply for $600 in federal relief for farmworkers who labored during the pandemic. And the company submitted nearly 150 signed declarations from nursery workers saying they had not understood that by signing the cards they were voting to unionize.
The UFW countered that Wonderful had intimidated workers into making false statements and had brought in a labor consultant with a reputation as a union buster to manipulate their emotions in the weeks that followed.
The ALRB acknowledged receiving the worker declarations from Wonderful; nonetheless, the regional director of the labor board moved forward three days later to certify the union’s petition. She has said in subsequent hearings that she felt she had to move quickly under the timeline laid out in the card-check law, and that at the time she did not think the statute authorized her to investigate allegations of misconduct.
Wonderful appealed the ALRB’s certification.
Under the provisions of the card-check law, the UFW’s efforts to bargain with the company on behalf of its nursery workers moved forward, even as Wonderful’s appeal of the certification works its way through the ALRB’s administrative hearing process. The ALRB issued a ruling last week ordering Wonderful to enter into a mandatory mediation process to establish a collective bargaining agreement.
In its lawsuit, filed in May, Wonderful challenges the constitutionality of the card-check system on multiple fronts. Among them: that the company’s due process rights were violated when the labor board moved to certify the UFW’s petition before investigating the company’s allegations that the vote was fraudulent; and more broadly that the card-check system does not have adequate safeguards in place to ensure the veracity of the voting process.
The company asked the judge to halt the unionization effort at its nursery, as well as the ALRB’s administrative hearing process, while the lawsuit moved forward in Kern County court.
In a statement released Thursday evening, Rob Yraceburu, president of Wonderful Nurseries, said the company was “gratified” by the court’s decision to pause the certification process until the constitutionality of the card check law can be “fully and properly considered.”
“In addition,” Yraceburu said, “farmworkers had been wrongly barred from objecting to a union being forced on them, and this ruling states that Wonderful indeed has the standing to fight to ensure those constitutional rights of farmworkers, including their due process and First Amendment rights, are not violated.”
UFW spokesperson Elizabeth Strater countered that the ruling “ignores 89 years of labor law precedent” and indicated the decision to grant the injunction would be appealed.
“There is already a process to address wrongdoing in elections and Wonderful was in the middle of that process. Why does Wonderful want to halt that process and silence workers so their voices are not heard?” Strater said. “It’s very clear Wonderful is determined to use its considerable resources to deny farmworkers their rights.”
In a May 30 filing, the state had urged the court to deny Wonderful’s request for an injunction. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, arguing on behalf of the ALRB, said Wonderful had failed to demonstrate that the card-check law was causing “irreparable harm or any likelihood of deprivation of its rights.” Bonta also argued that the Superior Court lacked jurisdiction in the case.
Santiago Avila-Gomez, executive secretary with the ALRB, said Thursday evening the agency is “reviewing the ruling carefully and won’t have further comment at this time.”
The UFW, meanwhile, is pursuing its own legal action against Wonderful. The union has filed a formal complaint of unfair labor practices with the ALRB, accusing Wonderful of coercing workers into attending “captive audience” meetings to urge employees to reject UFW representation. ALRB General Counsel Julia Montgomery issued a complaint in April, similar to an indictment, alleging Wonderful committed unfair labor practices by unlawfully assisting them in drafting declarations to revoke their authorization cards.
This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative,funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to addressCalifornia’s economic divide.
Shortly after Maria Hernandez came from Mexico to the United States in 1985, she got her first and only job in this country: working the night shift as a janitor.
For nearly four decades, she cleaned 12 floors of a downtown Denver office building where the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment does business.
Now she plans to retire in a few months.
But first, she’s helping negotiate a contract for better wages, health care and retirement benefits for the more than 2,300 unionized janitors who work downtown. More than 90 percent of them are also Latina immigrants.
Janitors need more money and benefits to live in Denver, the union argues. But the city’s downtown office economy has taken a beating, and raising pay and benefits could be challenging in this market, their employers argue.
For Hernandez, these fights are nothing new.
An early member of the Denver Justice for Janitors campaign, she has spent decades fighting for better working conditions and struggled for a higher minimum wage citywide.
She’s marched in the streets, picketed and gone on strike. She was even arrested during a protest for “making too much noise,” she said in Spanish, and she’s proud of it.
Now, as her career comes to an end, Hernandez is willing to fight again if it means better working conditions for women like her, struggling to make enough money to raise families in this city, to pay rent and maybe even retire.
Working away from family, for unknown bosses
Hernandez worked hard for her family, getting by on near-minimum wage earnings.
She scrubbed toilets in dozens of bathrooms a day, threw out the trash, vacuumed the floors. She’s one of the longest-employed people in the building where she works, yet among those who get the least recognition and compensation.
She doesn’t know the people she works for. Not the bosses, not even most of the employees of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment whose messes she tidies.
A view of the building that houses the Colorado Department of Labor downtown. June 14, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Her schedule makes her an invisible part of their lives. After all, the workers in the building are long gone, back home with their friends and families, when she’s getting started, making sure they have a nice place to conduct business.
Over her 38-year career, she raised three children who all still live in Denver: one daughter who now works with people with disabilities, another who remodels pools and a son who works in a law firm.
While they were growing up, she’d leave her home in the Lincoln Park neighborhood for work before they’d get back from school. She would return from work while they were still asleep.
She lost precious time with her kids.
“It is difficult, but one needs to work to survive,” she told Denverite, standing outside the highrise she cleans before a Friday night shift in June.
These days, her kids tell her they’re grateful for the life she provided, even if it was hard for them to be apart from their mother so often.
Now that retirement is approaching, can she afford it?
Her family has lived in the same house for decades, though her kids have moved on. Her husband passed away recently, and she’s shouldering the bills on a paycheck that doesn’t match Denver’s cost of living.
And rent has gone up mightily. Her family paid roughly $500 in rent decades ago. Now, without her husband, she pays more than $2,000 a month.
After 35 years, Hernandez’s pay is just a little over a dollar higher than Denver’s minimum wage of $18.29.
Maria Hernandez stands outside of the downtown building where she works as a janitor. June 14, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
On the eve of retirement, Hernandez is not certain she can afford to stay here. Denver’s too expensive, and she hasn’t been able to save enough to make it without working.
“It’s sad,” she said.
She’s considering moving to another state or even back to Mexico, where the cost of living is lower. But she’d hate to leave her kids.
“There you can own your own house,” she said. “Here you have to rent.”
Her hours haven’t changed after all these years, but the workload has.
Since the pandemic, the downtown offices have emptied out. Many janitors lost their jobs. Hernandez was among those who stayed, shouldering extra work.
Even with lots of chatter about downtown coming back to life, the office buildings have not been restaffed to pre-pandemic levels. The janitors still employed have been doing extra labor without significant raises.
The work itself is tiring and, for some, dangerous.
“Many times the chemicals are very strong,” she said. “They give people allergic reactions. There are people who have been unable to work because of what the chemicals do.”
What do the bosses do to help?
“It’s not important to the owners that the chemicals they give you make you sick or hurt you,” she said.
Marching for better pay and benefits
Hernandez was voted by more than 2,400 janitors in Service Employees International Union Local 105 to represent them in contract negotiations with multiple companies charged with keeping downtown offices clean, including CCS Facility Services, ABM and Master Klean.
The workers are demanding better pay, health insurance and retirement benefits.
The negotiations launched on June 17. Janitors marched alongside other SEIU members, labor activists and State Rep. Tim Hernandez.
“We know that when workers who are directly impacted have improved conditions that everything around them becomes improved,” Rep. Hernandez said to a cheering crowd.
Tim Hernandez speaks at an SEIU Local 105 rally for janitors, outside Union Station, on June 17, 2024. Kyle Harris / Denverite
Stephanie Felix-Sowy, President of SEIU Local 105, said the group was fighting for higher wages, better health care benefits, and retirement packages.
Discussions began Monday morning and were slated to continue until later in the day.
“With the growth in Denver, and with the kind of revitalization efforts in the downtown, our members feel like they’ve been left behind at this point,” Felix-Sowy said. “And so this is our opportunity to really concentrate on what are fair wages, competitive wages, where we can attract and retain folks in this industry.”
Downtown office building owners have been struggling after the pandemic.
John Nesse, the attorney who represents the six companies united in negotiations under the name Denver Janitorial Contractors, says the city center’s commercial real estate market is hurting.
While he declined to comment on specific points in the negotiation, he suggested that the market isn’t favorable to expensive changes in the contracts.
“The Denver office market has a record high vacancy rate right now, and like a lot of office markets, it’s struggling,” Nesse said. “So we expect that that will have an impact on these negotiations.”
A view of the building that houses the Colorado Department of Labor downtown. June 14, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
There are already eight meetings on the calendar between the union and Nesse.
“We’re very early in the process, and you know, our goal is to negotiate a contract that reflects the realities of the Denver market, and to do that in a way that ends with a handshake with the union and an agreement before the expiration of the contract,” he said.
What’s next for contract negotiations
While both parties hope to reach an amenable agreement by the contract’s expiration on July 28, that isn’t guaranteed.
Is Hernandez optimistic the contract will favor the janitors?
“Hopefully,” she said.
If the contract expires and a deal hasn’t been struck, workers could walk off the job in protest — an outcome neither party wants.
But the union is ready to fight for the long haul for better wages and benefits.
“If the owners of the companies do not want to accept what the people are asking of them,” she said, “we are ready to go on strike.”
Maria Hernandez, a Denver janitor, participates in an SEIU Local 105 rally outside Union Station, on June 17, 2024. Kyle Harris / Denverite
A state judge has ordered graduate student workers at the University of California to temporarily stop their strike at six campuses across the system, delivering a win to UC regents in their legal effort to force strikers back to work.
Both the university system and the academic workers’ union, United Auto Workers Local 4811, said late Friday that the judge in Orange County had granted a temporary restraining order against the work stoppage. UC had argued that the strike would cause “irreparable harm” by disrupting classes and research as finals loom.
The strike began last month in response to the administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at the Los Angeles and Irvine campuses, part of a wave of college demonstrations across the country against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The union accused the university system of authorizing brutal arrests and violating workers’ right to peaceful protest.
After starting at UC Santa Cruz, the strike spread to five other campuses: UCLA, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego. It now appears to be the largest U.S. work stoppage of the year so far, involving up to 31,500 of the union’s 48,000 members.
The injunction orders graduate student instructors and researchers temporarily back to work while the underlying case moves through a state labor board. The union has accused UC of committing various unfair labor practices stemming from its protest response.
Academic workers protest at the University of California, Irvine, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, in Orange County, California. When workers there recently walked off the job, they joined their counterparts at other campuses on strike in response to UC’s handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
Zeng Hui/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Melissa Matella, UC’s associate vice president for labor relations, said in a statement that the university system was “extremely grateful” for the judge’s order.
“The strike would have caused irreversible setbacks to students’ academic achievements and may have stalled critical research projects in the final quarter,” Matella said.
UC had asked the state labor board twice to seek an injunction and was rebuffed both times. It then took its case to Orange County Superior Court.
Local 4811 cautioned that the judge did not rule the strike to be illegal, as the university system has argued. It also criticized UC regents for going outside of the labor board process in search of a “more favorable outcome” in state court, and vowed to defend the legality of the strike.
The university system has said that the justifications for the strike are purely political and social — rather than work-related — and therefore the stoppage is against the law. But the grad students have maintained that the fight is about their rights as employees to protest without fear of arrest or retaliation.
“UC academic workers are facing down an attack on our whole movement,” Rafael Jaime, the union’s president, said in a statement. “In the courtroom, the law is on our side and we’re prepared to keep defending our rights — and outside, 48,000 workers are ready for a long fight.”
Veena Dubal, a law professor at UC Irvine, said on social media that it was “pretty darn brazen” of the university system to take its injunction request to court after the labor board had twice decline to pursue it.
“UC’s actions are not unlike what Starbucks and Amazon are doing in the private sector: attempting to undermine the bodies governing labor law,” Dubal said.
The Prince William Education Association, the union representing over 11,000 Prince William County public school teachers, finalized their negotiations for a historic collective bargaining agreement Thursday with the county school district.
The Prince William Education Association, the union representing over 11,000 Prince William County public school teachers, finalized their negotiations for a historic collective bargaining agreement Thursday with the county school district.
The finalized negotiations include more flexibility for staff leave, more support for staff transitioning to different grade levels and more compensation for staff acting as club leaders.
“This is beneficial to all our students, enhances employee morale, and facilitates the retention of valued employees in our schools,” union president Maggie Hansford said in a statement.
The union announced Tuesday that the deal includes 12 weeks of paid leave for the “birthing parent” in a new short-term disability leave program, the organization said in a statement. The “non-birthing parent” can also receive six weeks paid leave that can be taken whenever they choose.
The union called it a “historic” employee leave policy that will give new parents up to six weeks of paid parental leave.
“It expands to parents who are choosing to adopt, you get that six weeks paid as well,” Hansford told WTOP.
The program will also guarantee that educators’ jobs will be secure during their parental leave so they can easily return back to their school positions.
“These benefits will forever change the quality of life for educations and support professionals who wish to expand their families without being financially burdened and professionally impacted,” the union said in a statement.
Hansford said that the new, first-of-its-kind deal will allow teachers and staff to devote more “time and energy to their students and families.”
“There are many school divisions within Virginia that previously have not offered a parental leave package,” she said. “Our younger colleagues could not be more grateful.”
The parental leave program goes into effect on July 1.
The only terms missing from the partial agreement dealt with a wage proposal. InsideNova reported that an increase in wages was one of the biggest sticking points during last year’s negotiations.
The school district was offering a 6% average salary increase throughout the collective bargaining process, which was included in the district’s passed 2025 budget. The union’s bargaining team initially proposed a 17% wage increase, with multiple counter proposals afterward.
The newly finalized negotiations do not include an overall wage increase.
The Philadelphia Union has had a turbulent 2024 MLS Season. A big component of it has been star goalkeeper Andre Blake and his looming contract expiration.
Fortunately, the 3x MLS Goalkeeper of the Year has silenced some of the noise around the club’s current standing.
Andre Blake has had a pretty rough 2024 season. Blake has been unhealthy for the vast majority of the season with a nagging knee injury. The injury has not just kept him off the field but also kept him well below his normal standards while on it.
Simultaneously, Blake has sent waves throughout the Union community over the last few months. On multiple occasions, Blake has alluded to how he is unhappy with ownership’s lack of investment in the team. Blake’s comments have turned some heads among the fanbase, considering his contract is nearing its end.
However, fear not, as Blake has silenced any doubts about his future with the announcement of his contract extension.
The Cornerstone of the Franchise
Andre Blake has been one of, if not the most important, pieces of the Union’s rise to a powerhouse. Joining the Union as the number 1 pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, Blake was integral to the Union’s growth. This not only led the club to its first-ever trophy in 2020 but also added 3 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year awards. Blake is the only player in MLS history to win the award three times.
Not only being relied on for his play on the field, Blake has also become a vocal leader of the Union locker room. Now, Blake is behind Ale Bedoya as the Union’s secondary captain. Blake also stands alone at the top in appearances for the club, with 283 caps and counting. It is truthful to say that the Union would not have had the success they have without the brick wall in goal.
Blake’s contract extension links him with the club through the 2026 season. Blake, who is 33 years old, will likely end up playing his entire professional career with the Philadelphia Union, a fact Union fans years ago would have been shocked to hear. Blame it on lack of interest or Blake’s home country of Jamaica having odd FIFA regulations; nonetheless, Blake was more than talented enough to make an impact in Europe.
Andre Blake already has his name carved into the Union’s ring of honor.
The only thing that remains to be seen is if he can add more trophies to the Union’s case before he hangs it up with the club.
Once hailed as “Las Vegas’ first 21 Century resort,” The Mirage Hotel & Casino confirmed Wednesday that its iconic volcano outside of its front entrance is going dormant less than a quarter of a century into the new millennium.
Owner Hard Rock International announced the hotel will cease operations on July 17, with bookings being accepted until July 14. The iconic resort — sporting a jungle-fantasy theme —was perhaps best known for its exploding 54-foot man-made volcano, magicians Siegfried and Roy, and its white tigers and dolphins.
“We’d like to thank the Las Vegas community and team members for warmly welcoming Hard Rock after enjoying 34 years at The Mirage,” said Jim Allen, Chairman of Hard Rock International in a statement.
The resort is expected to be redeveloped into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, with the volcano giving way to a nearly 700-foot guitar-shaped hotel. The project is expected to open in spring 2027. A similar 638-room hotel stands in Hollywood, Fla.
The Associated Press reported that more than 3,000 employees will be laid off. Hard Rock acknowledged it would pay roughly $80 million in severance packages for union and nonunion labor.
The Culinary and Bartenders Union accounts for about 1,700 Mirage workers. It announced Wednesday that its workers have two options.
The first was a severance package of $2,000 for every year of service plus six months of pension and health benefits. The second option gives employees a lesser, undisclosed amount while maintaining seniority rights for the duration of the property’s closure along with 36 months of recall rights for jobs at the new hotel.
“Culinary Union members at The Mirage have a strong union contract, ensuring that workers are protected, even as the property closes its doors entirely for three years from July 2024 – May 2027,” said Ted Pappageorge, Culinary Union secretary-treasurer, in a statement Wednesday.
The new hotel is projected to employ nearly 7,000 employees, according to Hard Rock management, while 2,500 construction jobs are expected during the rebuilding process.
Hard Rock said that all reservations beyond July 14 would be canceled and that guests should contact the guest services department or booking agency for a refund.
The Mirage’s closure is the second on the strip this year.
In April, the 66-year-old Tropicana closed its doors to make way for a 30,000-seat stadium that is expected to serve as the home of the Oakland A’s.
The Mirage’s opening by casino tycoon Stephen A. Wynn in 1989 was hailed as the ushering of a new era of resorts. It was the first strip hotel to open since the MGM Grand in 1973.
Wynn shelled out $600 million, then the most expensive casino project, for the sprawling 103-acre property.
Integration meant operating and treating all facets of the resort, including casino, food and beverage, retail, entertainment and convention space, with equal importance, according to Feldman, who rose to become an executive with the Mirage and stayed from 1989 to 2019.
Feldman said hotel owners previously cared first about the casino and “everything else was last.”
“They gave away entertainment, food and rooms as long as someone came and played,” said Feldman. “The Mirage was the first to believe you could actually make money in these areas if you invested enough.”
Its glistening 30-story white-and-gold towers were said to make neighboring Caesars Palace look “retiring by comparison.” Traffic occasionally backed up on the strip as engineers tested gas-flared flames 40 feet into the air every few minutes.
“People just got out of the cars and went over to see what was going on,” one limousine driver said at the time.
The hotel included a 20,000-gallon fish tank at its reception desk and 3,049 rooms.
The Mirage’s opening kicked off a resort building and remodeling spree that included the debut of the Circus Circus’ Excalibur in June 1990, the $250-million renovation of Caesars Palace and the opening of Treasure Island in 1994.
AND TONIGHT WE ARE FOLLOWING NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PROTESTS OVER THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR ON SOME CALIFORNIA COLLEGE CAMPUSES. AS VIDEO ON THE LEFT HERE SHOWS OFFICERS MAKING ARRESTS AND CLEARING OUT THE CAMP AT UC IRVINE. ON THE RIGHT. THAT’S THE CAMP AT UC DAVIS, WHERE PROTESTERS ARE VOWING TO STAY PUT UNTIL THE UNIVERSITY MEETS THEIR DEMANDS AND NOW A UNION REPRESENTING STUDENT ACADEMIC WORKERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE UC SYSTEM ARE THREATENING TO STRIKE OVER THE TREATMENT OF PROTESTERS. MEYERS SAYING THEY WANT TO CAUSE WHAT THEY CALL MAXIMUM CHAOS. THANKS FOR BEING WITH US AT TEN. I’M TY STEELE AND I’M ANDREA FLORES. TONIGHT, THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS THOUSANDS OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS, RESEARCHERS AND POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS SAYS IT’S THE ARRESTS OF PROTESTERS THAT ARE PROMPTING THEM TO AUTHORIZE A STRIKE. UAW 4811 REPRESENTS ABOUT 48,000 STUDENT ACADEMIC WORKERS ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM, INCLUDING UC DAVIS. AT THIS POINT, IT APPEARS THE UNION IS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON THE ACTIONS AT UCLA, UC SAN DIEGO AND UC IRVINE. ACCORDING TO THE UNION, THE STRIKE WOULD QUOTE, BE IN RESPONSE TO THE UCS UNPRECEDENTED ACTS OF INTIMIDATION AND RETALIATION DIRECTED AT OUR RIGHTS AS ACADEMIC EMPLOYEES TO FREE SPEECH, PROTEST AND COLLECTIVE ACTION. ON FRIDAY, THE UNION’S EXECUTIVE BOARD WILL TAKE THIS U
UC academic workers vote to strike in wake of campus protests
Updated: 10:05 PM PDT May 15, 2024
The union that represents academic workers in the University of California system has voted to strike in response to response to the system’s actions during recent campus protests.United Auto Workers Local 4811 shared the vote on X, formerly known as Twitter.The union said the vote was “in response to the UC’s unprecedented acts of intimidation and retaliation directed at our rights as academic employees to free speech, protest and collective action.”The organization said 79% of participating members voted to authorize a strike if the circumstances justify. The UC academic workers last went on strike at the end of 2022, including at UC Davis. That strike was to demand higher wages and benefits.The union said 19,780 members voted this time around. The union is comprised of teaching assistants, student researchers, tutors, readers, postdocs, specialists, researchers, project scientists and coordinators of public programs.The union said the executive board will evaluate and, on Friday, will announce whether to call on a campus to strike.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
The union that represents academic workers in the University of California system has voted to strike in response to response to the system’s actions during recent campus protests.
United Auto Workers Local 4811 shared the vote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The union said the vote was “in response to the UC’s unprecedented acts of intimidation and retaliation directed at our rights as academic employees to free speech, protest and collective action.”
The organization said 79% of participating members voted to authorize a strike if the circumstances justify.
The UC academic workers last went on strike at the end of 2022, including at UC Davis. That strike was to demand higher wages and benefits.
The union said 19,780 members voted this time around.
The union is comprised of teaching assistants, student researchers, tutors, readers, postdocs, specialists, researchers, project scientists and coordinators of public programs.
The union said the executive board will evaluate and, on Friday, will announce whether to call on a campus to strike.
However, given the current state of the team, is the Union ready for the phenom?
Usually, the questions are reversed. A 14-year-old kid should be the one in question about making his pro debut. However, the Philadelphia Union is currently in a nosedive identity crisis.
At the moment, it needs to be asked if the Union is ready to provide growth to its once-in-a-lifetime talent.
Sullivan is the Real Deal
While the Aaronsons, Brenden, and Paxton set the standard for Union homegrown stars, Cavan Sullivan is on another level. At 14 years old, Sullivan was primed to be headed to European giants Manchester City. It was a shocking turn of events when Sullivan decided to stay home with his brother.
All that it took was the largest homegrown deal ever given in the history of the sport in this country. Sullivan is the real deal and has proven it in his rise through the Union’s academy system. After leading the Union Academy to multiple trophies, Sullivan will look to add to the Union’s thin trophy case before he heads off to stardom overseas.
The Union Are a Hot Mess
The Union’s current state is not pretty. For the first time in 12 years, it has suffered three consecutive home losses. The cushion the club had built early in the season has not only dissipated, but the Union now finds itself far off the top of the table.
However, the most concerning part of the poor form is the fact the team’s former stars have regressed ahead of schedule. Jacob Glesnes has been a shell of his former self, while Jack Elliot and Damion Lowe have not been up to par in picking up the slack. Andre Blake has been unable to play most of the games due to injury. Simultaneously, Jose Martinez has been well below his standards. All of the regression on the defensive side of the ball has anchored the Union in 2024. While the offense has been putting together some of the best strings of attack fans have seen, it hasn’t mattered, as opposing teams can score at will against the club.
Consequentially, regression is not the only culprit. While the Union has slid backward, the rest of the league has sprung forward. Union’s management refusal to invest substantial money into the club at its peak is starting to be the club’s downfall. The Union, as always, is missing that superstar who can take over the game by himself.
The biggest concern about Sullivan right now is if the first team is the right spot for him. As of right now, the answer may be no. Given the comments from players, coaches, and fans, there is a lot of tension in all phases of the club. It cannot be best for Sullivan to just get thrown into the fire.
However, once the dust starts to settle and the Union has a clear path forward, whether that path be a rebuild or continue pushing this core for a trophy, then Sullivan should start to break in. The timeline on the Union’s current path is unknown. If the summer transfer window comes and the Union is still tail spinning, perhaps the transfer of Julian Carranza will mark the start of a rebuild for the Union.
Nonetheless, the Union doesn’t have forever to figure it out. Once Sullivan turns 18, he is off to Manchester. While Sullivan will likely start slowly breaking into the first team this year, he has to be a focal point by no later than the start of next season. Not only do the coaches need to do right by Sullivan, but ownership needs to invest in him to spur his growth further.
The Union cannot mess up with Cavan Sullivan. While it is nearly impossible to do with his talent, the entire world is now watching. If the Union can successfully grow Cavan into the next phase of his game and push him to superstardom, the phone stays open for future talent. Other teams will look deeper into the Union’s academy for investing. On the other side, if the Union messes this up, not only will teams think twice before investing in the Union’s academy, but younger players will think twice as well.
At the end of the day, the Union has to sort out their form at the top level before Cavan Sullivan sniffs an MLS game.
Cavan Sullivan might not be able to save the current state of the Union, but he absolutely could be the face of the new era of the Philadelphia Union.
Despite the Philadelphia Union’s new identity, one thing has stayed the same.
The Union can never be counted out.
As the last remaining unbeaten team in MLS, how long can the Union keep escaping defeat?
It is never pretty, but the Union continues to grab results from losing positions. This time, the club went to Atlanta and escaped with an exciting 2-2 draw. If it wasn’t for a questionable offsides call on a Mikael Uhre goal, the Union would have left with all 3 points.
Now, 7 games into the MLS season, the Union is 3rd in the Eastern Conference. The club also holds a game in hand over 2nd place NYRB. As well as 2 games in handover 1st place Inter Miami. Perhaps the most impressive feat is the Union have been on the road for 5 of their 7 MLS games. Counter in their, albeit rough, time in the CONCACAF Champions League, Union fans can’t have much to complain about.
The biggest concern currently is the Union’s new up-and-down identity. The Union used to smash and grab a goal for a 1-0 victory. Now, if the Union wants any points, they have to score at least twice a game. Fortunately, the Union offense has clicked more than it has in a long time, with the second most goals in the East. However, clean sheets have been increasingly harder to come by.
Clear Schedule and Clear Minds
It was just about a month ago, and the Union’s season had already felt over. A 6-0 embarrassment in Mexico had fans concerned for 2024. However, it seems the result has woken up the Union players. Simultaneously, it also opened up their schedule.
For the first time in perhaps 3 seasons, the Union has just 1 competition to worry about. That is the MLS campaign. The Union is out of CCC, is not participating in the US Open Cup, and may not take this summer’s Leagues Cup very seriously. This is the first time in a long time the Union can go full focus on MLS for the entire season.
The clear schedule will hopefully lighten the burden on players’ legs. Especially with a team as shorthanded as the Union. Now, the summer will still be a tough stretch as the Union will lose key players, but the hot start will hopefully soften the burden.
The Concerns Still Lay Ahead
Every point the Union can steal will matter this season. This is especially true for the rough stretch of starting the season on the road for 5 of 7 games. The fact of the matter is that the Union needs to keep pace with the Eastern Conference powerhouses while they are still in full force. International competitions will have the Union shorthanded multiple times throughout the summer. Unfortunately, the Union may also stand to lose star forward Julian Carranza in the summer transfer window.
These facts are why the Union must stay hot as long as they can. This Union roster is as thin as it has ever been. Any injury or departure could throw a wrench into the Union’s title hopes. However, the current Union team is still a top team in MLS and could make another run for the top of the Eastern Conference. The margin for error is razor-thin for this Union team.
This makes their hot start even more crucial.
It also makes it even more impressive, given the rough start to 2024.
Powerful unions have joined forces with former Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner to call for state intervention to stop what they allege is the misuse of voter-approved funding to expand arts education in California.
In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials, Beutner and the unions claim that some school districts are taking funding, approved by voters in November 2022, to expand arts education and are using it for other purposes. This year that funding totals $938 million.
The unions that signed the letter are California Teachers Assn., the largest state teachers union, and CFT, the other major statewide teachers union. Also signing the letter are the largest unions in the L.A. Unified School District: Local 99 of Service Employees International Union, which represents the greatest number of non-teaching school employees, and United Teachers Los Angeles, the second-largest teachers union local in the nation. Other unions include Teamsters Local 572, which also represents L.A. school district workers, and the teachers union for Oakland Unified.
“Some school districts in California are willfully violating the law by using the new funds provided by Prop. 28 to replace existing spending for arts education at schools,” the letter states.
Under the new law, the money must be used by schools to increase arts programs and each school can decide how best to add on to their programs. The arts windfall is drawn from the state’s general fund — at an amount equal to 1% of all money spent on schools serving students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Thus the money is ongoing and will generally increase each year.
The letter lists no specific examples and does not name districts that are suspected by unions of being in violation of the law. Beutner said there is concern that whistleblowers could become targets for retaliation.
The unions and Beutner are calling on the state to require that districts certify within 30 days “that Prop. 28 funds have not been used to supplant any existing spending for arts education at any school.” In addition, the signatories want the state to require school districts to list “additional arts and music teachers” employed by each school district in the current school year and “how that compares” to the prior year.
“We say more means more,” said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz. “That means every student at every school in the entire state, and that also has to translate to more educators and classified workers in every school.”
Beutner authored Proposition 28 after he left L.A. Unified in June 2021 and voters subsequently approved the ballot measure by a nearly two-thirds margin. Students were to benefit starting in the current school year.
The text of Prop. 28, points to research that the overwhelming majority of public schools “fail to provide a high-quality course of study across arts disciplines” and that “access to arts education is worse for high-poverty schools,” adding that “the cause of the steady decline in arts and music education is directly linked to inadequate and unstable funding of such programs.”
If misuse of the Prop. 28 funding is or becomes widespread, “instead of hiring about 15,000 additional teachers [statewide] and aides, the funds would instead be used to pay for existing programs,” the letter states. “This means millions of children will miss out on the arts education voters promised them.”
The letter was sent to the governor late Friday, according to its authors. Neither the governor’s office nor the California Department of Education, which also received the letter, had an immediate response.
Although the letter does not name a school district, Myart-Cruz singled out L.A. Unified as one transgressor, probably one among many.
“LAUSD is supplanting Prop. 28,” Myart-Cruz said. “And I can only bet that districts across the state are doing the same thing.”
She said the union is trying to gather documentation but that the school system has been slow to provide requested information.
In two recent school board meetings, David Hart, the district’s chief business officer, said the district is abiding by legal requirements.
“I feel very confident that we are not, in any way, stepping afoul of the intended supplement versus supplant,” Hart told board members in response to a question on Feb. 20. “I will acknowledge that there is school-by-school variance.”
The budget at one L.A. school, Dixie Canyon Elementary in Sherman Oaks, has been cited by Prop. 28 advocates as an example of alleged misuse of the funding.
At that school, the issue was raised by Audrey Lieberstein, a parent leader in the PTA and the school’s governing councils, who provided school budget documents and copies of correspondence with L.A. Unified to The Times.
In her emails to district officials, Lieberstein noted that last year’s school budget set aside $48,766 for a two-day-a-week arts teacher. There was no such provision in this year’s budget, according to the budget documents. An additional budget document she said she obtained from the principal shows the arts position being paid for by Prop. 28 funds.
Lieberstein sees this situation as a violation. The Prop. 28 money, she said, should have been in addition to what the school spent in the prior year.
Dixie Canyon had 610 students last year and a poverty rate of about 25%. Per the state funding formula, that would add up to a Prop. 28 budget of about $78,000 — in addition, presumably, to the $48,766 already provided for a teacher at the school part-time as well as other previous funds used for materials.
In a Feb. 16 email to Lieberstein, North Region Supt. David Baca disagreed with her interpretation of what the school was entitled to, suggesting — as did Hart at the board meeting — that the law requires increased district-wide spending, but doesn’t specify what must happen at each school.
“Proposition 28 stipulates that funds be used to increase funding of arts education programs within school districts. While this may differ school-to-school, the law assesses the overall expenditures and investments at the district level,” Baca wrote. “We are thrilled to share that Los Angeles Unified has increased investments in arts education programming.”
The letter to the state takes issue with such an interpretation, without citing a specific school:
“At least one school district claims that it is not supplanting funds for arts education because the total amount being spent by the district has increased. Again, this is not a correct understanding of the law. The law clearly states that every public school will receive increased funds for arts and music education. Prop. 28 allocates a certain amount of funding to each and every school to make this possible.”
Contacted about Dixie Canyonand the parent’s documentation, L.A. Unified said in a statement that it had no additional explanation beyond Baca’s.
Spokesperson Shannon Haber said that arts spending levels “meet and exceed legal requirements specific to Prop. 28.” She added that Supt. Alberto Carvalho has directed staff to provide a “comprehensive multi-layered scan of all investments and expenditures that will further expand opportunities for greater efficacy in arts education.”
Beutner reviewed the Dixie Canyon correspondence at the request of The Times and said that, based on his preliminary review, the district appears to be violating the law at that school.
Beutner also noted examples of school districts that appear to be using the new arts money properly, including the systems in Santa Monica, Compton and Bakersfield.
Decoding the potential misuse of funds could provecomplicated. For one, under the law schools don’t have to spend the money this year. Valid reasons for not spending the money could include the inability to hire a teacher, or the need to purchase equipment or provide training. Schools have three years to spend the money but aren’t supposed to sit on it just for the sake of doing so, Beutner said.
Per state requirements, school districts already must certify annually that their spending has been appropriate and report additional information. Schools also must create a spending plan. But the state has not posted specific deadlines in its guidance.
The letter, in essence, is seeking to tighten up and expedite the first version of an accountability system.
Beutner said it was important not to wait, because it will be hard to claw back for students money that has already been misspent.
Lieberstein told school officials she wants students to benefit fully from the arts infusion.
“I’m simply trying to understand the law and how it’s being carried out for all of our kids,” Lieberstein wrote in a Feb. 17 email to the district. “If there was a mistake in allocation or interpretation, then perhaps the schools have a chance at getting back their original source of arts funding and having Prop. 28 in addition as the law intended! This would be a big win for our public schools and help instill faith in the district.”
If you have concerns about how your school or school district is using Proposition 28 funds or related news tips or documents, please contact howard.blume@latimes.com.
The number of unionized workers for Microsoft’s video game subsidiaries keeps growing, and the latest group to join the pool is the largest one yet. Approximately 600 quality assurance workers at Activision have joined the Communications Workers of America (CWA), making them the biggest certified union in the US video game industry. They’re also the first Activision workers to organize under the agreement between Microsoft and the CWA. If you’ll recall, Microsoft agreed to respect the right of Activision Blizzard workers to unionize as part of its efforts to secure regulatory approval for its $68.7 billion takeover of the video game developer.
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said Microsoft kept its promise to let workers decide for themselves whether they want a union. Part of Microsoft’s pledge when it agreed to make a pact with the CWA was that it would take neutral approach during a union campaign, and the company said it didn’t interfere or influence people’s votes.
Another element of their agreement was giving employees access to “innovative technology-supported and streamlined process for choosing whether to join a union,” which includes not having to petition the National Labor Relations Board for an election. In this instance, the workers only had to sign a union authorization card or to vote online. According to The New York Times, 390 workers voted in favor of forming a union, while eight people were opposed to it. Around 200 more didn’t cast their vote.
In early 2023, Microsoft also recognized a union with 300 workers for Zenimax, the owner of Bethesda and another one of the company’s video gaming subsidiaries, which was the largest one for the video game industry at the time. Those workers also unionized under the simpler process enabled by the company’s agreement with CWA. By the end of the year, Microsoft agreed to hire 77 temporary QA contractors as full-time unionized Zenimax employees, which was a welcomed win for workers in an industry beset by layoffs.
Sam Skinner’s late try was controversially ruled out by the TMO as Scotland suffered a 20-16 defeat by France at Murrayfield in the second round of the Six Nations.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s sensational individual effort after 70 minutes gave France the lead for the first time with just under 10 minutes remaining but Scotland regained territory and fought back to get Skinner over the line.
The decision was deliberated for a long time before it was ruled that there was not enough evidence to award the try, giving the visitors a narrow victory.
More to follow…
This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.
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Ireland produced a magnificent display in Marseille as they registered a first Six Nations win in France since 2018
Ireland began life in the post-Johnny Sexton era in ideal fashion, as a terrific Six Nations performance saw them to a bonus-point 38-17 victory over France in Marseille.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, lock Tadhg Beirne, wing Calvin Nash, hooker Dan Sheehan and replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher scored tries at the Stade Velodrome against a French side who saw lock Paul Willemse shown a red card during the first half for two yellows – both high tackles.
Ireland fly-half Jack Crowley, 24, started nervously but grew in confidence and into the contest, kicking one penalty and five exquisite conversions, while also producing a gorgeous try assist for Beirne in a record points total and winning margin for Ireland in France.
Damian Penaud and lock Paul Gabrillagues scored France’s tries, who continued to fight hard and never appeared truly out of it – Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony was sin-binned in the second half with the gap seven points – but they ultimately had to swallow a home defeat.
Jack Crowley, Johnny Sexton’s Ireland replacement in the No 10 jersey, pulled the strings to victory in the Stade Velodrome
For many in the sport, France vs Ireland was the Rugby World Cup final that never was back in October’s Paris showpiece, and although the hosts carved out the first threatening attack, Ireland were far the quicker to settle into their groove.
Crowley edged Ireland into an early lead with a close-range penalty, and after Willemse collected his first yellow for a high hit to the head of Andrew Porter, the visitors notched the opening try.
Centre Bundee Aki did magnificently for it, charging forward and freeing his hands to offload for Gibson-Park to sprint in.
Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park scored the first try after great work from Bundee Aki
A huge try chance was spurned by Ireland after Beirne charged down Antoine Dupont’s replacement Maxime Lucu to win a turnover just after a France maul – Crowley and Aki playing narrow when a wide ball would have resulted in a certain try down the left.
Within moments, Crowley missed poorly off the tee for the chance to go 13-0, with Thomas Ramos then striking at the other end after a scrum penalty.
Perhaps illustrating a measure of his mentality, Crowley brushed off a tough few minutes to play Beirne in for Ireland’s second try via an exquisitely disguised short-ball.
Tadhg Beirne scored Ireland’s second try after being brilliantly played in by Crowley
Crowley then converted for 17-3, with Willemse – only recently back on – then shown his second yellow, which was upgraded to a straight red following a bunker review, after connecting with the head of Caelan Doris in Ireland’s first carry following the restart.
France lock forward Paul Willemse was red carded for committing two yellow card offences – a very rare occurrence
Back-to-back penalties at the ruck against Ireland invited France forward, however, and though Beirne stole a lineout, a costly scrum penalty against the head eventually resulted in Penaud diving over as French persistence in kicking to the corner was rewarded seconds before the break.
Damian Penaud hit back for France with a try seconds before half-time
After Ramos uncharacteristically dragged a penalty wide, Ireland scored through Nash after they sprung the play wide and Robbie Henshaw had stepped, accelerated and offloaded brilliantly for Doris to find the championship debutant.
Calvin Nash scored Ireland’s third try on the occasion of his Six Nations debut
Crowley produced a sensational conversion off the touchline for 24-10, but France were back within a score seven minutes later, after a long TMO review saw Gabrillagues awarded a try and O’Mahony sin-binned for a cynical act in attempting to deny him.
Ireland composed themselves to get back up the other end, though, and after the brave decision to kick to the corner instead of for points, Sheehan flew over the try-line from a maul for their fourth.
Dan Sheehan’s try wrapped up the bonus-point and put Ireland on firm course for victory
There remained time for one last try, and it was almost identical to Sheehan’s as Kelleher controlled possession at the back of a maul which romped over.
Fittingly, the boot of Crowley was the final scoring act via the extras.
Farrell: A special Irish victory | O’Mahony: I’m proud – the young players a big part
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell to ITV Sport…
“Any victory here, on a Friday night to start the Six Nations off is always going to be a hard task but I think coming away with a bonus-point win is special.
“I was proud of the performance because we kept on playing for the full 80 minutes and we got what we deserved in the end.
“When you play against 14 men, the tendency is sometimes to shut up shop but we kept on playing.
“These are guys that have been in around the squad for the past couple of years so we had no doubt they are ready to play.
“Some of them, their form guarantees they are going to be in. But it is a 23-man game.”
Ireland captain O’Mahony to ITV Sport…
“It is hard to sum up. It was a serious Test match.
“I am very proud of the lads for the control of the game. We were cool, composed, might have been a bit frantic in the last 10 minutes down to 14, but we stayed to the plan the whole time.
“We didn’t get carried away with positive and negative moments and I thought it was a good start.
“I think a big chunk of the performance was the young fellas, Calvin Nash, Jack Crowley, big Joe [McCarthy]. Some big, big performances from guys getting an opportunity.”
What’s next?
Ireland are in action next Sunday, February 11 for the second round of the championship, hosting Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (3pm kick-off GMT).
Ireland’s Six Nations 2024 fixtures
Friday, February 2
France 17-38 Ireland
8pm
Sunday, February 11
Ireland vs Italy
3pm
Saturday, February 24
Ireland vs Wales
2.15pm
Saturday, March 9
England vs Ireland
4.45pm
Saturday, March 16
Ireland vs Scotland
4.45pm
France travel to face Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh next Saturday, February 10 (2.15pm kick-off GMT), in Round 2 of the Six Nations.
France’s Six Nations 2024 fixtures
Friday, February 2
France 17-38 Ireland
8pm
Saturday, February 10
Scotland vs France
2.15pm
Sunday, February 25
France vs Italy
3pm
Sunday, March 10
Wales vs France
3pm
Saturday, March 16
France vs England
8pm
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The union representing California State University faculty reached a tentative agreement with the university system late Monday, putting an end to a planned five-day strike after one day.
“In case anyone forgot, STRIKES WORK! After months of negotiations and two strike actions, our movement for a #betterCSU has paid off!” the union announced on Instagram.
Faculty are expected to resume teaching Tuesday and students were advised to look for messages from their instructors. The agreement, which must be ratified by union members, includes higher salary floors for the lowest-paid workers, safer workplaces and an expansion of parental leave. In an email to faculty members, union leaders said the agreement includes a 5% salary increase retroactive to July 1, 2023, among other benefits.
“I am extremely pleased and deeply appreciative that we have reached common ground with CFA that will end the strike immediately,” CSU Chancellor Mildred García said in a statement. “The agreement enables the CSU to fairly compensate its valued, world-class faculty while protecting the university system’s long-term financial sustainability.”
The unanticipated announcement came after faculty at all 23 campuses of CSU, the nation’s largest four-year university system, staged a massive walkout Monday, the first day of the term for most students.
While faculty members marched in chilly rain throughout much of the state, students navigated a dizzying mix of instructions: Classes are canceled, classes are temporarily on Zoom, class is in session; assignments are online, assignments are scratched for a week. Official email communication with professors was cut, leaving some unsure if classes were taking place.
Neither university administrators nor the union had an official tally of the number of shuttered classrooms. But students throughout the system said faculty did not show up to most, if not all, of their classes.
The university said it did not cancel classes and clarified what it called “misinformation” about the status of instruction.
“Classes are not canceled. Individual faculty members who decide to strike will cancel their own classes,” a message said Monday. “If students have not heard from their instructor that their class is canceled, they should assume that it is being held as scheduled and go to class.”
The message said the two sides were “in communication with each other over the weekend” but did not share details.
The strike by the California Faculty Assn., which represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, counselors, librarians and coaches, culminated months of increasing tension between the union and CSU administration. It was the latest California walkout in higher education and TK-12 school districts as faculty and other workers — many stressed or burned out after the pandemic years — have demanded higher salaries amid escalating costs of living.
Just over a year ago, about 48,000 University of California academic workers, teaching assistants, researchers and postdoctoral scholars walked out for about five weeks, ultimately winning significant improvements in wages and working conditions. The Los Angeles Unified School District shut down for three days in March 2023, when teachers walked off the job in solidarity with school support staff, who won pay increases. A month later, L.A. teachers agreed to a contract that provides a 21% wage increase over about three years, averting a second strike.
Union demands
The CSU faculty union had pushed for an across-the-board, 12% wage increase for the 2023-24 academic year and wanted to raise the minimum salary for full-time faculty to $64,360 from $54,360. The union also sought improvements such as smaller class sizes, gender-inclusive restrooms and a full semester of expanded parental leave.
The tentative agreement falls short of the full slate of demands. In addition to the retroactive pay, the agreement includes another 5% increase on July 1 that is contingent on state funding. It raises the minimum salary for faculty by $3,000, increases paid parental leave from six to 10 weeks and improves access to gender-inclusive restrooms and lactation spaces, the email said.
It also extends the current contract, which was slated to end in June, by one year.
“This historic agreement was won because of members’ solidarity, collective action, bravery, and love for each other and our students,” said Antonio Gallo, an associate vice president of lecturers, in the email. “This is what People Power looks like. This deal immensely improves working conditions for faculty and strengthens learning conditions for students.”
Scenes on campus
The one-day strike left CSU campuses nearly empty.
About a dozen people lingered in the Cal State L.A. student union in the morning, as faculty members in red ponchos picketed outside. The normally crowded campus Starbucks was devoid of customers.
“Normally the line would be out the door,” said Jordyn O’Connell, a student who works as a barista.
All of O’Connell’s classes had been canceled because of the strike. The 20-year-old psychology major supported the strike but had been looking forward to resuming classes after the winter break.
“I’ve been really eager to get back,” she said. “I just hope that we get this figured out. I’m ready to start the semester.”
For some students, it was not clear which classes were canceled. Moments before heading into the student center at Cal State Fullerton on Monday, Leslie Segundo, an arts major, learned that a professor who had been scheduled to teach one of her classes had moved the start date to next week because of the strike.
Segundo hadn’t heard from all of her professors and assumed that those who had not emailed her were going to hold classes.
“I will attend the classes that are available,” said Segundo, who commutes to campus from Orange. “As far as the teachers that are on strike, they haven’t emailed me in clear detail about it. I don’t think I’ve been assigned any readings.”
Around lunchtime, Karen Carrillo, president of the Associated Students Inc. at Fresno State University, said there wasn’t a typical rush at the campus food court. Three of her five professors canceled classes this week, a move she supported.
“We are still learning, even if it’s not in the classroom,” Carrillo said. “We’re learning from professors how to lead by example and how to fight for what they believe is right.”
Michael Lee-Chang, a second-year student at Sacramento State, said the campus looked like a ghost town. A friend sent him a picture of one class in progress; the only people in the room were the student and the professor. Lee-Chang said he feels that most students support the strike.
Cal State officials had circulated online forms, asking students to report classes that were canceled. Lee-Chang said many were reluctant to “snitch on their faculty, because it’s faculty they know and care about.” Some students were filling in the forms with spam, reporting on the status of fictional classes such as “Evil 101.”
The rain did not keep Stevie Ruiz, a Cal State Northridge professor in the Chicana and Chicano studies department, from protesting. He said the vast majority of students stayed away from campus. Ruiz added that about half of Northridge’s student body is Latino, and many are the first in their families to attend college.
“This is a working-class struggle. We’ve been really amazed by the outpouring of support from students. What happens to us affects them,” he said. “They care about us, and we care about them.”
Workers at two Pasadena hotels went on strike Sunday, picketing for better wages and increased staffing, as preparations were underway for the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Members of Unite Here Local 11, which represents a range of hotel workers including housekeepers and cooks, walked out at dawn Sunday and will continue to strike Monday at the Hilton Pasadena and the Hyatt Place Pasadena, said union spokesperson Maria Teresa Kamel.
As of Sunday morning, dozens of people were picketing outside the two hotels, chanting “Si se puede!” — “Yes we can” — and tents were set up for some protesters planning to camp overnight.
The union chose this weekend for the walkout because “it’s probably the biggest tourist event in Pasadena,” she said. Workers decided that “if they’re expected to work on such a busy weekend, they should be compensated with a fair contract.”
Unite Here is calling for an immediate $5-an-hour hike in wages and for a return to “pre-pandemic staffing levels,” which have not rebounded despite a resurgence in hotel business, Kamel said.
“We have a lot of workers doing the work of two or three people for the same wages as they were getting before,” she said. The union has also raised concerns about pensions.
The Hilton Pasadena is among several hotels involved in talks with the union that are operated by Aimbridge Hospitality, which said in a statement that it was “continuing conversations with the union and remain[s] focused on reaching an agreement that puts our associates and their best interests at the center.”
“While these conversations are ongoing, the hotel has processes in place to limit disruptions and ensure consistent service and exceptional guest experiences at all times,” Aimbridge said in its statement.
Hyatt Place Pasadena is owned and operated by private equity firm Ensemble. Hyatt and Ensemble did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Sunday on the walkout and the union demands.
Joseph Co, general manager at Hyatt Place Pasadena, told the Pasadena Star-News that the hotel has been “actively engaged in talks with the union” and “continues to honor the expired union contract and its union employees as it seeks to reach a new agreement.”
A representative for the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles declined to comment.
Housekeeper Andrea Zepeda, who has worked more than a year and a half at Hyatt Place Pasadena, said she had struggled to make ends meet on roughly $18 an hour. She cares for two of her grandchildren and pays $1,800 in rent for a one-bedroom apartment, she said.
“The money doesn’t go far enough,” she said in Spanish. “Everything is very expensive — food, bills — and the costs are going up.” Zepeda also said that skimpy staffing had piled on pressure at her job to clean as many as 15 rooms before the end of her shift without being offered overtime.
Pasadena hotels fill up each year for the Rose Parade, which began in 1890 as a promotional event by a local social club and has evolved into a beloved tradition. Hundreds of campers flock the day before to find curbside seating available on a first-come, first-served basis along the parade route. Those working on floats or participating in the parade look for breakfast spots in the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 1.
Although workers don’t plan to picket at the Rose Bowl itself, the proximity of the hotels means picket lines probably will be noticeable to parade attendees, union officials said. Dozens of other hotels have reached tentative agreements with Unite Here Local 11 since their contracts expired in July, but these two have not, Kamel said.
“Our beef isn’t with the Rose Bowl,” she said. But “private equity groups have been harder to negotiate with than other hotels.”
Times staff writer Suhauna Hussain contributed to this report.
Rugby elation to rugby heartache, a footballing managerial merry-go-round, golfing greatness, boxing blockbusters and so much more. The 2023 Irish sporting landscape had a little bit of everything. Here, Sky Sports takes a look back at the highs and lows of the year.
It was a year in Irish rugby that saw historical success, huge expectation, unprecedented hope, and ultimately, heartbreak perhaps worse than ever before.
Towards the start of the year, Andy Farrell’s Ireland – ranked world No 1 since July 2022 – secured a sensational Six Nations Grand Slam.
Wales were blown away 34-10 on the opening weekend in Cardiff to sour Warren Gatland’s homecoming, while Round 2 saw one of the best contests in the history of the championship as Ireland put in a near-perfect display to beat reigning champions France 32-19 in Dublin.
From then, Farrell’s charges were favourites for the title, seeing off Italy in Rome, Scotland at Murrayfield despite a raft of injuries, and finally, England in Dublin to lift the Six Nations trophy and Triple Crown.
Ireland beat England on the last day of the Six Nations to clinch the Grand Slam on home soil for the first time
The warm glow continued during the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup as Ireland won all four matches, beating eventual champions South Africa in a Paris epic, and a ruthless dismantling of Scotland clinched top spot in Pool B and extended their winning streak to 17 matches.
Ireland’s quarter-final opponents were New Zealand due to a brutally lopsided draw, but the nation was now convinced this was their greatest chance for World Cup glory and to break their awful record of never having won a quarter-final.
Although Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in three of the previous four meetings, they didn’t perform to anywhere near their peak levels, while New Zealand produced their best performance in years.
Ireland fought back from 13-0 down to narrow the half-time gap to a single point at 18-17, but as the game ebbed and flowed on a knife’s edge, their inability to strike in the 22 enough proved a major factor as the All Blacks inflicted yet another agonising last-eight exit.
Ireland’s 2023 ended in devastating fashion with another quarter-final exit at the World Cup, at the hands of New Zealand for the second-straight tournament
Skipper Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls retired in the aftermath, bringing to an end stellar careers, but also a sense Ireland’s true time to become world champions had been lost.
Farrell has committed to Ireland until after the 2027 World Cup and is odds-on to lead to the British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2027. The rebuild starts now and the big question is who dons the No 10 shirt in Marseille on February 2.
Within provincial rugby, there were contrasting fortunes for Leinster and Munster. The men in blue dominated the majority of the season, only to lose late on to their arch-rivals in Dublin in the URC semi-finals, and then in the Champions Cup final again a week later to La Rochelle – this time after sprinting out to 17-0 and 23-7 leads at the Aviva Stadium. The loss was Leinster’s third in succession in European Cup finals.
Munster began the season terribly, losing five from their first seven fixtures under new head coach Graham Rowntree, but though much of the campaign was spent worrying about qualification for Europe, a remarkable final season run away from home of four wins and a draw saw them all the way to the URC final against the Stormers in Cape Town, and a superb 19-14 success – the province’s first silverware since 2011.
Like previous campaigns, Leinster have made a strong start to the season both on the domestic and European front, but it has been a mixed bag so far for the other three, with inconsistency a common theme.
Women’s rugby at lowest ebb
While men’s rugby in Ireland is in a good place, the women’s game endured one of the worst years in its history.
Ireland finished a gruesome 2023 Women’s Six Nations dead last with the Wooden Spoon after losing all five matches by an average margin of over 30 points.
They were then placed into the third tier of the new WXV tournament during October, the result of which meant they played Kazakhstan, Colombia and Spain – beating the latter only due to a try with five minutes to play.
The side has gone from Six Nations champions in 2015 to bottom of the pile in 2023, having failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2022 too.
Captain Nicola Fryday retired from international rugby at the age of just 28 – the second captain of the women’s side to do so in two years after Claire Molly in late 2021, who still plays for Bristol in Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Ireland came last in the 2023 Women’s Six Nations, losing all five of their matches
All the while, the IRFU has come under huge scrutiny for their running of the women’s game. While France, England, Wales and Scotland have all professionalised their women’s teams, the same cannot be said of Ireland.
In April, an unnamed player expressed concerns of sexism in a Telegraph report, with the IRFU likened to an “old boys club”, with allegations players were denied protein supplements as they prepared for a summer tour to Japan and that the switch from white to blue shorts over period concerns was done without proper consultation with the squad.
The anonymous player also alleged squad members learnt they were dropped via email, with some omitted from mailing lists, while the IRFU are also said to have refused to explore the option of a “hybrid contracts” – a specific request from players – with the union instead favouring a “full-time or nothing attitude.”
The IRFU disputed all the claims in a statement, but as high performance director David Nucifora’s impending exit was confirmed – David Humphreys will replace him in 2024 – it was noteworthy there was no response from anyone in the women’s game.
Football: Republic of Ireland’s World Cup odyssey ends in management change
It was, for reasons good and bad, a landmark year for the Republic of Ireland women’s team.
All roads led to Australia and New Zealand, where Ireland made their maiden major tournament bow at the World Cup. In itself a historic achievement, but performances on the pitch struggled to catch fire while off-field issues overshadowed the build-up and conclusion.
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Vera Pauw strongly denied allegations against her of body-shaming and inappropriate behaviour during her time at Houston Dash
Vera Pauw strongly denied allegations against her of body-shaming and inappropriate behaviour during her time at Houston Dash
Just weeks before the tournament began, allegations of body shaming were made against Ireland manager Vera Pauw, relating to her time in charge of Houston Dash in the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League. Pauw strongly denied the allegations, but they undeniably cast a shadow over Ireland’s preparations.
Captain Katie McCabe’s wonder goal in their second game against Canada was the highlight of a tournament which ended for Ireland after the group stage, having lost to Australia and Canada before drawing with Nigeria.
Pauw departed upon conclusion of the World Cup, with the FAI opting not to extend her contract.
Captain Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner to put Ireland ahead against Canada, but they could not hold on to the lead
Eileen Gleeson, assistant under Pauw, was appointed interim manager and guided the team through an outstanding Nations League campaign. Ireland won all six of their games, scoring 20 goals and conceding just two – ensuring they will be in League A for the Euro 2025 qualifiers.
That success no doubt informed the FAI’s decision to hand Gleeson the reins on a permanent basis on December 18, with the Dubliner now tasked with leading their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign.
It was also a year of change for Northern Ireland, who themselves were on a managerial hunt after Kenny Shiels departed in January following a four-year stint which saw the team reach their first major tournament at Euro 2022.
Former Chelsea assistant coach Tanya Oxtoby took up the reins in August, and oversaw a Nations League campaign in which Northern Ireland recorded two wins, a draw and three losses.
A third-placed finish in their group means they face a two-legged play-off with Montenegro in February, where they must win to avoid dropping into League C for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers.
Time runs out for Kenny and O’Neill’s return fails to spark NI response
Like their female counterparts, the Republic of Ireland men’s team opted for a change of manager.
After three and a half years in charge, Stephen Kenny left upon expiry of his contract after a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Drawn in a group with France and the Netherlands, a top-two finish was always a tall order, but Ireland never gave themselves a chance of reaching next summer’s tournament. They won just two of their eight games, both against minnows Gibraltar, and there was little clamour for Kenny to be given another bite at the cherry as Ireland seek a fresh start.
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Former Ireland international Stephen Kelly admits he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Football Association of Ireland won’t be renewing Stephen Kenny’s contract
Former Ireland international Stephen Kelly admits he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Football Association of Ireland won’t be renewing Stephen Kenny’s contract
As for Northern Ireland, hope abounded as Michael O’Neill – back for a second stint as manager having previously taken the side to Euro 2016 – returned to guide them through what looked on paper to be a very favourable Euro 2024 qualifying group.
However, disappointing early home losses to Finland and Kazakhstan, coupled by a defeat by Denmark in Copenhagen, realistically ended NI’s hopes of qualification after only four games.
A 2-0 win over Denmark in their final qualifier in November did however see Northern Ireland bow out with a spring in their step.
Having struggled with injuries, O’Neill will hope to have some key faces back to pair with his young players in 2024.
Golf: McIlroy and Maguire bring it home for Europe
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Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.
Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.
It was another year to remember for Ireland’s golfers with Rory McIlroy once again leading the charge.
A Scottish Open win took his tally of PGA Tour titles to 24, before the world No 2 claimed the Race to Dubai title for the fifth time. However, McIlroy’s 2023 peaked in the early autumn heat of Rome.
After a poor display at Whistling Straights in 2021 ended in tears, McIlroy turned the page on his own Ryder Cup story to claim four points from a possible five at Marco Simone to finish as the highest individual scorer in the 2023 competition. Leading the charge both on the course and off it, when he became involved in a heated car-park confrontation with Team USA caddy Joe LaCava, as Europe regained the trophy.
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Andrew Coltart provided his thoughts on one of the moments of the golfing year, where Rory McIlroy had a dispute with caddie Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup. You can listen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast now
Andrew Coltart provided his thoughts on one of the moments of the golfing year, where Rory McIlroy had a dispute with caddie Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup. You can listen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast now
Despite the successes, the hunt for the elusive fifth major goes into another year after some more near-misses at the flagship events.
McIlroy came second at the US Open behind Wyndham Clark, while there were top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and The Open. He remains one of the game’s leading lights, and the Holywood man now enters 2024 hoping to claim a major title for the first time in a decade.
His compatriot Shane Lowry also played his part in Europe’s Ryder Cup redemption, winning 1.5 points from three matches while also claiming three top-20 finishes in 2023’s majors.
It was a breakthrough year for 20-year-old Tom McKibbin, who became Irish golf’s youngest tour winner since McIlroy (who hails from the same town in County Down) when he won the DP World Tour’s European Open in June.
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Maguire claimed three crucial points as Europe retained the Solheim Cup having lost the opening day foursomes 4-0
Maguire claimed three crucial points as Europe retained the Solheim Cup having lost the opening day foursomes 4-0
Meanwhile, Cavan’s Leona Maguire enjoyed another fruitful year, the highlight of which came at the Solheim Cup.
Maguire shone, as she did on tournament debut in 2021, winning three points including a crucial 4&3 win over Rose Zhang as Europe retained the cup after a 14-14 draw.
Maguire also claimed her second LGPA Tour title as a spectacular final round saw her clinch a two-shot win at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
A good year could have been a great one, with Maguire taking a one-shot lead into the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship, before shooting a disappointing 74 on the final day with China’s Ruoning Yin winning the major. Maguire’s compatriot Stephanie Meadow impressed at the tournament, finishing tied for third.
Boxing: Revenge for Taylor after first pro defeat as five qualify for Olympics
The main headline from an Irish boxing perspective this year saw Olympic legend Katie Taylor suffer the first defeat of her professional career at the 23rd attempt, losing to England’s Chantelle Cameron in Dublin by majority decision in May.
Seeking revenge, Taylor fought Cameron again on November 25 in Dublin, becoming a two-weight undisputed world champion when she showed her mettle to win by majority decision. Taylor has since said she would fight Cameron again, and has made no secret of her desire to do so at Croke Park.
Elsewhere in the Irish boxing world, Belfast’s Michael Conlan suffered two defeats in 2023, having only previously lost once in 19 professional bouts. The 32-year-old lost to Mexico’s Luis Alberto Lopez by TKO in the fifth round of their fight in May for the IBF featherweight title, and then lost to Englishman Jordan Gill by TKO in the seventh round on December 2 for the vacant WBA International super-featherweight title.
Earlier this year, Kellie Harrington, Ireland’s Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, and four other Irish boxers qualified for the Paris Olympics: Aoife O’Rourke, Jack Marley, Michaela Walsh, Dean Clancy. Roscommon’s O’Rourke and Dublin’s Marley are considered exciting medal prospects.
GAA: Dublin at the double as Limerick continue dominance
Dublin captain Carla Rowe (left) and Leah Caffrey lift the Brendan Martin Cup after their All-Ireland final victory over Kerry
Just when you thought the Dubs were in a downturn.
After a three-year absence, the Sam Maguire and Brendan Martin Cups are back residing in the capital. Their previous stays were lengthy ones, six and four years respectively, but football is a much more competitive environment these days.
The Dublin’s women’s team will attest to that, having watched neighbours Meath rise from the intermediate ranks and win back-to-back All-Irelands at senior level. Plenty of motivation, then, and Dublin lay down a marker by twice beating the defending champions in the Leinster Championship.
A two-point home loss to Kerry in the All-Ireland group stages proved a momentary setback. Dublin’s winning margin across the next three games was over 15 points as they booked a return date with a Kingdom side chasing a league and championship double.
A first final in the women’s code between these two footballing heavyweights was all but over by the interval, Dublin leading by seven after former Ireland rugby international Hannah Tyrrell kicked eight first-half points. With Mick Bohan on board for an eighth season as manager, they will again be among the frontrunners in 2024.
James McCarthy, Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimons are no strangers to getting their hands on the Sam Maguire Cup
The Dublin men’s team timed their run to perfection as they became the first non-Division One team to win the All-Ireland since Armagh in 2002.
Dessie Farrell’s side began the year in the unfamiliar surrounds of the league’s second tier, which allowed them to stay under the radar and slowly build up a head of steam.
After yet another cakewalk in Leinster – it’s now 13 provincial titles in a row and 18 in 19 seasons – a below-par draw with Roscommon in the All-Ireland group stages provided Dublin with a timely shot in the arm. They powered to a mouth-watering final with defending champions Kerry, for whom David Clifford was shooting the lights out all summer. However, the Kingdom talisman was unable to hit his usual high standards in the decider, and a late scoring burst saw Dublin home.
Captain James McCarthy has committed to another season as he chases a record-equalling 10th All-Ireland medal, while Stephen Cluxton could follow suit as the Boys in Blue look to retain their crown.
Derry, with Mickey Harte at the helm, will have something to say about that, as will the likes of Armagh, Galway and Kerry. However, Gaelic football remains a sport in crisis, blighted by packed defences and incessant handpassing. Armagh and Crossmaglen great Aaron Kernan described the sport in its current guise as “boring” and “monotonous” and warned it could get even worse before it gets better, while the split season continues to divide.
Aaron Gillane was Limerick’s leading scorer with 3-47 in seven championship matches
No such concerns in hurling, split season aside, as Limerick head into 2024 bidding to become the first county to win five All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships in a row.
They recovered from a loss to Clare in the Munster Championship group stages, their first championship defeat since 2019, to book a rematch with their neighbours in the final, where a one-point success secured a fifth consecutive provincial title.
Limerick reinforced their reputation as a second-half team with devastating performances at Croke Park, overturning half-time deficits against both Galway and Kilkenny in the semi-finals and final respectively. John Kiely’s men saved their best performance for the final, outscoring the Cats by 0-19 to 0-5 in a majestic final half-hour. Can anyone stop their drive for five?
Cork captain Amy O’Connor completes her incredible hat-trick against Waterford
Speaking of majestic, Amy O’Connor was Cork’s hero as they ended their five-year wait for an All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.
O’Connor produced one of the moments of the year when she smashed a hat-trick in less than two minutes during their dominant victory over a Waterford side appearing in their first All-Ireland final since 1945.
Olympics: Record medal haul should be target in Paris
The sky is the limit for 21-year-old sensation Rhasidat Adeleke
Ireland record medal tally at an Olympics came in 2012 when they won six in London, and hopes are high they can match or perhaps even better that in Paris this summer.
Tallaght sensation Rhasidat Adeleke has enjoyed a record-breaking 12 months and her upward curve will continue after deciding to turn professional. Rhys McClenaghan (pommel horse) is a back-to-back world champion while freestyle swimmer Daniel Wiffen will be targeting a medal in Paris after smashing the 800m world record.
Daniel Wiffen smashed the 800m freestyle world record by almost three seconds
In Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy Ireland possess two serious competitors in the 1500m. Mageean finished fourth in world-class company at the World Championships last August, with Healy joining the Down athlete and Sonia O’Sullivan as the only Irishwomen to run the 1500m in under four minutes.
Throw in Ireland’s rowing stars – Olympic gold medallists Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan claimed their third World Championship in September – and the long list of boxing contenders headed by Kellie Harrington, and this has the potential to be a ground-breaking Games.
Gallagher Premiership round-up: Bath move above Sale after their 25-17 victory over Harlequins; Northampton enjoy narrow 31-29 victory away at Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs beat the Leicester Tigers 29-10 to extend their unbeaten home run
Last Updated: 23/12/23 6:40pm
Joe Cokanasiga scored two tries for Bath in their victory over Harlequins
Bath top the Gallagher Premiership at Christmas after winning an absorbing battle with fellow title contenders Harlequins 25-17 at the Rec.
England wing Joe Cokanasiga scored twice, with his second try clinching an important bonus point late on. Other Bath tries went to lock Elliott Stooke and flanker Miles Reid, while the Londoners stayed in contention with tries from fly-half Marcus Smith, hooker Jack Walker and flanker James Chisholm.
Cokanasiga opened the scoring within two minutes but Russell’s conversion attempt was wide, only for Smith to dance through the home defence to score at the other end moments later before hooking his kick against a post.
Joe Cokanasiga got Bath off to a dream start after scoring an early try
The swirling wind and rain made handling difficult and Bath looked particularly vulnerable in defence, although the only score of the first half came when Russell put the hosts 8-5 ahead with a penalty.
Bath struck quickly after the restart with a catch-and-drive try by Stooke and followed up in the 48th minute with another spectacular effort by Cokanasiga, who steamrollered over Smith’s attempted tackle, with Russell’s conversion – the first of the game – increasing the lead to 20-5.
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The visitors were not about to lie down and Smith’s penalty to the corner led to a catch-and-drive for Walker on his 50th appearance since joining from Bath.
Smith converted but Bath were gaining the upper hand and Russell’s inch-perfect tactical kicking set up a line-out in the corner. This time it was Reid who profited, leaving the home side with an 11-point lead and just six minutes to defend it.
Unfortunately for Quins, Chisholm’s last-minute score came too late. They might have claimed a losing bonus point but Smith again hooked his conversion against a post.
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Exeter Chiefs 29-10 Leicester Tigers
Exeter maintained their superb home form as they defeated Leicester 29-10 in front of a record crowd at Sandy Park.
An attendance of exactly 15,000 witnessed the Chiefs end their 2023 home campaign in style with a bonus-point win as they stretched their unbeaten Sandy Park run in all competitions to 23 matches, spanning a period of 61 weeks.
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It took the Tigers a long time to find their way into the game, despite many of their internationals returning to duty. They trailed 24-0 early in the second half and, when they finally did fight back, they had left themselves too big a mountain to climb.
Chiefs centre Henry Slade had another an excellent game, once more staking his claim for an England recall for the upcoming Six Nations.
Gloucester 29-31 Northampton Saints
Adam Hastings missed a 45-metre angled penalty with the last kick of the match as Gloucester suffered a 31-29 Gallagher Premiership defeat to Northampton before a crowd of over 15,000 at Kingsholm.
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Hastings’ failure took Gloucester’s losing run in the league to seven games but it was rough justice on them for they had dominated a one-sided second half.
When the hosts trailed 24-7 after 35 minutes, another loss looked a near certainty but a yellow card for Saints centre Rory Hutchinson saw an instant change in momentum as Gloucester scored 22 unanswered points.
Freddie Clarke, Chris Harris, Matias Alemanno and Santiago Carreras scored their tries with Adam Hastings adding three conversions and a penalty.
Curtis Langdon scored two tries for Northampton, with Alex Mitchell, Alex Coles and Tom Litchfield also on the try-scoring sheet as Fin Smith added three conversions.
Unite Here Local 11, the union representing hotel workers in Southern California who have been striking on and off for more than five months, said it has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Beverly Hilton that covers more than 500 unionized workers.
The Beverly Hills hotel, longtime host of the annual Golden Globe Awards, is the sixth property to reach a deal with the union. It was among some 60 hotel sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties hit by a series of short rolling strikes after contracts covering more than 15,000 housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers, and front desk workers expired June 30.
The union has declined to give specifics on wages and other economic details of the agreements it has reached thus far, and the contracts have not yet been put to a vote by workers. Union spokesperson Maria Hernandez has said that the contracts — once ratified by workers at the various hotels — will raise wages, strengthen pensions and increase investments in healthcare.
The Beverly Hilton announcement comes at the start of Hollywood’s awards season, with Golden Globe nominations expected to be announced Monday morning at the hotel.
“The hotel and union are pleased to announce their deal just before what promises to be an especially celebratory awards season on the heels of the actors’ and writers’ own labor disputes,” the union said in an emailed statement Friday.
Unite Here Local 11 co-President Kurt Petersen praised the hotel as “a leader in Beverly Hills” and urged the city’s other hotels targeted by the strike — the Fairmont Century Plaza and the Beverly Wilshire — to “quickly follow suit.”
“Hotel workers at the Beverly Hilton are eager to kick off the awards season now that Hollywood is back in full swing because they have a contract with a living wage,” Petersen said in the statement.
Peter Hillan, a spokesperson for the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles, said the trade group couldn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Keith Grossman, an attorney representing a group of more than 40 Southern California hotel owners and operators in talks with the union, did not respond to a request for comment. The Beverly Hilton initially was part of that negotiating group but subsequently left the group, a union spokesperson said.
The heated labor dispute has persisted for months. Noisy early morning picket lines, with hotel workers in red union shirts banging drums and blowing horns, have become a familiar scene at many L.A.-area hotels.
Local trade associations representing hotels have criticized the strike as damaging to the regional tourism economy. Workers say they can’t afford to live near their jobs anymore in Southern California’s overheated housing market.
This week marked an escalation in hotel worker protests. Housekeepers, cooks and other workers, as well as staff organizers with Unite Here Local 11, set up camp outside two hotels on Century Boulevard near Los Angeles International Airport early Wednesday morning.
Dozens of tents line the sidewalk outside the Sheraton Gateway and Four Points Sheraton LAX; over the tents dangle string lights and clotheslines festooned with laundry, including lacy lingerie and baby onesies. In front of the Sheraton Gateway hangs a large yellow banner reading “Occupy.”
Workers protest in shifts, with some sleeping there overnight. The union hauled in portable toilets for protesting workers, and at night when the temperature drops, union staffers help shivering and bundled-up workers light heat lamps.
Housekeepers interviewed Thursday night said they are frustrated by months of tense negotiations and years of what they describe as heavier workloads for wages that are unlivable.
Sheraton Gateway housekeepers said they make a $19.80 hourly wage. Unite Here Local 11 spokesperson Maria Teresa Kamel said that of the hotels in talks with the union, workers near LAX tend to have some of the most depressed wages.
In a historic move, the United Auto Workers became the largest labor union to advocate for a permanent cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The announcement was made Friday by UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla, alongside protesters on the fifth day of a hunger strike held outside the White House. The protest had drawn appearances from notable figures such as actress Cynthia Nixon and Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush.
“UAW International is calling for an immediate, permanent cease-fire in Israel and Palestine so that we can get to the work of building a lasting peace, building social justice, and building a global community of solidarity,” Mancilla said.
The call for a cease-fire and the desire to build a global community of solidarity “is as important as anything else that we’re doing in this country in order to ensure that workers and oppressed people and poor people across the world are on the path to winning the justice that they so deserve,” Mancilla said.
Mancilla added in a message shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the International Executive Board of UAW would be forming a working group to study the history of the region and their union’s economic ties to the conflict.
“I am proud that the UAW International Union is calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. From opposing fascism in WWII to mobilizing against apartheid South Africa and the CONTRA war, the @UAW has consistently stood for justice across the globe,” UAW president Shawn Fain posted on X, echoing Mancilla’s sentiment.
I am proud that the UAW International Union is calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. From opposing fascism in WWII to mobilizing against apartheid South Africa and the CONTRA war, the @UAW has consistently stood for justice across the globe..
Other labor organizations have supported a cease-fire as well, including the United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU).
“We unreservedly condemn the Hamas violence of October 7, which killed over 1,000 Israeli civilians and saw the kidnapping of more than 200 people. However, Israel’s response has made the prospects for peace more remote. Over 10,000 innocent civilians, including 4,000 children, have been killed by the relentless and indiscriminate bombing campaign on Gaza. Israel has shut off the flow of food, water, fuel and medical supplies to the Gaza Strip, a war crime. A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding every day in Gaza. Thousands more innocent civilians stand to die wholly preventable deaths,” the APWU stated in their press release, citing numbers provided by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
The UAW ended a six-week strike on Oct. 30 following tentative labor agreements with the Detroit Big 3 car manufacturers. President Biden joined the picket line with UAW workers in September, in an unprecedented show of solidarity from a sitting president.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall hopes Owen Farrell’s decision to take a break from international rugby to prioritise his mental well-being will prove to be a wake-up call for the sport; the England captain announced on Wednesday he will not play in next year’s Six Nations
Last Updated: 30/11/23 4:29pm
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Owen Farrell will miss the Six Nations after deciding to take a break from international rugby to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being
Owen Farrell will miss the Six Nations after deciding to take a break from international rugby to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being
Mark McCall has criticised the treatment of Owen Farrell in what he believes should be a wake-up call for rugby union.
Farrell will miss the Six Nations after deciding to take a break from international rugby in order to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being, although he will continue to play for club Saracens.
The unexpected decision comes after the 32-year-old fly-half led England to a third-place finish in the recent World Cup after losing to champions South Africa by a point in the semi-final.
Mark McCall called the treatment of Farrell ‘shameful’
Farrell has long been a lightening-rod figure in the sport, but the condemnation peaked in August when he was sent off for a dangerous tackle against Wales, a decision which was overturned by a disciplinary hearing only to then incur a ban on appeal.
England’s captain was frequently booed in France, sometimes with his family present in the stadium, and Saracens director of rugby McCall is impressed that he delivered a series of strong performances despite shouldering a heavy burden.
“It’s remarkable that he played the way he played during the World Cup, if we take into account how he was feeling,” McCall said.
“He is a person who is right on top of his game at the moment, yet he and his family have been made to feel the way they feel. It is shameful – it’s not right.
“I’ve worked with Owen for 15 years, every day, and the person that has been portrayed in the media bears no resemblance to the person I know. He’s a family man, they’ve always come first.
He is a person who is right on top of his game at the moment, yet he and his family have been made to feel the way they feel. It is shameful – it’s not right.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall on Owen Farrell
“There was a narrative created and started and that’s been there for quite some time. There’s only so much that someone can take. On top of that, he’s a brilliant, caring, supportive team-mate and a loyal friend to many, and a very good, decent human being. That’s the person I know.
“It was courageous and brave of him to open up. I admire Owen for many reasons anyway, but even more for doing this. I’m not worried about Europe or the club at all. I’m worried about Owen. We want him to be OK and happy. Clearly he hasn’t been.”
Woodward: Farrell criticism ‘unjust and uncalled for’
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Former England international Heather Fisher said it should get to a point where athletes taking a break from their sport, to look after their mental health, isn’t newsworthy
Former England international Heather Fisher said it should get to a point where athletes taking a break from their sport, to look after their mental health, isn’t newsworthy
Sir Clive Woodward hopes Farrell’s decision to step away from England duty to focus on his and his family’s mental well-being inspires more players within rugby union to take sabbaticals.
Woodward – who coached England to World Cup glory in 2003 – also said the criticism Farrell has received is “unjust” while former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio called it “sickening”.
Writing forMail Online, Woodward said of Farrell: “The first and most important thing is to acknowledge the brave and correct decision Farrell has made to step away from England duty to protect his and his family’s mental health and that we wish them all the best.
“Farrell’s move comes as no great surprise considering the extraordinary weight his shoulders have been forced to bear and the unjust criticism he has had to face. Only he will know how much influence this had over his decision.
“Rugby, sport and society have all come a long way in understanding mental health, but there is still so much more that can be done. Athletes and coaches ask a great deal of themselves.
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Luther Burrell supports Farrell’s decision to miss the Six Nations to prioritise his own mental well-being as well as that of his family
Luther Burrell supports Farrell’s decision to miss the Six Nations to prioritise his own mental well-being as well as that of his family
“They put themselves into situations that are, while an utter privilege and filled with joy at times, can also leave you wondering how you will get out of bed some days. This is not a burden they carry alone. Their families face the same trials and pressures.
“I hope Farrell sets the tone and inspires new thinking in this area. Why is taking a sabbatical not more common?
“No doubt they [the Rugby Football Union] will blame others – especially the media – and create another nameless committee to investigate and put forward their thoughts with zero accountability. Farrell will probably be left to work it out for himself. That is so wrong.
“The RFU and other international sides should look at Farrell’s situation with real concern but as an opportunity to better support players. The world’s best businesses build sabbaticals into their HR processes as paid leave. Why not rugby?”
Carlisle: I applaud Farrell for stepping away to focus on mental health
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Former Burnley and Leeds defender Clarke Carlisle has praised England rugby union captain Owen Farrell, for taking time away to prioritise his mental health.
Former Burnley and Leeds defender Clarke Carlisle has praised England rugby union captain Owen Farrell, for taking time away to prioritise his mental health.
Former Burnley and Leeds defender Clarke Carlisle has praised Farrell for taking time away to prioritise his mental health.
“There are so many thoughts and considerations that go around that decision but I’m absolutely delighted that Owen, his family and all the people around him have decided to put the man and his wellbeing first over any work duties,” Carlisle said to Sky Sports.
“I massively applaud him and I really would advocate other people who are experiencing tough mental health to take action early but there is an important point to be made, and an important distinction.
“There’s often a fear, especially with guys who are my generation or older, that the perception that people are going to judge you for taking care of your wellbeing.
“When we see a case like Farrell and think if I take a step back, the world has to know, it doesn’t have to be like that. You don’t have to be like myself or Farrell, you don’t have to tell the world that you’re addressing your wellbeing status but it is imperative that you tell someone and the right someone and the right time.”
Carlisle added: “We’ve gotten to a point now in our society where we understand that we all live on this spectrum of mental health and being able to have that foresight to intervene when you are getting to a 3/10 instead of making yourself get to 1/10 and then have to provide for disaster recovery, it doesn’t happen anymore.
“Those perceptions of your professional identity, we’re now able to separate them from actually supporting the human being. This is a fantastic example of that.”
