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.”
When COVID-19 struck, companies had little choice but to adapt swiftly. Office spaces were replaced by living rooms and in-person meetings transitioned to virtual calls — a temporary solution, or so it was thought.
But months have turned into years, and now it’s clear this is not just a fleeting phase but a profound transformation in work dynamics.
Ugo Monye, who now works as a TV pundit, revealed on social media a supporter repeatedly targeted him with a racist insult after Exeter Chiefs’ victory over Gloucester; Police have “made contact” with a man in connection with the incident
Last Updated: 22/11/23 1:08pm
Ugo Monye says he was a victim of ‘blatant racism’ at Exeter’s Sandy Park on Sunday
Police have “made contact” with a man in connection with the alleged racist
abuse suffered by former England international Ugo Monye after Sunday’s match between Exeter and Gloucester.
The 40-year-old ex-Harlequins player, now a television pundit, said the incident occurred as he was leaving Sandy Park following the Chiefs’ 25-24 Gallagher Premiership victory.
Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement: “We have identified and made contact with a man in connection to the incident and we are in the process of speaking to the victim.
“Our enquiries are currently ongoing into the incident.”
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Monye wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that one supporter running through the crowd repeatedly shouted a racist insult.
He added: “Disgraceful. Not a single person said a word, challenged or even reported it.
“He walks off after a mild scuffle and fans are now telling me ‘We’re with you’ B******S you’re with me. You weren’t with me when you saw and heard the most blatant racism I’ve seen from a supporter at a live game. So fed up.”
Exeter swiftly issued a statement vowing to investigate the matter and apologising to Monye.
It read: “In light of recent accusations regarding an incident of racist abuse at Sandy Park following the conclusion of our victory over Gloucester in the Gallagher Premiership, Exeter will be launching a full investigation.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated at our rugby club, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
Devon & Cornwall Police later confirmed they were investigating the incident.
In a statement released on Tuesday, superintendent Antony Hart said: “We take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously and we will not tolerate this behaviour.
“Anyone who has any information regarding this incident is asked to contact police quoting 258 20/11/23. Reporting makes a difference and can prevent these incidents happening to someone else.”
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The Rugby Football Union said in its own statement on Monday: “We are appalled by the racist abuse Ugo Monye faced following the Exeter Chiefs game against Gloucester.
“Ugo is a great champion of rugby, inclusion, and diversity; he has our full support. Racism cannot be accepted in our sport.
“Rugby authorities, clubs, fans, players and volunteers must all act consistently and without tolerance to any form of abuse of discrimination.”
Unite Here Local 11, the union representing hotel workers in Southern California who have been striking on and off for nearly five months, said it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Le Merigot Santa Monica.
The contract will — once it’s ratified — raise wages, strengthen pensions and increase investments in healthcare for about 100 employees at Le Merigot,union spokesperson Maria Hernandez said.
Le Merigot, a Marriott hotel, is the fifth property to reach a deal with the union.
“We have now won standard-setting contracts in downtown L.A., Hollywood, Orange County and Santa Monica. There are no excuses for the rest. Workers deserve to share in the prosperity of the tourism industry,” said Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11.
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.
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.
Peter Hillan, spokesperson for the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles, said Le Merigot was not a member of the hotel group. Santa Monica hotels that are part of the coordinated bargaining group include Fairmont Miramar, Le Meridien Delfina, Courtyard by Marriott, Hampton Inn & Suites and the Viceroy, Hillan said.
The union held a gathering with faith community leaders Thursday to discuss instances of violence against picketing hotel workers as well as the alleged exploitation of unhoused migrant workers brought in to replace striking workers at Le Meridien Delfina in Santa Monica.
The event, held at St. Augustine By-the-Sea church in Santa Monica was attended by local leaders including former Los Angeles Councilman Mike Bonin and Santa Monica Human Services Commissioner Luis Barrera Castañón, the union said in a news release.
The union also sent a letter last week to Santa Monica City Attorney Douglas T. Sloan urging the city to investigate possible violations of local laws by Le Meridien Delfina and other hotels that hired migrants as replacement workers.
The letter notes potential violations of hourly wages below Santa Monica‘s minimum of $19.73 and failures to provide “panic buttons” for workers’ safety and related training.
The letter cites reporting by The Times that also prompted an investigation by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón. In the letter, the union said it has also requested that the California labor commissioner investigate the hotels’ and subcontractors’ compliance with state laws regarding itemized wage statements and lunch and rest breaks.
A union representing Los Angeles County sheriff deputies recently elected to its board of directors a veteran lawman who has a controversial tattoo and was involved in two fatal shootings that cost the county $4 million in legal payouts, sparking concern among oversight officials and justice advocates.
Incoming Assn. of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs board member Jason Zabala previously described his tattoo under oath, saying it depicted a skeleton in a cowboy hat with a smoking rifle and the number 140. He called the stark combination of imagery a “station tattoo,” but others described it as the symbol of a deputy gang known as the Regulators.
Zabala has previously denied being part of the group, saying that the number simply meant he was the 140th person to get that same design, and describing the tattoo as a proud mark of camaraderie among fellow deputies. This week he did not respond to a request for comment.
Union president Richard Pippin defended Zabala in an emailed statement Thursday, calling him a “family oriented guy with a big heart” who has dedicated his life to helping others.
Still, advocates — such as James Nelson, campaign and program manager for the community coalition Dignity and Power Now — worried Zabala’s election would not bode well for the department’s efforts to rein in deputy gangs and gang tattoos.
“It’s a bad sign,” Nelson said. “It isn’t the sheriff that runs the department — it’s the unions.”
For decades, the Sheriff’s Department has been plagued by gangs of deputies running roughshod over certain stations and floors of the jail. The groups are known by monikers such as the Executioners, the Vikings and the Regulators, and their members often bear the same sequentially numbered tattoos.
During his swearing-in ceremony nearly a year ago, Sheriff Robert Luna spoke of the need to “eliminate deputy gangs” from the department. Though he created a new office to do that, the department has not yet settled on a policy banning gangs or gang tattoos.
One hurdle to clear before implementing any sweeping new policy is the back-and-forth of the bargaining process with labor leaders, including ALADS.
“We’ve been hearing that the reason we can’t move forward with passing an anti-gang policy — which is the first step in making good on the pledge to get rid of them — is because the sheriff has to negotiate with ALADS,” said Sean Kennedy, who chairs the Civilian Oversight Commission.
“Those sessions are taking much longer than we anticipated,” Kennedy said. “And then, when we hear that he’ll be meeting and conferring with an organization with a tattooed Regulator on the board of directors, it makes everyone believe that we’re engaged in a futile process.”
Pippin disputed that, saying the election outcome “will not change” the organization’s mission and values when it comes to the bargaining process.
“We remain committed to working with the department and the county to achieve the best possible outcomes, not only for our members, but also for members of the communities they serve,” he said.
He did not address the nature or significance of Zabala’s tattoo.
County records show Zabala first started working for the Sheriff’s Department in 2002. Nine years later, he was involved in an on-duty crash that left a woman with spinal injuries. The case settled for $80,000 before trial, according to the news site Knock LA.
Then in 2013, Zabala and his partner stopped a man riding a bicycle and ended up shooting him as he lay face down in his backyard. Prosecutors said the man — Terry Laffitte — had been resisting, so they deemed the shooting lawful. After Laffitte’s family filed suit, the county settled the case for $1.5 million.
The year after that, Zabala was involved in the killing of Johnny Martinez, a 28-year-old man with schizophrenia who was shot 36 times by deputies outside his Vermont Knolls home. Prosecutors also deemed that shooting justified, though in 2018 a civil lawsuit on behalf of the Martinez family ended with a hefty $2.5 million settlement.
It was the 2013 shooting that brought Zabala’s ink to the fore. In connection with the civil lawsuit, Zabala was deposed three times in 2015 and 2016 and asked to describe his tattoo.
Over the course of those depositions he offered additional details about the ink, including that in addition to a smoking gun, the skeleton is holding a “memorial stone” with “CEN” — for Century Station — written on it, along with the Roman numerals XXI. According to Kennedy, those are all key elements of a Regulators’ tattoo.
“The tombstone in the background with the letters for Century Station is some of the main iconography for the Regulators,” he told The Times.
In Zabala’s tattoo, there are also flames along the bottom of the tattoo along with the words “Beati Pacifici,” which he said under oath translates to “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” The entire tattoo is 5 to 6 inches high, on the lower part of his left leg.
At the time, Zabala said in depositions that the Old West style of his tattoo honored the Sheriff’s Department’s founding in 1850 and that skeletons are “an icon of the peace officer.” A Loyola Marymount University report later described Zabala’s ink as “Regulators tattoo #140.”
The district attorney’s office later investigated whether Zabala committed perjury when he described the significance of the number 140 on his tattoo.
Ultimately prosecutors declined to pursue the case, saying it wasn’t clear that Zabala committed perjury. Even if he did lie about his tattoo, they said, it would not have made a difference in the outcome of the case.
“It is unlikely that a false statement about one aspect of one tattoo, among several, would probably influence the outcome of the wrongful death lawsuit,” prosecutors wrote.
When lawyers for the county agreed to settle the lawsuit in 2017, records show they told a Sheriff’s Department investigator that the allegation of perjury was a factor in their decision.
In this year’s union election, Zabala was one of eight candidates for four open seats. He will be sworn in to the seven-member board at Friday morning’s meeting, along with Julian Stern, John Perez and Tony Meraz.
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to take a break from the 15-a-side game in order to focus on sevens in the build up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris; the decision is set to be announced on Monday
Last Updated: 15/11/23 5:59pm
France’s Antoine Dupont is set to announce his intention to miss the Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to miss next year’s Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The French rugby federation (FFR) told AFP the news on Wednesday, with the decision coming just a month after the disappointment of an early World Cup exit.
Dupont, 27, is set to miss the Six Nations, held between February 2 – March 16 next year in order to participate in legs of the World Rugby seven-a-side circuit, now known as SVNS.
His club Toulouse, the FFR and Dupont are set to hold a press conference on Monday, 250 days from the start of the Games, when they are expected to announce Dupont’s intentions.
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Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Dupont will join France’s sevens squad in January before SVNS events in Vancouver, Canada on February 23-24 and Los Angeles on March 2-3.
Scrum-half Dupont’s most recent 15-a-side appearance for France was last month’s agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat to eventual winners South Africa at the Stade de France.
The stadium in northern Paris will also host next July’s sevens competitions, for men and women, at the Olympics.
As far back as last December, Dupont opened the door to playing in the event, which first featured in the Olympics in 2016.
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Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
“It’s highly motivating,” Dupont told RTL.
“It’s incredible when you see the enthusiasm it can create. There is a desire from my side to put things in place for me to participate.
“It will be a discussion between the different coaching staffs,” he added.
A host of other leading 15-a-side players have featured at past Olympic Games including South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe and former New Zealand centre Sonny Bill Williams, who have both won the World Cup twice.
Fiji have won the two men’s gold medals since seven-a-side rugby was introduced into the Olympics with the longer format of the sport having last featured in 1924.
The absence of Dupont in the Six Nations will force France head coach Fabien Galthie to name a new captain and starting scrum-half for the Six Nations, which they start against Ireland on February 2.
Bath returned to winning ways with a big win over Gloucester in a rollercoaster West Country derby that featured eight tries; Bath are two points ahead of Exeter, with Gloucester still in eighth after a third loss of the season
Last Updated: 10/11/23 10:23pm
Bath produced a stunning second-half performance to win a pulsating West Country derby against Gloucester 45-27 at a sold-out Kingsholm.
Trailing 20-10 at the interval, after being comfortably second best in the first half, Bath turned the game on its head with their pack taking control to score four tries in a devastating 15-minute spell as their opponents imploded.
Ollie Lawrence scored two tries for Bath with Will Muir, Thomas du Toit and Beno Obano also touching down for the visitors. There was also a penalty try award with Finn Russell adding five conversions and a penalty.
Santiago Carreras, Chris Harris and Matias Alemanno scored Gloucester’s tries with George Barton kicking two penalties and three conversions.
Gloucester made an explosive start, with Jonny May heavily involved. A pre-planned move saw the former England international tear through the Bath ranks to set up a period of pressure, with the wing soon producing another strong run which ended with Carreras being hauled down metres from the try-line.
Bath captain Ben Spencer was yellow-carded as he sought to slow down Gloucester’s possession and the hosts soon capitalised with a Barton penalty.
The away side’s response was swift with a Russell penalty rewarding a powerful burst from Lawrence, meaning Spencer was able to return to the fray with no damage done to the scoreboard.
After 17 minutes, Gloucester’s early dominance was rewarded when Harris powered over after Bath’s defence had been dragged from side to side as the hosts’ skilful inter-play had them chasing shadows.
Bath beat Gloucester at a sold-out Kingsholm
Bath then missed a golden opportunity for an immediate reply when another break from Lawrence set up a scoring chance for Miles Reid but the flanker stumbled when challenged by Carreras with the line beckoning.
It mattered little as Lawrence took matters into his own hands by brushing off Stephen Varney’s tackle to score Bath’s opening try, with Russell’s conversion bringing the scores level. However, Gloucester were soon back in front with more intricate back play creating the space for Carreras to walk over in the corner.
A Russell penalty attempt rebounded back off a post but Barton had no such issues as he slotted over from 30 metres out to give his side a deserved 20-10 interval lead.
After the restart Bath were quickly out of the traps and roared back into contention when Muir collected Max Ojomoh’s long pass before bumping off two defenders to score. Russell converted before Bath took the lead for the first time when Du Toit finished off a succession of forward drives.
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In the second half, it was one-way traffic as Gloucester could not get out of their 22 and it came as no surprise when Obano crashed over for Bath’s bonus-point try.
Gloucester conceded a fourth score in the space of 15 minutes, a penalty try being awarded with their flanker Jack Clement sin-binned for collapsing.
Gloucester showed some spirit with a try from Alemanno before Clement returned from the sin-bin in time to see Lawrence seal Bath’s victory with his second try of the night.
Inside Halden Fengsel, a high-security prison in Norway, inmates choose their own clothing. Knockoff track suits from designer brands such as Karl Lagerfeld are favored.
They buy fresh produce from their well-stocked grocery store and chop onions with knives from their shared kitchens.
They play in bands and walk in the woods and pray in a graceful holy room where clerestory windows beam sunlight down onto slate floors and a compass shows the direction of Mecca.
But what surprised California corrections officer Steve “Bull” Durham most on a recent visit to Halden wasn’t the prisoners but the guards — how relaxed and happy his Norwegian counterparts were, and how casually they interacted with the inmates.
Members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn. visited prisons in Norway in September to better understand the Scandinavian model of incarceration.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
“I am blown away by it,” he said.
Durham has been a California corrections officer for 25 years, much of it in the remote reaches of Tehachapi, east of Bakersfield. He looks like the kind of guy you’d nickname Bull. Big and bald, he leans forward when he walks, like he’s battling the wind, or the world.
I met him on the sidewalk in front of the elegant Grand Hotel in Oslo, just down the street from the stately Royal Palace of King Harald V.
Durham was one of about a dozen members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., or CCPOA, the union that represents the women and men who work in our prisons, who let me tag along with them to Norway recently.
They were there to see firsthand what all the hype is when it comes to the so-called Scandinavian model of incarceration, which California hopes to import in coming months.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is in the process of converting San Quentin into an institution — via the “Scandinavian method”— that is focused on rehabilitation, not punishment.
Tiny, rich, predominantly white and with a population roughly half that of Los Angeles County, Norway doesn’t seem like a good model for anything in California. But Newsom isn’t trying to replicate what Norway does, just adapt the basic premise to create a shift in how and why we incarcerate.
The Scandinavian method acknowledges that people rarely go to prison for life. Instead, it focuses on the reality that most people who go into prison are going to come outagain, and it’s safer for all of us if they have a plan and the skills for a future that doesn’t include more crime. That credo demands that prison is made to be more humane, and more normalized, turning the guards into at least part-time social workers.
“It’s radical,” Durham said, but he’s all for it.
An inmate at Halden prison in Norway visits the facility’s library, where books and DVDs are available to borrow.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
The CCPOA has long supported Newsom. But it is also one of the toughest and most powerful unions in the state and is not known for soft-on-crime stances. So it may surprise some that the union supports the Scandinavian model, even as fentanyl, homelessness and a misguided fear of rising crime have combined to swing the political pendulum back toward more incarceration.
Durham, a CCPOA vice president, said corrections officers in California are literally sick and tired from being cogs in a machine that doesn’t work — for society, for those incarcerated or for guards who want a career that doesn’t kill them.
“We are tired of seeing our partners in a casket,” Durham said. “The stuff that we see is not good.”
Being a U.S. corrections officer is not a great gig, union benefits aside. It comes with levels of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that far outpace other professions, even in law enforcement.
Corrections officers are quick to tell any listener that the psychological stress and constant threat of violence eat at their health, leaving them vulnerable to ailments including heart attacks, ulcers and fallen arches. They drink too much, get divorced often and die by suicide at a rate 39% higher than the rest of the working-age population, according to the Vera Institute of Justice. Their life expectancy is more than 15 years below the national average.
Many people assume they are all abusive brutes, in dead-end jobs.
“It comes down to the mental health and well-being of our staff,” Durham said. “We have to try to change.”
Helge Valseth, center, the governor of Halden prison (comparable to a U.S. warden) leads a group of U.S. visitors through the facility, which houses about 250 inmates convicted of serious offenses including drug crimes and murder.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
Durham shared those depressing statistics as we rode in a bus to Halden, about two hours outside of Oslo, on an overcast day in September. The drive there took us through picturesque fields where cattle milled around sturdy barns, then up into hills covered in spruce and pine. It felt like traversing the back roads of Napa to Tahoe — all classy ruralism.
Nothing about our arrival at Halden dispelled that, no armed guard towers or razor wire. The only clue this was a prison was the nearly milelong wall that surrounds it, 20 feet high and curving at the top with an elegance that Scandinavians seem able to put into everything they build, regardless of purpose. It was, as a certain former president might describe it, a big, beautiful wall.
“Jeez, look at that wall,” one of the officers exclaimed as we stepped off the bus.
Critics deride Halden as a luxury prison that coddles, but it is the star of the Norwegian system, opened in 2010 with a design and a mantra: Prison should not be defined by the agony of discomfort and fear. The punishment for those incarcerated at Halden is being removed from family and friends — being behind the wall. Not the experience inside it.
Before Norway embraced this new model of incarceration in the 1990s, its prisons looked much like ours do today and recidivism rates were stubbornly high, hovering near 70% for some crimes. Now, though not as low as many had hoped, those rates have fallen to about 20% of people re-offending within five years of release — one of the lowest recidivism rates in the world.
Helge Valseth, left, the governor of Halden prison, shows off the prison grocery store to visiting California correctional officers. The inmates at Halden largely live in dorm-like apartments with a shared kitchen where they cook meals.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
The prison population in Norway is vastly smaller than ours — Halden holds about 250 men, fewer than your average county jail — but there are similarities with the U.S., starting with racial diversity. Forty percent of prisoners in Norway are not citizens by birth — they come from more than 25 countries, many of them migrants from places including Sudan and Pakistan.
Gangs, said Helge Valseth, the governor of Halden (our version of a warden), are a big problem, inside of prisons and out.
What is different at Halden isn’t the prisoners but the guards, Valseth said.
People incarcerated in Norway wear their own clothes and have more freedoms than in U.S. prisons.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
In Norway, corrections is a profession that has pathways into other branches of law enforcement. Officers start off in a two-year college program, paid as they go, and must continue their education, Valseth said. The Norwegian guards union has a partnership with management that allows officers to have a say in how a facility is run, who is hired and what the policies are.
In all, said Tor Erik Larsen, a leader of the Union of Norwegian Correctional Services Employees, it’s a good job — one that comes with respect and provides work that feels meaningful. Under the Scandinavian system, expectations of and from corrections officers extend far beyond maintaining control.
“I need to know what makes a man tick,” Larsen said. “And he needs to know what makes me tick.”
That philosophy is called dynamic security. In the United States, we use static security: lockdowns, body armor, mace. Rehabilitation is largely left up to inmates to figure out on their own through a hodgepodge of programs — some good, some questionable.
The Norwegians depend on relationships to maintain control and highly trained corrections officers to be deeply involved in rehabilitation.
An inmate at Halden prison uses a knife while working in a shop. In Norway, incarcerated people are governed by “dynamic security,” which relies on relationships with guards to maintain order and safety.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
Therapy, job skills, addiction treatment — corrections officers in Norway are responsible for facilitating all of it, and for building the trust and mutual respect needed for inmates to feel like someone is on their side when it comes to changing, no matter what crime they committed.
Durham knows there will be many California officers who are not just skeptical, but downright hostile to that idea — he’s cognizant that it sounds like telling officers, “Hey, from now on you have to hug every inmate on your unit.”
But Durham believes the current system leaves inmates without enough autonomy to learn how to be different. Everything is done for them or to them. He uses the grocery store inside Halden as an example. In the U.S., meals come and go on a tray, no effort required. In Norway, many facilities only provide one pre-made meal a day. Prisoners are encouraged to buy groceries, make food for themselves, share meals with officers and fellow inmates and clean up afterward.
U.S. prisons “are not teaching [inmates] any life lessons,” Durham said. In Norway, “they give them the ability to function in life.”
The same goes for officers, Durham said. Right now, U.S. corrections officers have few opportunities to interact with inmates other than keeping order and imposing discipline in part because rules often forbid getting too close. U.S. officers, Durham said, have to be trusted to act as mentors — like their Norwegian counterparts.
It’s that mutual respect that makes the Scandinavian model work. And it does work. Violence is rare at Halden.
I met an inmate named Roger (I am not using his last name for privacy reasons) in a prison auto shop. Roger was incarcerated for sexually abusing his daughter, he said.
A round-faced, bespectacled man, he was changing the oil on an Audi — largely unsupervised by officers — surrounded by tools that in the United States would be considered weapons: a hefty hammer, socket wrenches, saws, a drill. In the next room, other inmates were using power tools to cut wood.
An inmate at Halden prison works in an auto shop, largely unsupervised by correctional officers.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
As a child molester, Roger is the type of prisoner who typically would not be safe in a U.S. prison — always under threat of attack from other inmates and often looked down on by officers.
He’s the kind of guy that most of us have a hard time feeling empathy for. But one day in the not too distant future, Roger is getting out — as are most people who go to prison in the U.S.
At Halden, Roger said, he is learning“how to not think about my child like an abuser” would.
Norway, like much of Scandinavia, has a reputation for allowing the common good to frequently outweigh individual desires and demands. That philosophy presumably makes it easier to create a system that helps someone like Roger.
But U.S. culture prizes vengeance. How many times has some variation of “I hope you rot in prison” been uttered with righteousness in film and television?
Our culture wants wrongdoers to suffer, even at the expense of public safety. But as uncomfortable as it is to hear Roger talk about the help he is receiving, isn’t that what we should want? For criminals to stop seeing the rest of us as prey?
“It’s been a real good program,” Roger said. “I am starting on the ground floor and building up.”
Down a hallway I met David, who was from Lithuania and serving time for selling drugs. The lack of fear, of guards and other inmates, he said, took away much of the stress of being in prison. It allowed him the space to think about his future.
A cell inside Halden prison includes a window and a private bathroom. Though the door locks, the Norwegian model of incarceration seeks to normalize life inside prisons so that inmates can focus on rehabilitation.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
“I don’t need to be afraid that something will happen,” he said. “I don’t think I will come out a worse person. I feel I could come out better.”
Tiffanie Thomas, a San Quentin corrections officer who was on the tour, told me bringing this system to California “seems realistic.”
As a female officer who is often alone and outnumbered at San Quentin, she has long depended on relationships with inmates for her safety and theirs.
“We do a lot of this already,” Thomas said. “We just didn’t have the words to put to it.”
But, she added, relationships take time. If the state brings the Scandinavian model to California, it is going to require something that will, even if they support the model, make both prison officials and reformers unhappy:
More corrections officers.
A correctional officer checks out the ice cream freezer in the grocery store at Halden prison. The inmates are able to purchase their own groceries, including ice cream.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
Right now, there are too few officers on duty to spend any meaningful time with their charges. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has 21,220 correctional officers and a statewide prison population of 93,649 — though that is expected to drop by nearly 10,000 in coming years. At San Quentin, there are 833 rank-and-file corrections officers and 3,504 incarcerated people, according to CDCR.
Often, there are two officers assigned to more than 120 inmates, Durham said, and that can jump to 160 depending on the facility and the time of day.
Thomas said she has been in charge of up to 200 inmates at once. In Norway, each guard is responsible for a few dozen inmates at most — a number that has increased because of budget cuts, much to the consternation of both guards and management.
But to the officers I was traveling with, it was still unimaginably low.
Durham never dreamed of spending his life inside prisons. Who does?
A Central Valley kid, he joined the Navy to escape the expectation that he would follow his father into construction. At 18, he found himself married, with a son and getting ready to deploy. But his wife at the time was diagnosed with a mental illness — bipolar disorder, he said — in an era when such things were barely understood, much less talked about.
One day, she took too many muscle relaxers. While he was trying to help her, his baby son, crawling around their waterbed, swallowed a penny. Durham scooped everyone up and made it to the hospital, but it was a breaking point.
California correctional officers visit Halden prison. Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning to turn San Quentin prison into a model facility using Scandinavian principles.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
He left the military and moved back home and soon found himself a single father. He needed help and stability and a job in a place without many options. So he became a prison guard.
No regrets, he said. But “if it was me, alone, I probably wouldn’t do it. But I had to support him.”
The job has taken its toll. His first week, he witnessed a stabbing. His old-school partner barely said a word about it, he said. But then, that partner rarely said anything useful at all. He was left to figure out a foreign and brutal world largely on his own.
Over the years, there has been an endless flow of trauma. The first time Durham had to help lower a hanged man, he remembers the legs in his face, and being grateful for the strength to hold the man up, even though it was too late. More than 20 years later, he remembers that inmate’s name. Beale.
An inmate sits at a table at Halden prison.
(Javad Parsa / For The Times)
He knows there are “bad apples” in the profession and there are certainly too many instances of officers committing crimes and abusing their power. He’s also heard the criticism that it doesn’t matter if corrections officers like their job or not, because unlike inmates, they can leave whenever they want.
Even as we rightfully shrink our prison population and rethink policies that turned incarceration into an industry, the reality remains that prisons will continue to exist because society does demand accountability for committing crimes.
The Scandinavian model doesn’t promise to end crime or fix society’s problems. But it has answered an obvious if ignored question: If guards have no hope, how can prisoners?
Walking out of Halden down a gravel path at the edge of the forest, Durham told me it was “weird” to see corrections officers smiling and laughing at work. The visit gave him hope, though he knows that as it did in Norway, change will take decades in California.
Rain started to fall and the air took on the vibrant scent of moisture hitting earth.
Ahead of us, a man with a scooter walked with a man pushing a wheelchair, oblivious to our approach. I couldn’t tell if either or neither were inmates, but it didn’t seem to matter, to us or them.
For the first time, maybe in his life, Durham was relaxed inside a prison wall.
Inmates walk down a path. The natural setting of Halden prison, located outside of Oslo, is part of its rehabilitative ethos.
Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian has struck a deal with the politically powerful hotel workers’ union to remove a measure from the March election ballot that would haverequired hotels to participatein a city program to put homeless residents in vacant hotel rooms.
Under the agreement, the City Council would approve a new package of regulations on the development of new hotels, forcing such projects to go through a more extensive approval process. Hotel developers also would be required to replace any housing that is demolished to make way for their projects, by building new residential units or buying and renovating existing ones.
In exchange, the union’s proposal for placing homeless residents in vacant hotel rooms would be explicitly listed as voluntary, a move that would cause it to resemble Inside Safe, the program created by Mayor Karen Bass to combat homelessness. Hotel owners are willing participants in that program.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona, praised the agreement, saying it would ensure that the city places a priority on the creation of housing, not luxury hotels. Many of Unite Here’s members have been unable to find decently priced homes near their jobs, forcing them to endure punishing commutes.
“We have said all along that our contract campaign has been about two things: housing for our members where they work and a living wage,” Kurt Petersen, the union’s co-president, said in a statement. “With this ordinance, we have done more to protect housing than any single contract demand would have done.”
The proposal has already received signatures from five other council members — Hugo Soto-Martínez, John Lee, Katy Yaroslavsky, Nithya Raman and Traci Park — putting it two votes shy of passage. Park, who serves on the council’s trade and tourism committee, said she believes the original measure would have had “catastrophic consequences” for tourism locally had it won voter approval, by mandating that hotels take in homeless residents without accompanying social services.
“The thought of putting individuals, many of whom have very serious mental health and substance abuse issues, [in hotel rooms] without on-site services is a recipe for disaster,” she said.
Wednesday’s deal comes as Unite Here enters its fifth month of rolling strike actions as its members fight for higher wages and better working conditions. So far, four hotels across Southern California have reached salary agreements with the union.
Unite Here also has been fighting a number of hotel projects that would result in the elimination of low-cost apartments, particularly those covered by the city’s rent stabilization law, which places a cap on yearly rent increases. Under the Krekorian proposal, the city would need to determine whether there is “sufficient market demand” for a new hotel project, while also identifying whether it would have an impact on demand for housing, childcare and other services.
Unite Here has become a major force in L.A. politics, putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into a campaign to last year elect Soto-Martínez, a former Unite Here organizer himself. The union is also skilled at gathering signatures for ballot measures in and around L.A.
Last year, Unite Here qualified a measure for the March ballot requiring the city’s Housing Department to create a new voucher program to serve the city’s unhoused population. Under that proposal, hotel managers would have been tasked with informing the city each day about the number of vacant rooms they had. Hotels also would have been required to accept temporary housing vouchers issued by the city under such a program.
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The hotel industry responded by launching a publicity campaign against the measure, warning that it would put hotel workers in danger. The campaign repeatedly pointed to problems in the city’s Project Roomkey program, which placed homeless residents in hotels after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Project Roomkey, which is no longer in effect, generated a spate of internal City Hall reports about property damage, drug use and violence at hotels in downtown, Westlake and the San Fernando Valley.
Heather Rozman, president and chief executive of the Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles, said her organization is still studying the proposal but commended council members for being willing to “listen to all sides of the issue.”
Inside Safe, the program launched by Bass to combat homelessness, already uses dozens of hotels and motels as temporary housing. Bass, looking to scale back room rental costs, is also working to purchase hotel and motel properties for that program.
The proposed ordinance would also require that both hotels and hosts of short-term rentals on platforms such as Airbnb secure operating permits from the Los Angeles Police Department. Both Krekorian and the union said such a move would help neighborhoods fight back against short-term rental properties that have “nuisance” activities, such as drug sales or noisy parties.
“Irresponsible hotel and short-term rental operators cannot be allowed to endanger the public safety or impair the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” Krekorian said.
England got their WXV campaign off to a winning start beating Australia 42-7 last Friday; They come up against Canada on Friday in the second of their three games in New Zealand
Last Updated: 25/10/23 2:16pm
England Women’s will take on Canada on Friday after winning both games against them during pre-season
England Women’s interim head coach Louis Deacon has praised the changes made by the World Rugby Council saying it will help the women’s game grow.
The transformational reforms for the women’s game mean there will be no overlap between international and club fixtures for the first time from 2026.
It will allow for clearly defined global and regional player release periods in the women’s game which will promote opportunity and growth ahead of an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup in 2025.
“This is massively exciting for the women’s game that these things have been put in place, really positive, it shows that it is continuing to grow and it will mean the players can solely focus on international periods or domestic periods,” said Deacon.
Red Roses captain Marlie Packer echoed this sentiment saying it will allow players will benefit from a schedule which should see less fixture congestion.
“The players will get a proper rest period so we can come into our pre-season ready to do,” Packer said.
“Calendars won’t be overlapping with each other which means seasons can be prolonged or extended or we have a quick turn around of tournaments.
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“It’s about the welfare of the players and I think it’s a really good thing that will happen to the game.”
The Red Roses will continue their inaugural WXV campaign this Friday when they take on Canada after kicking off the tournament with an emphatic 42-7 victory over Australia last Friday.
England have made nine changes to their starting line-up for their second match of the WXV 1 tournament against Canada on Friday.
Canada also began their WXV campaign with an impressive 42-22 win over Wales, but lost to England in their two pre-season matches, albeit the scoreline becoming tighter each time.
“Canada are a very athletic side, and their set-piece is very good. For me the standout player is Sophie de Goede, she can make anything happen. The way she plays the game and sees the game is exceptional,” said Packer.
Canada captain De Goede scored the opening try within four minutes and added six conversions in her side’s opening game against Wales.
England got their WXV tournament campaign off to a winning start with a 42-7 victory over Australia
During England’s game against Australia, Packer scored two tries and keeps her place in the side while full-back Ellie Kildunne – who has three tries in her last two outings against the Canadians – and wing Claudia MacDonald return to the back three, alongside Abby Dow.
Helena Rowland switches to outside centre where she will join Amber Reed in midfield, with scrum-half Natasha Hunt named as Holly Aitchison’s half-back partner.
“When you have got a squad of 30 players, you need to have players that are adaptable. In our first game it was about giving people opportunities and that was one of the combinations we looked at,” said Deacon.
“Players need to be versatile when you have 30 available, so that’s why we’ve moved Helena around.”
A fresh front row sees Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern start, while Cath O’Donnell is back in the second row beside Zoe Aldcroft.
Morwenna Talling is selected at blindside flanker as captain Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews continue at openside flanker and No 8 respectively.
“Every player will be ready for the game, just because we have played Canada twice won’t make us any less aware of what we’re going into and we have to put a good performance in,” said Packer.
“We’ve been training with each other and there’s been a lot of time to discuss things but whatever 15-players go out there, I know they will do the job.
“We’re striving to be the best version of ourselves and it doesn’t matter about who has started and who hasn’t.”
Teachers in Fresno, California, have authorized a strike, and to fill the temporary vacancies, the school district is sending out a state-wide call for substitute teachers with a lucrative offer– $500 per day to cross the picket line. That’s more than the average daily pay for a full-time teacher in Fresno Unified School District and more than double the normal daily rate for substitute teachers.
If someone accepts a job in the classroom while the teachers are on strike, it will be regarded as crossing the picket line, according to Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla. Guest teachers are not a part of the association, and if they teach during the strike they won’t be blacklisted, but Bonilla said it will undoubtedly damage personal relationships with teachers fighting for a fair contract.
“It’s hard to see one group of people fighting and advocating for positive change and another person that is getting in the way of that progress,” said Bonilla.
The union has been negotiating with the school district for a new contract, but both sides have yet to come to an agreement about class size, special education caseloads, health care policies and salary. Similar to the striking United Auto Workers, the Fresno Teachers Association said members want the salary increases in line with inflation and the cost of living index. Chief Communications Officer for Fresno Unified School District Nikki Henry referred to that request as a “straw man argument.”
Henry says more than 95% of the district’s substitute teachers have agreed to continue teaching during the strike. But even with many willing to overlook the strike for a higher wage – substitutes in the district typically make $200 a day – the substitute teacher shortage plaguing schools nationwide leads Borillo to believe the district won’t be able to adequately fill the spots left temporarily open by striking teachers in California’s third-largest school district.
Substitute teachers will see higher pay for work done while teachers are on strike.
CBS News
“We hear of the number of vacancies that take place on any given day. And so we do not believe that they have the ability to fill those spaces, and definitely not to fill them with qualified folks,” said Borillo.
The district has more than 2,100 credentialed substitute teachers who previously agreed to continue working even in the case of a strike, Henry said. She said outreach about the higher pay has been successful, and about 200 additional substitute teachers joined the district this past weekend.
“At this point, we have more than enough folks to make sure that our kids are taken care of and the learning continues,” Henry said.
Josiah Mariano, who began substitute teaching in Fresno Unified School District last spring, plans to continue to do so during the strike. He told CBS News his friends who are full-time teachers in the district already expected he would keep teaching, and he might even cover their classes. Mariano said while he received very few details about the strike and contract negotiations, the district sent several messages highlighting the $500 daily pay if substitute teachers committed to teach during the strike.
“That’s awesome to get paid that, but I can’t imagine that we’ll be able to sustain that for super long,” said Mariano. “That’s kind of nuts, you know, for a daily rate.”
The school district explained the incentive funding comes directly from wages withheld from teachers on strike. Henry said that means they’re able to continue the additional pay as long as the teachers are striking.
Teachers in Fresno, California.
Courtesy: California Teachers Association
“Our average teacher makes about $490 a day, so we’re just diverting those funds over to the substitute teacher that would be in the classroom that day,” said Henry. “It’s not a big additional cost to the district.”
Executive Director of the National Education Association Kim Anderson said Fresno is the first district she has seen offer this for substitute teachers filling in for striking teachers. She hopes it doesn’t become a common practice.
“This move to pay substitutes, frankly, even more than the daily rate of a teacher sends a horrible message to what we think about the profession of teaching, and all the educators who provide support services to students,” said Anderson. “Instead of looking to our band-aid solutions, we need everybody to recognize that students need high quality, well trained, committed and well compensated professionals every day of the year.”
While the amount being offered by Fresno Unified School District is unprecedented, other school districts have opted to provide substitute teachers with bonus pay if they cross the picket line of a striking teachers union in the past. In 2017, Fresno Unified School District presented the same $500 proposal for substitute teachers in the case of a strike. It was never implemented as a contract agreement was reached before a walkout took place, but the idea laid the groundwork for the strategy being used now.
“It was very successful in recruiting the substitutes that we needed,” said Henry about the 2017 offer. “Based on that success, we wanted to be prepared this time around.”
In a study of the brains of 31 former players, CTE was present in 21 of the brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the USA, UK & Australia; Professor Willie Stewart: “Our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk”
Last Updated: 23/10/23 9:16pm
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career, a new study indicates.
Each additional year of playing was found to increase the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by 14 per cent, in a study of the brains of 31 former players whose average career length was 18 years.
CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem, and to date the only recognised risk factor for CTE is traumatic brain injury and repeated head impact exposure.
The study, published in Acta Neuropathologica in the week of the Rugby World Cup final, found CTE present in 21 of the 31 brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Cases with CTE averaged a career length of 21.5 years, while in those without CTE the average was 12.1 years.
The study’s lead author Professor Willie Stewart said: “In this study, we have combined the experience and expertise of three leading international brain banks to look at CTE in former rugby players.
“These results provide new evidence regarding the association between rugby union participation and CTE. Specifically, our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk.
“Based on this it is imperative that the sport’s regulators reduce exposure to repeated head impacts in match play and in training to reduce risk of this otherwise preventable contact sport related neurodegenerative disease.”
Twenty-three of the players played at amateur level only, while eight also played at the elite level. The study found no correlation between the level the individual had played at and an increased risk of CTE, nor between whether they played as a forward or a back.
World Rugby is exploring ways to mitigate the risk of concussion and improve how diagnosed or suspected concussions are managed.
The governing body’s executive board has recommended that unions participate in an opt-in global trial of lowering the tackle height in the community game to below the sternum – also known as a “belly tackle”.
World Rugby also promotes a ‘recognise and remove’ approach to dealing with concussion in the amateur game, while it has detailed return-to-play protocols at that level and in the elite game.
A group of former professional and amateur players diagnosed with early-onset dementia are involved in legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union.
The players claim the governing bodies were negligent in that they failed to take reasonable action to protect them from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.
A World Rugby spokesperson said: “World Rugby is aware of the findings from the University of Glasgow study and we are committed to always being informed by the latest science.
“Our Independent Concussion Working Group recently met with Boston University representatives, including Professor Ann McKee, alongside other world leading brain health experts, to continue our dialogue on how we can make the game safer for the whole rugby family.
“What all the experts told our Independent Concussion Working Group was, that we should continue to reduce the number of head impacts, and that is exactly what we will do.
“World Rugby will never stand still when it comes to protecting players’ brain health which is why community players around the globe are taking part in trials of a lower tackle height this season.
“It is also why we have rolled out the use of world leading smart mouthguard technology in WXV, our new elite women’s competition, and from 2024 all elite competitions using the Head Injury Assessment will use smart mouthguards, in addition to the current independent doctors and in-game video footage to ensure that players are receiving the best possible care.”
When Norelis Vargas heard about housekeeping work at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport, she did not hesitate to sign up.
Vargas, 39, who migrated from Venezuela and entered the U.S. about three months ago seeking asylum, had been living with her husband and four children for months at Union Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter on Skid Row, and needed the income. But when she arrived at Four Points by Sheraton on Oct. 6, Vargas said she was surprised to find a group of hotel employees picketing.
“I thought, it’s good they are fighting for their rights,” Vargas said. But she said she felt uncomfortable. “The people outside, it was their job, and I was the one replacing them.”
Vargas is among those from Skid Row’s migrant population who have been recruited in recent weeks to work at unionized hotels in Santa Monica and near Los Angeles International Airport where workers have gone on strike. In addition to the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, migrants were hired at the Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica and the Holiday Inn LAX, according to interviews with migrants employed as temporary workers and organizers with Unite Here Local 11.
Now Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón is launching an investigation into working conditions for migrants hired at hotels based on information brought to him by Unite Here Local 11, which represents workers involved in the largest U.S. hotel strike. Gascón said he is concerned about potential wage theft and violations of child labor law.
“We are going to make sure this is investigated thoroughly. It will be a fair and impartial investigation,” Gascón said at a news conference Monday in front of Le Meridien Delfina.
“If there are violations of the law, there will be severe consequences for this. We want to make sure that our community understands there will be no tolerance for the exploitation of refugees,” Gascón said, citing reporting by The Times on the issue.
Gascón recently claimed the endorsement of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor in announcing his reelection campaign.
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón announced at a Monday news conference that he is launching an investigation into working conditions for migrants hired at hotels.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
At Monday’s news conference, state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) expressed outrage over the allegations against the hotels and staffing agencies.
“It makes me furious,” said Durazo, who represents Central and East L.A., and once served as president of Unite Here Local 11.
The hotel’s actions are “indefensible,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the advocacy organization Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles. “Staffing agencies, companies taking advantage of the desperation of the individual to try to begin their life, and then not pay them their proper earnings, not give them a full accounting of their hours worked — we see this every day here in L.A.”
Since more than 15,000 workers began intermittent strikes at about 60 Southern California hotels in early July, employers have been replacing those union members with managers and temporary workers recruited through apps, such as Instawork, staffing agencies and by other means.
For the record:
4:33 p.m. Oct. 23, 2023An earlier verison of this story misspelled Hannah Petersen’s last name as Peterson.
Unite Here organizer Hannah Petersen, who has been working with the migrants, said some hired at Le Meridien Delfina were among hundreds of migrants Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shipped on buses to L.A. this year as a political stunt meant to harness anti-immigrant sentiment and deride “sanctuary” cities across the country. Frank Wolf, a pastor at Echo Park United Methodist Church, is among those who have greeted migrants arriving on buses from Texas.
“They were exhausted and they were tired and they were scared when they came to Los Angeles,” he said at the news conference. “It’s heart-wrenching to find out that some of these very workers that we welcomed on those buses are being exploited.”
Refugees and asylum seekers are legally allowed to seek work in the U.S. Federal labor law allows employers to hirereplacement workers during unfair labor practice strikes and economic strikes, but unions typically condemn the use of so-called scab labor.
Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said employers who hired migrants “had stooped to a new low” by tapping a vulnerable group of workers to undermine employees striking for a living wage.
“I can’t believe they are forcing these people, who are so desperate, to cross the picket line,” Petersen said. “Instead of addressing L.A.’s housing crisis, the hotel industry prefers to exploit the unhoused as strikebreakers to avoid paying their own workers enough to afford housing themselves.”
Owners and operators of the three hotels did not respond to requests for comment. Real estate investment group Pebblebrook Hotel Trust owns Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica, and Capital Insight owns Four Points LAX. Highgate Hotels operates both hotels. The Holiday Inn LAX is owned by a subsidiary of Chinese firm Esong Group and is operated by Aimbridge Hospitality.
Eleven people living at the Skid Row shelter confirmed they had been hired at hotels where employees were protesting outside. Most had migrated from Venezuela or Colombia. Many did not provide their names, fearing repercussions.
They described heavy cleaning loads and long hours. Some said they were given no prior information on how much they would be paid hourly, although others said they were told on their first day that they would be paid $19 an hour. Migrant workers said they were not told and did not know the name of the agency that recruited them.
Venezuelan migrant Sebastian Atencio, 34, showed up at Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica on Sept. 26 during a recent wave of strikes. Atencio said he was given a heavy workload and forced to work without breaks. He was hired to wash dishes at another hotel — but they also asked him to clean bathrooms during the same shift, which he said he felt was unsanitary.
One migrant worker, a 17-year-old student at Belmont High School who requested anonymity, said he skipped two days of school to clean rooms at the Holiday InnLAX.
He and his mother, who secured work as a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn, received payment via banking app Zelle from an agency called Arya Staffing Services Inc. Aimbridge Hospitality did not respond to questions about whether staffing agencies it used had secured appropriate permits to employ minors.
A review of an Oct. 13 pay stub for a worker hired at the Four Points by Sheraton shows that person obtained hotel work through staffing agency AV Professional Services.
Alinne Espinoza, who is listed as the registered agent for both staffing agencies, said her business is properly licensed and operates legally.
“Our company works with many different types of people that come from our local community,” she said in an email. “We work hard on a daily basis to incorporate as many people as possible into the labor market under competent, dignified and just conditions.”
Unite Here Local 11 organizer Hannah Petersen speaks with workers outside the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row.
(Suhauna Hussain / Los Angeles Times)
Outside the Skid Row shelter on a recent evening, Petersen introduced herself in Spanish to a group of migrants who had been hired at striking hotels. Several pushed strollers. Young children crowded around their parents, one sucking a green lollipop.
“My name is Hannah,” she said to the group. “The union is out there fighting for the rights of immigrant workers.”
Many migrants living at the shelter had told her they wanted permanent jobs, she explained, and so that day she and other organizers would be gathering information to help them create their resumes.
Some of the shelter’s residents approached the organizers, who were armed with clipboards, and fielded questions about the migrants’ work experience, scribbling their answers down. Other migrants, concerned that the organizers were working for immigration authorities, left.
Petersen, the daughter of the union’s co-president, said she first encountered homeless migrant workers Sept. 27 when she was protesting alongside Unite Here Local 11 members at Le Meridien Delfina.
Hotel housekeepers, front desk workers, cooks and other employees are seeking new contracts with higher wages and improved benefits and working conditions. The union members say they don’t earn enough to afford housing near their jobs.
But hotel operators say the union is overreaching in its demands for raises and employer support of housing initiatives unrelated to hotel operations, including a measure set for the 2024 ballot that would require hotels in Los Angeles to rent vacant rooms to homeless people. American Hotel & Lodging Assn. Chief Executive Chip Rogers called it a “dangerous demand,” citing a September poll the industry group commissioned in which 72% of respondents said they would be reluctant to book a hotel room in Los Angeles “if hotels there are forced to house homeless people next to paying guests.”
Petersen said it is hypocritical for hotels to oppose homelessness measures while employing unhoused people as replacement workers during the strike.
Keith Grossman, an attorney representing a group of more than 40 Southern California hotel owners and operators in negotiations with Unite Here Local 11, said in an email that hotels “did not knowingly use unhoused individuals, if they even did so.”
“I do wonder how a hotel is supposed to know whether a person is homeless if they list an address and show up bathed and clean and sober?” he said. “This appears to be another red herring generated by Local 11.”
Unite Here Local 11 has previously criticized hotels’ strike-time use of Instawork, an app that matches businesses with short-term, seasonal workers in hospitality.
In July, the union filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Instawork and hotel management company Aimbridge. In one allegation, the union said the company violated federal labor law by disqualifying workers hired through the app from future work when they miss a single shift, even if they do so to participate in legally protected activity, such as respecting a strike.
Vargas, the worker hired at the Four Points hotel, was among a handful of people remaining that evening outside Union Rescue Mission. The rest had dispersed, distrustful and worried that union organizers were sent by immigration authorities. Vargas said she hoped the other residents would come around.
“I’m going to be the one who finds good work so they know it’s not a lie,” Vargas said.
