Living Wage Test in Ventura

[ Excerpt from: "Laundry workers press county to back protest," By Tony Biasotti, VENTURA COUNTY STAR, September 26, 2007 ]


A strike by laundry workers could leave Ventura County employees without clean uniforms, as well as test a county ordinance that aims to guarantee a "living wage" at companies that contract with the county.

Union employees at Prudential Overall Supply are on strike up and down the state, demanding better wages and working conditions. They also have accused their employer of labor law violations.

Prudential cleans uniforms, lab coats, towels, mops and other equipment for Ventura County agencies at company locations in Moorpark and Van Nuys. There are about 200 county workers who wear the uniforms, and the contract totals about $120,000 a year.

Strikes have been authorized at every Prudential plant but are being carried out gradually. There have been no interruptions so far in service to Ventura County, but the county could find its orders delayed or even unfilled if the strike continues.

In the meantime, the county is taking a "wait-and-see approach" on talks for a new contract with Prudential because of the uncertainty in its labor situation, said Rosa Ceniceros, a procurement manager with the county. Prudential's current contract expires at the end of October, she said.

On Tuesday, about 15 union members and a handful of organizers addressed the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, asking them to pressure Prudential's owners to offer a more generous contract. If that doesn't happen, the county should consider dropping its business with Prudential, they said...

Not a single union worker in the Van Nuys plant makes the $11 an hour wage that the county has set as its minimum "living wage" for businesses that contract to provide services, said Brian Callaci, an analyst with Unite Here, the union representing Prudential workers.

However, the living wage applies only to "services," and the county considers Prudential a provider of "goods" instead, because the company actually owns the uniforms and supplies and rents them to the county.

The living wage also doesn't apply because companies are allowed to pay less if they negotiate their wages with a union, as Prudential does.

Das Williams, a Santa Barbara city councilman and activist on behalf of living wage laws, told the board that it should strengthen the county's law so that it applies to Prudential.

"This is a good example of a company who's flouting the living wage laws," he said.

Other cities and counties that do business with Prudential have different living wage laws. The city of San Diego recently announced that it would terminate its contract with Prudential because of low wages, and other cities are investigating their contracts, Callaci said.

The supervisors took no action on the matter Tuesday but said they may revisit it at a future meeting.

Wal-Mart in Ventura?

[ Excerpt from "Wal-Mart debate rolls back in Ventura - Opponents of big box stores gather as city council elections loom" By Matthew Singer, VC REPORTER, 27 September 2007 ]

Indicating that the debate over big box stores coming to Ventura is far from over, members of the Stop Wal-Mart Coalition gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Sept. 26 to discuss the still looming possibility of the controversial retail chain establishing itself along Victoria Avenue.

And with the city council election little more than a month away, opponents of the company believe the time is now to let the candidates know that the approval.

"We feel we have received good cooperation from the city in the past, but the answer we�re hearing is, �'We�d love to stop Wal-Mart, but we can�t,'"� �said Das Williams, staff person for Livable Ventura, the group that organized the meeting. �"We want to make it clear to the city that Ventura as a whole doesn�'t just want Wal-Mart stopped but it demands [the city] do something about stopping Wal-Mart, and there are legal tools in place to stop further big box development in the Victoria corridor."�

Wal-Mart, which already has stores in Oxnard and Simi Valley, first broached the idea of building an outlet at 1739 S. Victoria Ave. � a space currently occupied by Kmart � two years ago. The company�'s latest proposal is for a 150,000 square foot �supercenter,� with grass and a fountain in front of the facility and an underground parking lot beneath it...

Williams said the store would increase traffic and create more low-wage jobs while taking up space that could be used to meet Ventura�'s housing demands. He said the city could demand Wal-Mart provide housing for its employees, �at the very least.� He referred to the company as a potential �black hole to Ventura business� that would end up driving out many local, independently owned stores.

"It�'s something negative for Venturans,"� Williams said, �"not just socially but economically and environmentally."�

[Ventura city official] Cole said Wal-Mart would, under law, conduct a full environmental impact report and is committing to constructing a �green� store. Williams countered that the company has not specified what it means when it promises an eco-friendly building. Under basic Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, it could be simply �decent insulation and bike racks...

Williams said the Stop Wal-Mart Coalition will hold at least two more meetings prior to the Nov. 6 election.

Meanwhile, Cole said it has been about four months since the city heard anything new from Wal-Mart. He said it could take up to a year before any ground would be broken on a new store from the day its application is finally submitted. But he added the city has not yet taken a stance either way on the Wal-Mart issue...

Sea Otters

[ The following is from Das to SantaBarbarasBlog, published 24 September 2007 ]

Years ago, stakeholders tried fruitlessly to create a compromise agreement on the maritime territory of sea otters. North of Point Conception and at one of the Channel Islands they were to be left alone and south of Point Conception they would be removed to the “otter zone.”

The problem is, that otters do not read, and they often die when transported. That is a "take" of an endangered species, so the agencies have decided not to enforce the unenforceable "no otter policy." What the Council did at my request was revise our previous policy, which supported a failed, unenforceable (kind of difficult to keep the otters north of Point Conception), and cruel (the policy resulted in many deaths and disappearances) policy. Of course this earned me the enduring hatred of many urchin fishermen, who believe that somehow government can prevent the otter’s return to Santa Barbara.

I say we should embrace the economic and environmental opportunities presented by the otter’s return. They will eat a lot of urchins, and that will impact that fishery, but urchins have decimated kelp forests and the otter’s return may increase the size of kelp forests which also increase the number of other fish species that people once fished in decent numbers. The economic benefit of otters on a town like Monterrey is also very significant financially. Besides, their impact to the urchin fishery may not be devastating in the near term because it is largely males heading south during the female’s season to raise pups, an adaptation to prevent the males competing with the pups for food, so it is for now seasonal trips into our waters.

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To read the original post and comments made to it, please visit:
SBB: Das Williams... On Sea Otters

Arts Funding

[ Excerpt from "Council approves art funding," BY ERIC LINDBERG, DAILY SOUND, 19 September 2007 ]


Santa Barbara city leaders approved more than $264,00 in grants for local arts programs at yesterday’s City Council meeting.

Seventy organizations requested nearly $850,000 in funding and the Arts Advisory Committee earmarked money for all but five of those requests. The City Council unanimously approved the committee’s recommendations.

“It’s an incredible amount of good work going on in the community,” Councilmember Das Williams said.

The grants are divided into three categories: Community Arts Grants, Organizational Development Grants, and Community Events and Festivals. Williams said funding local arts initiatives is part of the overall strategy to reduce violence.

Ginny Brush, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, agreed with Williams, saying, “We noticed there was an increase in requests for funds directed at programs for youth.”

Award totals ranged from $1,000 — for Angels Bearing Gifts, an exhibition at Faulkner Gallery during the holiday season featuring art created by artists with special needs — to $24,000 — for the Lobero Theatre Foundation to market the Jazz Season, Guitar Series, Voices of a Generation and other events.

Daily Kos DAS Profile

The Daily Kos has a candidate profile up on Das, along with comments and links from readers at:

Daily Kos: Das Williams

Democrats Endorse Encumbents

[ Excerpt from: "Democrats Endorse City Council Candidates," SB INDEPENDENT, September 13, 2007 ]


The Santa Barbara Democratic Party has officially endorsed the three incumbents for the upcoming Santa Barbara City Council race. Das Williams, Brian Barnwell, and Helene Schneider each received the nod for their "valuable skills and passions to local government." The party also endorsed Measure A, saying the measure is "likely" to boost voter participation in city elections by more than 70 percent.

Campaign 2007 Fundraising 1

[ Excerpt from "By the Numbers: Incumbents, Candidates and the City Council Election," by Nick Welsh, SB INDEPENDENT, September 12, 2007 ]


Of the three City Council incumbents running for re-election, Helene Schneider starts the race with the most money left in her campaign piggy bank: $15,000. Following close behind is Das Williams with $9,500 and Brain Barnwell $5,500.

Both Barnwell and Williams received big union donations; the police union gave Barnwell $2,500, and Williams $5,000. Williams also got $1,000 from the city fire fighters union. These numbers don’t reflect the donations Williams and Schneider received at a fundraising party held in their honor by attorneys Ron and Lori Perry. The party was held on Sept. 9 (9/9), Schneider explained, and the idea behind it was to get 99 people to attend and give $99 a pop. It turns out the event drew less than 99 people and not everyone gave the asking amount.

Schneider and Williams took some heat because $99 is the legal maximum that anyone can give without having their names listed on a campaign finance disclosure statement. Schneider denied there was any intent to violate the spirit of campaign finance law. Meanwhile, it appears the incumbents will be facing a slate of opponents: challengers Dale Francisco, Michelle Giddens, and David Hotchkiss. They may be getting a financial shot in the arm from real estate entrepreneur Jerry Beaver, who will use the organization he formed to fight the Light Blue Line project to bankroll those challenging the incumbents.

State Senate - 19th District

Although it is mostly a spotlight on Jim Dantona, VENTURA COUNTY REPORTER's cover story of 13 September 2007 ellaborates on the race and the possibility of Hanna-Beth Jackson also running. Das is quoted several times, mostly in his capacity as a legislative analyst for the Central Coast Alliance United For A Sustainable Economy. To read please go to:

VCR: Dantona Steps In

Marine Life Protection

From LuluBlue:

"I am posting a copy of an e-mail I've sent to Mr. Das Williams, a good guy on the City Council.


"Dear Mr. Williams,

"I hope things are good for you! You do a fine job on the City Council. I am concerned about recent reports of visitors to our beaches mistreating and disturbing marine life. In particular, someone on a jet-ski was reportedly seen (by more than 2 people in different locations) 'skiing' in, through, and over the huge group of dolphins. I love watching the dolphins go west in the morning and east around sundown and often go to the wharf or beach just to watch them.

"Also, 2 people were seen playing "catch" with a jellyfish. I don't know if the poor creature was dead or alive and I can only assume that if it were alive the 2 people were stung. It was probably dead.

"Can we possibly put word out to visitors (and college kids) to stay away from these animals? Maybe jet-ski renters could sign a 'contract' to not cruise over living things in the ocean. Perhaps a public information campaign is called for.

"Being a 40 year + resident of Santa Barbara, I am not happy about the changes that have taken place in the last 15 or 20 years that have brought more residents and tourists. It's too crowded and the quality of life and peace around the beaches has slipped away, worse at some times such as vacation and holiday. Public drinking seems rampant.

"The gang issue really needs some attention, too. It seems some are in denial that a problem exists. Lives are lost because of it.

"I wish you well! Thank you for the job you do!


"Blessings,


"Resident Lulublue"
Santa Barbara, CA

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Das wrote back in a separate email:

Thank you Adryen for bringing this to our attention. I have been having
conversations with john Bridley, our Waterfront Director this week about
this matter. He has convinced our tenant, who rents jetski's to make
very clear the Marine Mammal Act provisions in their trainings. That
will help with rentals. We are also figuring out if we can put up a
sign or some flyers near the boat launch, where most jetskiers take off
from. I hope this is responsive to your request and I am honored by
your words.

-- Das