BossFeed Briefing for February 15, 2021. Last Thursday, personal finance radio host Dave Ramsey spoke out against giving people stimulus checks, stating that “if $600 or $1400 changes your life, you were pretty much screwed already." Yesterday, the state reopened indoor dining in all but 6 of WA’s 39 counties on Valentine’s Day, showing how much love restaurant workers get when it comes to decisions about health & safety. Today, the WA Senate Labor Committee holds a hearing on a bill to provide wage replacement for undocumented immigrant workers who lose their jobs (SB 5438). This Friday is the 24th anniversary of the American Federation of Musicians strike at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, which forced the cancellation of opening night for “Beauty and the Beast”. This Saturday marks the end of the first month of the Biden administration.
Three things to know this week:
Unemployed workers testified Wednesday before the WA House Labor Committee in support of an unemployment bill (HB 1487), which would add more adjudicators at ESD, set guidelines for clear communications, and require more transparent reporting. While this bill includes some positive policy measures, workers are calling on legislators to take further action to address ongoing issues at ESD, including speeding up the payment of claims, enacting a moratorium on overpayment notices, and auditing incorrect denials.
Farmers in India blockaded major roadways last week as mass nationwide protests over new farm laws continue for a seventh month. Over 250 million farmers have taken part in the protest movement, calling for the government to reverse a trio of farm laws that deregulate crop markets and make it easier for big corporations to drive down crop prices.
92% of the people incarcerated at Airway Heights Corrections Center near Spokane have tested positive for COVID-19. The positive test rate in Spokane County as a whole since December 1st is just 3.4%.
Two things to ask:
What do you get when you cross a Roomba with a refrigerator? Gig food delivery company DoorDash has acquired salad-making robotics start-up Chowbotics, a company best known for designing a vending machine-style salad robot named Sally. The robot reportedly removes the “human element” from food prep, something DoorDash has otherwise attempted by treating human delivery workers inhumanely.
Was anyone holding their breath? Jan Hatzius, top economist at investment banking firm Goldman Sachs, has released his analysis of the proposed $15/hr federal minimum wage: he says a smaller wage increase for workers would be “more politically realistic.” In related news, Goldman Sachs partners like Hatzius make at least $950,000/year—that’s $450/hr—in base salary before lavish bonuses, which are regularly in the millions.
And one thing that's worth a closer look:
Tech billionaire and brand-new WA resident Orion Hindawi is terrified by all the tax talk happening during this year’s legislative session, telling GeekWire that the mere conversation about raising taxes on WA’s wealthiest humans creates a “hostile business environment.” Despite his dire warnings about hostile climates, Hindawi actually moved his company from San Francisco to Seattle’s climate just three months ago, and he notes that tax policy had nothing to do with his decision to relocate the business. It can be healthy to confront your fears head-on, so we applaud Hindawi for finally having the courage to name his Fear of Words publicly—and after all, Words are especially frightening when you discover you’ve moved to a state where Words threaten to be combined with Action to redistribute wealth and ensure billionaires pay their fair share of taxes.
Read this far?
Consider yourself briefed, boss.
Let us know what you think about this week's look at the world of work, wages, and inequality!