Health care workers strike for safe staffing, fair pay and benefits
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson…it’s WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH>>>> ROUGHLY TWO THOUSAND KAISER WORKERS ARE STRIKING
More on WHAT THEY’RE ASKING FOR next. But first... the headlines….
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A JUST RELEASED SURVEY REVEALS THAT MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF STUDENTS ATTENDING A SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY COLLEGE STRUGGLE WITH HOUSING OR FOOD INSECURITY
ALMOST FOUR THOUSAND STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO TOOK THE 2025 REAL COLLEGE SURVEY
THE SURVEY FOUND THAT ABOUT FORTY-FOUR PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS WERE UNCERTAIN IF THEY COULD FIND NUTRITIONAL FOOD
WITH ALMOST SIXTY PERCENT SAYING THEY EITHER COULDN’T AFFORD TO PAY RENT OR HAVE TO MOVE FREQUENTLY
DISTRICT LEADERS RESPONDED BY SHARING AVAILABLE RESOURCES
CITY COLLEGE, MESA COLLEGE, MIRAMAR COLLEGE AND SAN DIEGO COLLEGE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION ALL HAVE FOOD PANTRIES AMONG OTHER RESOURCES, FOR STUDENTS IN NEED
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IF YOU NEED A FLU SHOT YOU CAN GET IT FOR FREE AT A COUNTY EVENT TOMORROW.
IT WILL BE HELD AT THE OAK PARK LIBRARY BRANCH FROM NOON TO 5 P.M.
YOU CAN WALK IN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT AND RECEIVE A FLU SHOT REGARDLESS OF ADDRESS OR INSURANCE STATUS
UP TO 200 DOSES OF THE VACCINE WILL BE AVAILABLE
LAST SEASON THE COUNTY RECORDED NEARLY 40 THOUSAND CASES OF THE FLU AND IN THIS CURRENT SEASON THERE HAVE BEEN TWO DEATHS FROM THE FLU IN THE COUNTY
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THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS SAYING TO EXPECT STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE DAY INTO EVENING
THE CURRENT STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN CLEARING OUT TONIGHT AND ITS EXPECTED TO BEGIN WARMING UP ON FRIDAY
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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AN ESTIMATED 2,000 HEALTH CARE WORKERS WALKED OFF THE JOB YESTERDAY MORNING AT KAISER FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO SAYS NURSES, PHARMACISTS, AND OTHER FRONTLINE STAFF ARE DEMANDING SAFE STAFFING, FAIR PAY AND BENEFITS.
KAISERSTRIKE 1 hdm :56 SOQ
Outside Kaiser Permanente’s San Diego Medical Center, union nurses and health professionals line the sidewalks. Bracing against the wind, signs in hand.
"We all have one goal. And our goal is to take care of our patients and to do it safely."
Kaiser pharmacist Neda Moghaddam says that means having enough staff and support.
"We ask for training, we ask for bodies. "
She says now is the time to fight because four years ago:
"Everybody was so burnt out from the long hours of taking care of Covid patients."
Kaiser says its latest proposal balances fair pay with keeping costs manageable for patients. It’s bringing in temporary licensed staff to maintain care and calls the strike “unnecessary and disruptive.”
The strike is scheduled to run through Sunday. Both sides say they are continuing negotiations.
Heidi de Marco, KPBS News
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NORTHEAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS BECOMING A BATTLEGROUND IN THE NATIONWIDE FIGHT OVER CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AND CONTROL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. BALLOTS ARE OUT NOW FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION THAT COULD CHANGE SEVERAL DISTRICTS IN CALIFORNIA TO GIVE DEMOCRATS THE ADVANTAGE.
REPORTER JAKE GOTTA SPOKE TO ACTIVISTS ON THE GROUND IN THE DISTRICT.
REDISTRICTING (jg) TRT 3:41 SOQ
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*Knock knock knock*
ANDY MCNEW IS SPENDING HER WEEKENDS KNOCKING ON DOORS AND TALKING TO VOTERS.
“Hi Catherine, my name's Andi. I'm a volunteer with the San Diego County Democratic Party, and we're out here talking to voters about the upcoming special election. You know about it? Okay!...” -Andi McNew
SHE’S EXPLAINING PROP 50. IT ASKS CALIFORNIA VOTERS TO APPROVE NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS BEFORE THE 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS.
THE NEW MAPS WOULD TARGET REPUBLICAN HELD CONGRESSIONAL SEATS. GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID THIS IS IN RE SPONSE TO REPUBLICANS IN TEXAS REDRAWING THEIR MAPS TO TARGET DEMOCRATS.
IN SAN DIEGO’S NORTH COUNTY, IT WOULD RESHAPE THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE. MANY PEOPLE THERE FEEL LEFT BEHIND BY BOTH MAJOR PARTIES
AND ITS LEADING TO INVESTMENT IN PLACES THAT ACTIVISTS SAY HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR A LONG TIME.
“My name is Andi. I am a volunteer with the San Diego County Democratic Party-”
“Oh I'm going to vote yes on that.”
“You're going to vote yes? Okay. Can I leave this for you?
FOUR OUT OF SAN DIEGO’S FIVE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS ARE HELD BY DEMOCRATS
BUT IN THE RURAL NORTHEAST, REPUBLICANS HAVE A WINNING STREAK THAT SPANS TWO DECADES.
THE CURRENT MAP GIVES REPUBLICANS A DOUBLE DIGIT ADVANTAGE IN THE 48TH DISTRICT IN THIS AREA
CONGRESSMAN DARRELL ISSA, WHO HAS REPRESENTED SOME PART OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR MOST OF THE PAST 25 YEARS, WON EASILY LAST YEAR
BUT THESE NEIGHBORHOODS AREN’T AS RED AS SOME MIGHT THINK
“When people find out that they actually have Democrats or like minded people as their neighbors, they’re surprised, because while the MAGA people are loud with their flags and stuff, you know, it kind of keeps, keeps Democrats afraid and, and scared. And they shouldn't be scared.” - Andi McNew
SHE SAYS MANY PEOPLE SEEM READY FOR A CHANCE AT NEW REPRESENTATION
“So do you run into anybody who's like, a big fan of Darrell Issa? Like, I like Darrell Issa, I don’t want him to go away?” – Jake
“No. (laughs) Even the Republicans I talk to aren’t big fans of Darrell Issa. They just vote for their team.”
MEANWHILE, IN THE RURAL FALLBROOK AREA, ORGANIZERS ARE ALSO TRYING TO REACH VOTERS.
JULIE MARTINEZ IS AN ORGANIZER WITH THE FALLBROOK DEMOCRATIC CLUB. SHE SAYS PROP 50 IS GIVING DEMOCRATS HOPE.
So if we– we actually, with Prop 50, have the opportunity to have representation in North County by a Democrat. And it's not just a Democrat, it's somebody who will be who will respond to the community.” – Julie Diaz Martinez
SHE’S HELPED WIN ELECTIONS IN PLACES THAT YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT. SHE SAYS THAT’S BECAUSE OF HOW THEY REACH VOTERS. AND ONE WAY IS BY SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE
“50% of our Democratic, base here is of Hispanic and or indigenous. So maybe in the past they may not their needs and their wants and their voices have not been addressed. But Fallbrook Democratic Club is working to change that.” – Julie
“Julie, Diaz Martinez, our organizer here, is one of the best in the county. She is really putting a lot of efforts into the Latino community, particularly the Spanish speaking Latino community. So she was very insistent that we make sure as a county party that we are, we are producing our lit in both English and Spanish and also other languages as well.” Will Rodriguez Kennedy, SD County Dem Party
WILL RODRIGUEZ KENNEDY IS THE NEW CHAIR OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY. HE SAYS THE ITS ALL ABOUT REACHING ALL VOTERS EVERYWHERE IN THE COUNTY.
“it shows those voters that we're actually thinking about them. So we're not it's not just, you know, we come in with our English Lit and they just happen to be there. We're actually intentionally reaching out to them.”
“And we do get, a lot of thank yous. We get people telling us that in the entire 20 years or so that they've lived in this community, no one has ever given them any, any voter information in their native language of Spanish. So I see that as a huge success.” - Julie
WHEN PROP 50 IS DECIDED IT COULD GIVE DEMOCRATS AN UPPER HAND IN PLACES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN REPUBLICAN STRONGHOLDS
BUT FOR NOW, ITS SHOWING THAT NOWHERE IS QUITE AS BLACK AND WHITE – OR BLUE AND RED – AS WE MIGHT THINK.
JAKE GOTTA, KPBS NEWS.
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A NEW STATE LAW MEANS MORE HOUSING CAN BE BUILT ACROSS SAN DIEGO.
SB 79 WILL ALLOW DENSE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN A HALF MILE OF SOME TRANSIT STATIONS
IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, THAT INCLUDES THE TROLLEY SYSTEM, THE SPRINTER AND JUST A FEW RAPID BUS STOPS.
NICOLE CAPRETZ (CAP-ritz) FROM CLIMATE ACTION CAMPAIGN HAS THIS TO SAY ABOUT IT …
SB79 2A 0:07
It's one of the best climate solutions we have, which is to build housing near transit, so people don't have to drive so much.
THE NEW LAW WILL GO INTO EFFECT NEXT YEAR.
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YESTERDAY (TUESDAY), THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR ANNOUNCED THE THEME FOR NEXT YEAR’S FAIR … “ONCE UPON A FAIR.”
IT’S A CELEBRATION OF THE JOYS OF READING.
AT THE SAME TIME, FAIR ORGANIZERS CLOSED THE BOOK ON THE 2025 FAIR …WITH A STORY OF LOWER REVENUES… AND LOWER ATTENDANCE FOR SOME EVENTS.
FAIR SPOKESMAN TRISTAN HALLMAN SAYS PART OF THE REASON WAS THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT RAMP-UP A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE FAIR BEGAN.
DM22ND 2A (0:13)
“We knew that there was a real fear about some people being in crowds and being out in public and in these kinds of events. At the time when there was heavy federal law enforcement action going on, not just here, but in Los Angeles as well.”
HE SAYS GRANDSTAND CONCERTS FEATURING HISPANICS HAD ABOUT HALF THE EXPECTED ATTENDANCE.
FAIR STAFF HAD PROJECTED A NET PROFIT OF 12 MILLION DOLLARS … THE ACTUAL REVENUE WAS AROUND 10-POINT-1 MILLION.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
