7/23 COVID-19 Update
We hosted a forum for the Honolulu Prosecutor’s race candidates. Watch the full recording here: www.facebook.com/uniteherehawaii/live
Take Action: Call 415-763-5949 and tell the Senate to pass the HEROES Act today to extend the $600 unemployment checks past July 31, protect healthcare and so much more.
News:
Hotel Union Unite Here Says Mask Mandates Aren’t Enough for Worker Safety – Skift.
– Excerpt: “Unite Here’s cleanliness demands are about raising U.S. and Canadian hotel cleaning standards to those in Asian markets like China and Singapore, [D.] Taylor said. ‘Haven’t we learned already about what happens if you cut corners and don’t do the kind of cleaning we’re advocating?’ he added in reference to the rising case count in the U.S.”
Hawaii Reports Record 55 COVID-19 Cases In One Day – Honolulu Civil Beat.
Union [construction] Labor Now Required On Big Honolulu Public Works Jobs – Honolulu Civil Beat.
– Excerpt: “Manahan said he backed the idea because unions stand between workers and ‘unscrupulous’ employers. ‘I really believe in what unions do,’ he said.”
U.S. Hotels Push Hard for Industry-Specific Relief Fund From Congress – Skift.
– The American Hotel & Lodging Association is lobbying for the next relief package to include more PPP money for hotel companies, a relief fund for CMBS loans, tax incentives for abiding by AHLA’s safety protocols and liability protections for hotels against coronavirus exposure lawsuits.
Landlords jump the gun as eviction moratorium wanes – The New York Times.
– Excerpt: “As the number of Covid-19 cases has surged across the country, a disturbing trend has emerged: landlords commencing eviction proceedings even though the coronavirus relief law known as the CARES Act currently protects about 12 million tenants living in qualifying properties.”
AP Exclusive: Migrant Kids Held in US Hotels, Then Expelled – Associated Press.
– The three hotels were all Hampton Inns. Hampton Inn is a Hilton brand, but Hilton does not own or operate any of those three hotels.
To Fight Racial Inequality, We Have to Attack the Power of Corporations – Jacobin.
– Excerpt: “Blackstone’s very business model turbocharged racial inequality: First, snatch up foreclosed homes in black neighborhoods (in the process driving up housing prices and making it harder for families looking to buy their first house). Second, lease them out while jacking up the rent (and skimping out on repairs). Third, hit tenants with late fees and evictions when they can’t keep up with the inflated rents.”
– Excerpt: “Airline staff members were exposed at the training session where ‘physical distancing was not practiced and masks were optional,’ according to the state Department of Health. Those employees then exposed eight household members who tested positive. An infected person who attended the training session sparked outbreaks at two Oahu gyms with 20 positive cases, the DOH said.”
