Next Issue - July 7

Safe Ag and Safe Schools and others lobby in Sacramento to support AB 652, a bill that would establish an Environmental Justice Advisory committee in California. Watch the video if interested.

Safe Ag Safe Schools Report on Pesticide Reform

By YANELY MARTINEZ AND MARK WELLER

Some quick news about pesticide reform from Safe Ag Safe Schools. We flooded the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) with public comments to rewrite its racist 1,3-D regulation proposal. Thousands of California residents sent letters, emailed, and spoke during oral comments on zoom before the official comment period closed on May 31. More than 99.5% of these comments called on DPR to make a regulation to keep 1,3-D air concentrations below the state cancer warning level set by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of 0.04 parts per billion. DPR has proposed a regulation targeting 0.56 ppb – allowing for 14 times more 1,3-D in the air than OEHHA scientists say is safe in communities that are disproportionately Latino and Indigenous. DPR has been ordered by the courts to issue its final regulation by Sept. 15, 2023.

Our bill for an Environmental Justice Advisory Committee within DPR, AB 652, passed the State Assembly! SASS members have lobbied on zoom and even traveled up to Sacramento by the van-load to call on our State officials to support this important bill to give voice to farm worker communities like ours. Assemblymember Pellerin co-authored AB 652 and Assemblymembers Rivas and Addis also voted for it as the bill succeeded in the Assembly. Now AB 652 moves to the Senate, where we will need – and push for -- Senator Laird’s and Caballero’s support. Please checkout our AB 652 toolkit to help us push through the Senate and on to the Governor’s desk.

We met with Supervisors in both Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties about local pesticide reforms: SASS members called on Monterey County Supervisors Church, Alejo, and Lopez, as well as Santa Cruz County Supervisors Cummings and Hernandez, to discuss with our new Ag Commissioners (Juan Hidalgo in Monterey; David Sanford in Santa Cruz) prioritizing public health and organic-regenerative agriculture; expanding pesticide buffer zones around schools and daycares; participating in the second round of DPR’s pilot pesticide notification program, as long as the exact location of the application is included; and immediately web-posting the notices of intent to apply 1,3-D in real time. We’ll keep meeting the other Supervisors through the summer.

Also, SASS members met with the new Monterey Ag Commissioner, Juan Hidalgo. He agreed to restart the 10-school fumigant notification system, which had broken down, but only agreed to continue discussion on other items.

Safe Ag Safe Schools was honored at the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council Annual Awards Dinner with the "Community Friend of Labor" Award.

AI - It's All About Attribution

By SARAH RINGLER

Since so many issues are at stake with the proliferation of ArtificiaI Intelligence (AI) generated content, like truth, safety, health, reliability, transparency and credibility, I would recommend that our government proceed carefully and develop laws that encompass already existing legal rights and protections. All creative material from writers, artists, and scientists fall under existing trademark and copyright law. Identifying or signing one's name ensures ownership. It also tells the reader the source of a work and creates accountability.

Too often, technology runs over existing laws and protections in search of growth and profit. Even in the general public, use of photographs, text and images often go without attribution and/or compensation. The latest outrageous misuse of AI reported on by Sarah Merken of Reuters, was by lawyer Steven Schwartz who used OpenAI's ChatGPT to create a defense he used for his client's personal injury case against Avianca Airlines. The AI-generated legal brief cited totally made up cases that was revealed when Avianca lawyers investigated them and found them to be nonexistent. Government needs to ensure these things don't happen in the first place.

People’s creative products, regardless of the area of study, are often covered by their signature or copyright. Anyone who uses part or all of existed copyrighted material in their own work, especially if they are paid, needs to give attribution, credit and/or payment. Any infringement could result in a lawsuit, expulsion from school or sanctions, which is what happened to Schwartz who, with his law firm and co-attorneys, each had to pay a $5,000 fine as well as notify each judge in the brief who had been falsely identified in the fake cases. (Dan Mangan of CNBC)

The European Union is currently proposing some regulations, one being to require all AI generated content to be labeled as such. I support that. Knowing that some content comes from AI gives forewarning that the information could be unreliable. I would also suggest that any AI generated material identify its sources and all the individuals behind the sources.

Some in the tech crowd have already complained that would be too much work. OpenAI has lobbied the EU to weaken the proposed legislation. But, we also know they vigorously and aggressively protect their own intellectual property rights without regard to the time and expense involved. Just search "tech sues tech" to get a multitude of examples.

It would be great if our government stood up now at this stage of the current onslaught before they are indignantly and pathetically wringing their hands in frustration when the ship has proverbially already sailed. I believe all of us need to weigh in with our representatives now.

If you are a producer of creative work, you can copyright your work like this: Copyright © 2023 by Your Name. It is not necessary but it reminds the user that you are aware of your rights. Copyright notice was no longer required in work after March 1, 1989. To read more, click HERE.

Support Day Worker Center and Celebrate Mexican American Culture

By SARAH RINGLER

June 23, 7pm, John Leopold and DJ Juan Antonio Cuellar will present the Frontera Collection by the Arhoolie Foundation, a singular collection of songs, videos, and photos in a lively event to benefit the Day Worker Center. The event will be held at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 612 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz. Click HERE for tickets.

The purpose of the Day Worker Center is to help day laborers in Santa Cruz County secure safe employment, develop job skills, improve wages, and become more fully engaged members of our community. The center facilitates the employment of day laborers in a safe hiring hall and through an organized and dignified process. Besides providing a location for potential employers to reach workers by phone or email during center's hours of operation, the center reaches out to day workers who would normally be soliciting work on the streets. The center informs them about their services which provide secure, safe employment, develops job skills, improves wages, and helps workers become more fully engaged members of our community.

You can arrange to have work done anytime. Reliable, screened workers can help you with a variety of tasks including gardening, moving, cleaning, painting, building, hauling, clean-outs and more. The Day Worker Center of Santa Cruz County supports the day laborer population and contributes to our community in many ways. It is conveniently located at 501 Soquel Ave., Suite F, Santa Cruz. To arrange for help, call 831-475-9675 (831 475-WORK).

Demand Humane Animal Shelters in SC County

By SEIU 521

The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) serving the County of Santa Cruz, and cities of Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville, and Capitola. As workers, we provide a safe haven to neglected, abused, abandoned and mistreated animals across the region and lead in fostering animals for their forever homes. 

The County of Santa Cruz and Animal Services (JPA) management continues to mismanage funds by providing large hiring bonuses, high annual salaries, increases and incentives to managers, rather than hiring the staffing support needed to maintain programs and deliver services to animals in need. When the County cannot properly budget and manage Animal Services they refuse our Community's commitment to humane treatment of mistreated animals, workers, and the community of families the shelter system supports.

We, as workers at the facilities, urge the JPA Board to save the programs that provide support to our community and the animals that live in it by: 

1) Obtaining the necessary resources to preserve animal welfare and properly run and fund County shelters,

2) Hire enough workers to control the shelter population which is already at overcapacity,

3) aligning JPA pay structure with the rest of county employees.

If you agree, add your name to our petition today by clicking HERE. 

Take Back Your Right to Vote on Height And Increase Affordable Housing

By KERESHA DURHAM

Housing For People - Not For Unaffordable Towers needs your help to collect signatures to get this on the ballot. The majority of people we petition are unaware and outraged at the city plans. If you live in the county, you will be impacted by these plans and can help collect signatures.

Pick up petitions any day of the week at 227 Felix Street (near Santa Cruz High). Sign up to walk a neighborhood with new and old friends! Contact us HERE and reply with "YES" to get a petition or go to our website: HousingForPeople.org

Photo by TARMO HANNULA 

A mockingbird versus crow battle that has regularly occurred outside our bedroom window this spring.

Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report - The last 2 week's rise in Rt number indicates increase in virus spread

By SARAH RINGLER

The California Department of Public Health now reports on Covid-19 for The Santa Cruz County Health Department. They regularly release data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county. There have been no new deaths in the county since Dec. 15. Since cases are still appearing, and there are still vulnerable people, I will continue reporting the graphs below.

The three graphs below give a picture of what is happening currently. The first graph below shows the Rt Number. Numbers above one show the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing.

The second graph below shows data that the Health Department collects for Covid from wastewater at the City Influent, for the city of Santa Cruz, and from the Lode Street pump stations for the county.

The third graph below shows hospitalizations. Click to see more information on hospitalizations HERE.



The vaccination data for the county has stayed fairly constant increasing very little over time. Go HERE for new information on vaccination records, treatments, vaccines, tests, safety in the workplace and more.

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Fashion Street - Statues in downtown Riverside, a few blocks from The Cheech, a not to be missed museum that holds the world's foremost collection of Chicano art by comedian Cheech Marin.

Labor History Calendar - June 23 - July 7, 2023

a.k.a Know Your History Lest We Forget

June 23, 1947: Anti-worker Taft-Haryley act passed by Congress.

June 24, 1848: Birth of Albert Parsons, Haymarket martyr.

June 24, 1917: IWW Domestic Workers Union supplies sandwiches to draft resisters in Duluth, Minnesota jail. 

June 25, 1994: Decatur, Illinois police pepper-gas workers at A.E. Staley plant gate. 

June 25, 2018: General strike against austerity in Argentina.

June 25, 2022: 3^rd UK rail strike fights frozen wages and inadequate staffing.

June 26, 1894: ARU refuses to handle Pullman cars in solidarity with strikers who built them.

June 26, 1917: Copper bosses reject Bisbee, Arizona miners’ demands sparking IWW strike the next day.

June 27, 1869: Emma Goldman born.

June 27, 1905: Industrial Workers of the World founding convention begins in Chicago.

June 27, 1993: A.E. Staley locks out 763 workers at their Decatur, Illinois plant.

June 28, 1816: Luddites smash 53 looms frames at Heathcoat & Boden Mill in Loughborough, England. Troops crush the rebellion execution six. 

June 29, 1936: IWW strikes Weyerhauser and other Idaho lumber camps. 

June 29, 1956: General strike in Poland.’

June 29, 1996: 1,200 prisoners in Tripoli’s Abu Salim jail massacred in revenge for protesting jail conditions in Libya.

June 30, 1892: Homestead strike begins.

June 30, 1912: Maritime workers strike East Coast steamship lines; union scabbing leads many to join IWW.

June 30, 1919: Canadian government raids union.

June 30, 2011: 200,000 strike against UK cuts to public worker pension.  

July 1, 1922: One million railway shopmen strike across the U.S.

July 1, 1992: Police fire on labor protest, kill 20 in Madhya Pradesh, India.

July 2, 1894: Federal injunction issued against Pullman strike.

July 2, 1986: 2-day General Strike protests military rule in Chile.

July 3, 1835: Children of Paterson, NJ strike for six-day week, 11-hour day.

July 3, 2021: Workers defy gov’t ban, march for end to temporary jobs and unsafe conditions. KCTU president jailed in Seoul, Korea.

July 4, 1994: Nigerian oil workers strike for restoration of democracy, leads to general strike. 

July 5, 1888: 1,400 women strike at Bryant and May march in solidarity with fellow workers sacked for criticizing conditions, win in London. 

July 5, 1934: Battle of Rincon Hill, San Francisco, in longshoreman strike. 

July 5, 1935: National Labor Relations Act passes Congress.

July 6, 1892: Strikers battle Pinkertons in Homestead, Pennsylvania.

July 6, 1911: Joe Hill’s “The Preacher and the Slave” first appears in IWW’s Little Red Songbook.

July 6, 1916: IWW dock striker Thomas Kenney killed by scab in Philadelphia. 

Labor History Calendar has been published yearly by the Hungarian Literature Fund since 1985.

"Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping sandwiches all over your body."

George Carlin

Photo by TARMO HANNULA

Prosciutto, Parmesan and Pasta

By SARAH RINGLER 

Butter, Parmesan cheese and crispy prosciutto - a rich and salty combo – would probably go well, even on cardboard, but definitely goes well with fresh pasta. Serve with a salad and this is an easy dinner for two. This recipe is from a cookbook, “American Sfoglino,” written by Evan Funke, the chef and partner of the Felix Trattoria in Venice, CA. He is very enthusiastic about making pasta completely by hand, so much so that I tried it myself after giving up many years ago. I should know by now to leave these things to the experts; it was too dry and rubbery - again. 

​Giorgio Franchetti, a food historian, reveals in his book, “Dining With the Ancient Romans,” that the Greeks and Romans ate pasta way before Marco Polo came back from Asia in the 1200s. “It’s pure nonsense,” he says. “The noodles that Marco Polo maybe brought back with him at the end of the 1200s from China were essentially made with rice and based on a different, oriental culinary tradition that has nothing to do with ours.”

​Even though Italian and Chinese noodles and pasta developed separately, they share similar cooking styles. Prepare all the ingredients first, then jump into a fury of boiling and frying that can be stressful. Sometimes it’s hard to relax when it’s time to eat. A nice glass of white wine helps.

​

Pasta Tagliatelle with prosciutto and butter 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2-3 ounces prosciutto, torn into bite size pieces

Kosher salt 

Black pepper

¾ pound fresh tagliatelle pasta, or ½ pound dried fettuccine

½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving

​Tear prosciutto into bite sized bits. Grate the cheese and have the fresh or dry pasta ready to cook. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. 

​

Heat a frying pan that is large enough to hold all the cooked pasta and the prosciutto, over medium high heat. Add the butter and melt until it becomes frothy and golden in about 1 minute. When it is frothy, add half of the prosciutto in one layer. Cook until crisp in about 2-4 minutes. Transfer cooked prosciutto on to a paper towel. Cook the remaining prosciutto but when done, remove the pan from the burner and leaving the rest of the prosciutto in the pan.

​Season boiling water lightly with salt. When the salt dissolves, add the fresh tagliatelle and cook until “toothsome” and slightly undercooked for about 2-4 minutes or according to the package. Cook longer if you are using dried pasta. When done, do not drain the pasta.

​Just before the pasta is ready, return the frying pan to the stove and heat the remaining cooked prosciutto over medium heat. Using a slotted pasta fork or tongs, transfer the pasta into the frying pan. Working quickly, add ½ cup of the cheese and ¼ cup of pasta water. Swirl the pan vigorously and stir the pasta with a wooden spoon to thicken and combine the liquid and pasta. Sauce should become silky in about a minute. Pour the pasta into a large serving bowl, add the remaining prosciutto, grate some black pepper and serve with more Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

Welcome to Serf City Times Our county has problems and many people feel left out. Housing affordability, racism and low wages are the most obvious factors. However, many groups and individuals in Santa Cruz County work tirelessly to make our county a better place for everyone. These people work on the environment, housing, economic justice, health, criminal justice, disability rights, immigrant rights, racial justice, transportation, workers’ rights, education reform, gender issues, equity issues, electoral politics and more. Often, one group doesn’t know what another is doing. The Serf City Times is dedicated to serving as a clearinghouse for those issues by letting you know what is going on, what actions you can take and how you can support these groups.This is a self-funded enterprise and all work is volunteer. 

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