Valley Industry & Commerce Association |
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- LA City Council Bypasses Ballot Process
- Not-For-Profit Matchmaking - Your Opportunity to Join a Board
- VICA Continues to Advocate Against Retail Theft
- VICA Supports the Affordable Housing & High Road Jobs Act of 2022
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“The financial impacts of PAGA have devastated businesses of all sizes in California, and we are grateful to the Court for hearing our arguments and rightfully ruling that businesses and employees should be allowed to resolve their disputes bilaterally and through arbitration, rather than through abusive, and often frivolous PAGA lawsuits.” |
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Tom Manzo
Founder & President, California Business & Industrial Alliance
Statement on the Supreme Court Viking River Cruise Decision
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LA City Council Intervenes in Voters Decision |
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This past Tuesday, the LA City Council voted to bypass two ballot measures that should have gone before the voters during the November General Election.
The first ballot measure, a healthcare minimum wage ordinance, would raise the minimum wage for workers at healthcare facilities to $25 per hour with annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index in 2024 and every year thereafter. The proposal defined “healthcare worker” as any employee at a covered healthcare facility that provides patient care, health services, or services supporting the provision of healthcare. This includes clinicians, professionals, non-professionals, nurses, certified nursing assistants, aides, technicians, maintenance workers, janitorial or housekeeping staff, groundskeepers, guards, food service workers, laundry workers, pharmacists, nonmanagerial administrative workers, or business office clerical workers, if their primary work assignment is physically located at one or more health facilities.
This arbitrary minimum wage increase would put accessible and affordable healthcare at risk at the worst possible time. Indeed, healthcare workers are heroes and have been essential to our recovery from COVID-19. In recognition to this, providers across the country have given increased benefits where financially possible and put the health and safety of their workers above all else.
Also, the vast majority of healthcare workers throughout the City of Los Angeles who work for public facilities are excluded by the measure because it only applies to private and non-profit facilities. The measure would have significant negative impacts to the ability of local healthcare providers, from our biggest hospitals to local community clinics, to adequately serve Los Angeles residents.
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Though each measure only collected about 100,000 signatures, the City Council felt threatened that over 600,000 Angelinos would have voted against each initiative, which would have been the best option to ensure our labor force is able to perform to its fullest capabilities. With the passage of both initiatives, this will cripple the Los Angeles workforce which will in turn cause a spike in labor costs. |
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VICA to Host Over 15 Non-Profits - Your Chance to Serve |
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Have you, or do you have co-workers, who have thought about a way to give back in a substantive way? Well, this is your chance! VICA's Not-For-Profit Committee is hosting an After Dark Matchmaking event. Details as follows:
Wednesday, July 13 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Hosted at New Horizons
15725 Parthenia St., North Hills, CA 91343
You may ask what rewards and opportunities you can expect from joining a nonprofit board. Here's a glimpse of what you can expect:
Maximize Your Impact
For most, although they would enjoy teaching computer skills to an elderly person or reading skills to a young child, the truth is that the unique skills they bring to their work on a nonprofit board, in areas such as creating a strategic plan or reorganizing their nonprofit’s marketing or finances, are the grease that oils the nonprofit’s engines.
Develop New Leadership Skills
There are invaluable skills you’ll acquire serving on a board. In fact, companies send their professionals for board matching because they believe board service is a powerful leadership training tool for their employees. Sitting on any board can teach you a tremendous amount.
Help Build a Business
Nonprofits have management, marketing, public relations/communications, financial, strategic planning, tech, human resources and governance issues. Diving into any of these areas – understanding the concerns and making decisions that will impact a nonprofit – offers you a chance to have a very different role than you may have in your professional life. It’s a chance to develop new capabilities and to grow.
Grow Your Network
Serving on a board is also a wonderful way to meet people and expand your network. Whether it’s making new friends or meeting new clients – board service exposes you to other high impact professionals who want to help the nonprofit community.
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Come & Meet These Amazing Not-For-Profit Organizations |
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Boys & Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley
Boys & Girls Club of San Fernando Valley
Boys and Girls Club of the West Valley
Child Resource Center
Chrysalis
El Centro De Amistad
Many Mansions
Meet Each Need with Dignity
New Horizons
San Fernando Valley Community Mental Health Center
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ONEgeneration
San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission
The Adult Skills Center
Valley InterCommunity Council
Valley Village
Verdugo Hills Council, Boy Scouts of America
Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts
of America
YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles
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VICA Continues to Advocate Against Retail Theft |
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The VICA Board has voted to support Assembly Bill 1613 (Irwin), which would expand the territorial jurisdiction in which the Attorney General can prosecute specified theft offenses and associated offenses connected in their commission to those theft offenses.
This bill would establish the jurisdiction of a criminal action brought by the Attorney General for theft, organized retail theft, or receipt of stolen property as including the county where an offense involving the theft or receipt of the stolen merchandise occurred, the county in which the merchandise was recovered, or the county where any act was done by the defendant in instigating, procuring, promoting, or aiding in the commission of the offense.
The bill would also, if multiple offenses of theft or other specified crimes all involving the same defendant or defendants and the same merchandise, or the same defendant or defendants and the same scheme or substantially similar activity, occur in multiple jurisdictions, establish that any of those jurisdictions is a proper jurisdiction for all the offenses.
The governor's crime reduction and prevention initiatives have effectively reinforced the state's response to organized retail crime in California. Building on these efforts, AB 1613 will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with the tools that are necessary to address these sophisticated retail theft rings, that are exacerbating California's supply chain and public safety issues. The cost of these crimes extends beyond financial losses by threatening physical harm to large and small business owners, workers, and customers.
Further, the bill will give a single District Attorney’s office authority over cases that cross county lines, an important legal mechanism for both dismantling these criminal networks and consolidating the prosecution into one courtroom.
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VICA Supports the Affordable Housing & High Road Jobs Act |
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The VICA Board has voted to support Assembly Bill 2011 (Wicks), which would establish the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022 (Act), to create a ministerial, streamlined approval process for 100% affordable housing in commercially zoned areas and for mixed-income housing along commercial corridors.
In California, data shows only 24% of households can afford to purchase the median priced single-family home, 50% less than the national average and 33% less than at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of renters—and 80% of low-income renters are “rent burdened,” paying more than 30% of their income toward housing. In 2020, more than 160,000 Californians experienced homelessness on a given night. In the current market, 2.2 million extremely low-income and very low-income renter households are competing for 664,000 affordable rental units. Of the six million renter households in the state, 1.7 million are paying more than 50% of their income toward rent.
This bill combines some of the best ideas advanced in the Legislature over the last several years for promoting affordable housing development with a requirement to create “high road” jobs. To effectively tackle California’s housing issues, AB 2011 creates more high paying construction jobs and leads to an increase in affordable housing units. This legislation gives Californians the opportunity to work together toward our shared goal: building more affordable housing for struggling Californians, while also growing the thriving, high-wage construction workforce every community needs.
The prevailing wage requirements and enforcement provisions in the bill would benefit workers while the housing provisions in the bill would help put those workers to work. AB 2011 will open the door to middle-class, blue-collar careers for young workers who will be able to live in, and eventually even own, the affordable housing they build. The bill would rapidly accelerate the production of affordable housing. AB 2011 will expand affordable housing opportunities for struggling families, seniors, workers, and veterans while also growing a thriving, well-paid, middle-class construction workforce. For an overall increase in the housing supply, this bill is necessary to help overcome the state’s deficit of 2.5 million housing units. By opening new sites to housing, AB 2011 will rapidly accelerate housing production at all income levels, particularly for lower income Californians.
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Click the images to learn more and apply today! |
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VICA Thanks Our Renewing Members |
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Leaders Forum with Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins
New Date
Friday, July 29 | 8:30 AM
Burbank Airport Marriott
Stephanie Wiggins, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), most recently served as Executive Director of Vendor/Contract Management for Metro. She has more than 20 years of experience working for transportation agencies.
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Local Officeholders Luncheon
Thursday, August 18 | 11:30 AM
Burbank Airport Marriott
Don't miss our Annual Local Officeholders Luncheon! Come and hear from our local elected officials and enjoy lunch and networking with fellow business leaders.
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VICA After Dark: LAFD Chief Kristen Crowley
Wednesday, August 31 | 5:30 PM
FIVE on the Hill at the Hilton Universal City
VICA After Dark is a regular evening reception designed to give VICA members and guests the opportunity to hear updates about policies impacting the business community from a featured opinion leader and network with other prominent business leaders from the community.
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Transportation Committee Meeting
Tuesday, July 12
8:30 - 10:30 AM
Hosted at The Garland
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Government Affairs Committee Meeting
Wednesday, July 20
12:00 - 2:00 PM
VICA Office
Sponsored by Dolphin Group
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Not-For-Profit Matchmaking
Wednesday, July 13
5:30 - 7:30 PM
Hosted at New Horizons
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LA Times | June 22
San Fernando Valley Business Journal | June 20
San Fernando Valley Business Journal | June 20
Los Angeles Business Journal | June 20
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LA City Elections
Congresswoman Karen Bass has pulled ahead of businessman Rick Caruso for mayor of Los Angeles, offering him an apparently tough fight in November, according to the painfully slow Los Angeles County election returns released on Tuesday, June 21.
Recession
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell sought Wednesday to reassure the public that the central bank will raise interest rates high and fast enough to quell inflation, without tightening credit so much as to throttle the economy and cause a recession. Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell faced skeptical questions from members of both parties about the Fed’s ability to tame inflation, which has surged to the top of Americans’ concerns as congressional elections near.
LA City Council Lawsuit
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LAUSD
It’s been three years and one global pandemic later since the Los Angeles Unified School District had a formal plan to help guide its decisions, but now school board members and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho are banking on a strategic plan to help them boost academic performance, ensure students are happy and healthy, and invest in staff to attract and retain top talent. If things go as envisioned, then four years from now, a significantly larger number of students could potentially graduate high school and be eligible to apply to one of California’s four-year public universities.
Election Recall Policy
Last fall, after state and local governments flushed more than $200 million down the toilet for a failed effort to chase Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, there was all sorts of talk about reforming California’s recall process. Lawmakers held hearings, academics weighed in and the state’s independent oversight commission gave the Legislature recommendations. Then nothing much happened. Lawmakers also respond to what they’re hearing, or not, from the people they represent.
Gambling Initiatives
Come November, Californians will likely face the question: Should sports betting be legalized? And then, a bit further down their ballot, there’s a good chance they’ll get asked again: Should sports betting be legalized? Odds are that two measures to legalize sports betting will appear on November’s ballot. That’s pared back from earlier this year, when four different initiatives were in play. Of the two remaining measures, one is already eligible for the November ballot, and the other is expected to be soon.
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Are you interested in a Membership Spotlight?
Answer the below questions, send responses and a professional photo,
and we'll ensure your in the line up for 2022!
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MUST BE A CURRENT VICA MEMBER TO BE FEATURED!
Please keep each question response to 2-4 sentences maximum.
- Please share a bit about your background and a fun fact that people would love to learn, ie: scrapbooking is your favorite hobby, you were in a band, you have traveled around the world…
- What has been your organization’s largest accomplishment or efforts made over the past year?
- Please share how VICA has supported your business strategy or expanded your footprint with the business community?
Send responses and headshot to Peter Warda
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Member Messages
Get Your Message in VICA Weekly!
VICA members can promote their business, events and news in VICA Weekly. Member messages are available for $50 per week or $175 for four weeks. Messages are text-based and may not contain more than 70 words. A logo may be added for an additional $5 per week. For more information or to schedule your member message, contact cathy@vica.com or call (818) 817-0545.
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ABOUT VICA
Presenting the business perspective on behalf of employers in the
San Fernando Valley cities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Calabasas,
Hidden Hills, San Fernando and Santa Clarita.
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