Some Richmond Uber and Lyft drivers are cautiously optimistic about a new California law granting them union rights, but many question if it will reverse their deteriorating earnings in an industry where the average driver makes less than minimum wage after accounting for vehicle expenses. Assembly Bill 1340, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, allows app-based ride-hail drivers to form unions and collectively bargain with Uber and Lyft for the first time. Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks, who represents West Contra…
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several bills this fall to curb the Trump administration’s aggressive immigrant enforcement. From mandates that require schools to notify parents about immigration enforcement activities on their campuses to face mask bans and identification display requirements for law enforcement, the bills aim to protect immigrant students and communities across the state. Whether the laws have any teeth depends on the federal government’s willingness to follow them and the state’s determination to enforce them. Ashton Desmangles, a…
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: What is your favorite recent memory of Richmond? Brock Genter (industrial paint expert) “There has been a board game group that’s formed here at this brewery that meets every Thursday to play board games, and it’s probably one of my favorite things in the Richmond area. … I’ve made most of my…