Labor
Former Fire Chief Angel Montoya has filed a discrimination case against Richmond, claiming the city fired him in October because of his Hispanic ethnicity and his age. The lawsuit, filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court on Nov. 28 and uploaded to the public portal Monday, alleges that two years after hiring Montoya, city officials found him too “old,” at 61, to lead the Fire Department. Montoya was terminated on Oct. 26 after an impromptu meeting with City Manager Shasa…
Last month, California’s Public Employment Relations Board ruled in favor of the Adult School Teachers United, ordering the West Contra Costa Unified School District to pay lost wages to 12 teachers and to cease and desist all schedule changes for the adult education teachers. In 2022, the district changed the schedules for adult education teachers, reducing their hours. That came as a surprise to the teachers, because changes were supposed to be made with the involvement of ASTU leadership. Before…
“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: Would you cross a picket line of striking workers to receive routine health care? “No I stand with the workers of Kaiser. My mom is a nurse so I understand their struggles.” (Kayla Chin, customer service manager, pictured above) “If I need to see a doctor, I’m going to go see a…
Helms Middle School Principal Priya Sembi went to Saturday’s West Contra Costa Unified School District job fair hoping to fill at least some of the five teacher vacancies at her school. The crowd, however, was sparse at DeJean Middle School, reducing her chances. “I’ve been to three of these since August, and I haven’t talked to any teacher candidates,” said Sembi, sitting behind a table draped in black cloth with the image of a roaring cougar. Helms started the school…
Over 200 people had signed in at the career fair within 30 minutes of its opening at the Richmond Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon. The large auditorium buzzed with the chatter of job-seekers mingling with recruiters from 50 companies and organizations. “We’re very excited and appreciative that so many people showed up, for this to be our first one since the pandemic,” said Tamara Walker, deputy community services director for the city’s Employment & Training Department, which hosted the fair. …
Richmond is hosting its largest career fair in the post-pandemic era Wednesday afternoon, with over 50 employers meeting job seekers at the Richmond Convention Center. Companies that will be recruiting at the event include PG&E, BART, U.S. Postal Service, Tesla, Amazon and Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences. The care industry will be well-represented, with employers trying to fill positions in child and senior care as well as in medical professions. Together, they offer a wide array of opportunities,…
The Richmond Police Department is facing an uphill battle in its search for new recruits. “Not very many people want to be in law enforcement anymore,” said Sgt. Donald Patchin, spokesperson for the department’s Personnel, Recruiting and Training unit. “It’s not just us. It’s industry-wide. Everybody is struggling to find qualified applicants.” A survey published in April by the Police Executive Research Forum shows agencies are losing sworn officers faster than they can hire them, with responding agencies saying they’d…
Teachers in the West Contra Costa Unified School District started the year having to fill in for each other, as schools opened with teacher positions vacant. Along with their regular classes, some teachers have had to fill in for shortages by subbing during certain periods. This period-subbing would have otherwise been spent grading and preparing for their own classes, said Mitzi Perez-Caro, a computer science and journalism teacher at John F. Kennedy High School. Teachers receive extra pay for period-subbing,…
More than 400 Kaiser Permanente health care workers at Richmond Medical Center are on Day 2 of the strike that is expected to end at 6 a.m. Saturday. Holding signs that said “Respect and value healthcare workers” and “Our patients need more staff,” they marched in a circle around the building in 90-degree heat, chanting “We are union, health care union.” Car horns honked and passersby cheered for the workers, who went on strike Wednesday demanding that Kaiser hire more…