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To this day, Lepe Martinez hasn’t been compensated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My husband and I were evicted, and we faced a big crisis both economically and emotionally,” Lepe Martinez told state lawmakers on Wednesday. “I had hoped that this process would be fast so that I could rebuild my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each year, California workers\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/wage-theft\"> lose more than $4 billion\u003c/a> to employers’ violations of minimum wage, overtime, meal breaks and other required protections, with those most impacted often in low-wage industries, researchers estimate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez’s story underscores a common experience for many workers who pursue and win wage theft claims: Though a decade-old California law that armed regulators with debt-collecting tools similar to those of banks has increased victims’ success in recovering millions in restitution, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11979626/workers-lost-millions-to-californias-worst-known-wage-thief-and-hes-still-in-business\">some employers don’t ever pay\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates in Sacramento on Wednesday called for lawmakers to strengthen enforcement at a state Assembly Labor Committee \u003ca href=\"https://albr.assembly.ca.gov/system/files/2026-04/labor-and-employment-outcomes-review-hearing-updated-agenda.pdf\">hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2015, \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160SB588\">SB 588\u003c/a> gave new powers to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office to collect court judgments for unpaid wages after an investigation, including by placing liens and levies on an employer’s property. The law also made companies hiring contractors for janitorial, security guard and other services jointly liable when their contractors broke labor laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064376\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064376\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1190\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty-160x95.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/TeslaFremontGetty-1536x914.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Tesla manufacturing facility on Sept. 18, 2023, in Fremont, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The law helped recover money for hundreds of workers cleaning a Tesla facility, Cheesecake Factory kitchens and Optum healthcare exam rooms after those companies’ janitorial contractors were found responsible for serious wage violations, said Chloe Osmer, executive director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a nonprofit watchdog in the janitorial industry based in Los Angeles.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In these cases, SB 588 meant that the janitors who mopped the floors, who cleaned the toilets, who emptied the trash for these multi-million dollar companies are actually getting those stolen wages back,” Osmer said.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But gaps in the law make it less effective across other industries, with some unscrupulous bosses continuing to evade accountability by dissolving their businesses, and selling or shifting assets, worker advocates said. They called on lawmakers to invest in more enforcement staffers at the Labor Commissioner’s Office and expand the agency’s authority to record liens before a court judgment is issued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state wage claim process can take years, ultimately resulting in a court judgment if a guilty employer fails to settle owed wages. Most businesses pay before a judgment is issued, but some refuse or can’t do so even after the court order against them.[aside postID=news_12081466 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-19-BL-KQED.jpg']“Without strong judgment enforcement, wage theft decisions risk becoming paper victories rather than real justice,” said Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers’ Rights in Sacramento, who represented Lepe Martinez in claims before the Labor Commissioner’s Office.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Urban said that a years-long delay in deciding Lepe Martinez’s case allowed her former employer to sell a property before a judgment was issued and the agency could place a lien on it. The caregiver’s payment now depends on whether the employer, an 87-year-old man, eventually sells his home, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The earlier the Labor Commissioner has authority to preserve assets, the more likely there will be payment,” Urban said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower said 72% of employers pay settlements or demands as a result of the wage claim process, and only 7% of cases are referred to the agency’s Judgment Enforcement Unit to help workers with collections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These businesses often represent the criminal element and require extensive resources to hold accountable,” García-Brower said. “Thus, our judgment enforcement efforts focus on the hardest cases against the worst operators on behalf of the most vulnerable workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before SB 588 was approved, the employer’s payment rate in the first year of a judgment pursued by the Labor Commissioner’s Office was just 17%. 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"content": "\u003cp>More than 100 steelworkers entered day two of a strike against the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968786/recent-fires-at-marathons-martinez-refinery-spark-major-safety-concerns\">management of a Martinez refinery\u003c/a> after nearly four months of fruitless contract negotiations with Marathon Petroleum’s corporate leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These workers showed up ready to reach an agreement,” said Nick Plurkowski, president of USW Local 5, in a statement. “Marathon walked away from the table. When a company refuses to bargain in good faith, workers use the only tool they have left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second day of the strike was held on Workers Memorial Day, “to honor those killed, injured, and sickened on the job,” union representatives said in a statement. Their protest is part of a multi-year battle over workplace conditions after a November 2023 fire engulfed worker Jerome Serrano, leaving him with third-degree burns over 80% of his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That [2023] fire happened here because of a lack of training and lack of staffing,” said Criff Reyes, the chair of United Steelworkers Local 5 and a wastewater operator and United Steelworkers Local 5 chair. “When there is a lack of staffing, things get missed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, a refinery spokesperson said that the company and the union have engaged in “collective bargaining for the last four months in an effort to achieve a new labor agreement to replace the prior agreement that expired on January 31, 2026,” adding that the company has negotiated “in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previously a petroleum refinery, the Ohio-based Marathon “partnered” with Neste, a Finnish company, in 2022 to begin producing renewable fuels.[aside postID=news_12073784 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250203_MartinezRefineryFolo_GC-32_qed-1020x680.jpg']When Marathon announced its intent to convert in 2020, the Martinez facility laid off \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/california-oil-refineries-biofuels-problematic\">700\u003c/a> workers, including 345 unionized workers, according to a brief from World Resources Institute. In an email, Marathon said it currently employs “115 USW represented employees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of hiring people and making it fair for everybody and giving us the amount of people we need. They just want more of us,” Greg Belcher, another wastewater operator, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the fire, Contra Costa County commissioned a third-party \u003ca href=\"https://ehq-production-us-california.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/598d34aab8252e043de757f9fd5c312b369b2e88/original/1751899090/b28c594f2a0c358b073ebd1574d24593_MTZ%20Safety%20Culture%20Assessment%20Report_7.3.2025.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4KKNQAKIPIPQP5NM%2F20260428%2Fus-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260428T232646Z&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b72a2e4d1eeee01061e8e2aeb7f471627366abae91a00da635b29534301805d1\">assessment\u003c/a> that gave Martinez Renewables an overall “safety culture” rating of 65% — below industry benchmarks. The report identified understaffing as a key issue both during the interviews and in on-site observation days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the strike and progress that they’ve made since the report, Marathon said that the company has “implemented a number of corrective and preventive actions to address the recommendations identified in its investigation report, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve the safety and reliability of our operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Union members said they have long raised concerns about workplace safety and inadequate staffing following a 2024 fire at the East Bay facility. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>More than 100 steelworkers entered day two of a strike against the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11968786/recent-fires-at-marathons-martinez-refinery-spark-major-safety-concerns\">management of a Martinez refinery\u003c/a> after nearly four months of fruitless contract negotiations with Marathon Petroleum’s corporate leadership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These workers showed up ready to reach an agreement,” said Nick Plurkowski, president of USW Local 5, in a statement. “Marathon walked away from the table. When a company refuses to bargain in good faith, workers use the only tool they have left.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The second day of the strike was held on Workers Memorial Day, “to honor those killed, injured, and sickened on the job,” union representatives said in a statement. Their protest is part of a multi-year battle over workplace conditions after a November 2023 fire engulfed worker Jerome Serrano, leaving him with third-degree burns over 80% of his body.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That [2023] fire happened here because of a lack of training and lack of staffing,” said Criff Reyes, the chair of United Steelworkers Local 5 and a wastewater operator and United Steelworkers Local 5 chair. “When there is a lack of staffing, things get missed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an emailed statement, a refinery spokesperson said that the company and the union have engaged in “collective bargaining for the last four months in an effort to achieve a new labor agreement to replace the prior agreement that expired on January 31, 2026,” adding that the company has negotiated “in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Previously a petroleum refinery, the Ohio-based Marathon “partnered” with Neste, a Finnish company, in 2022 to begin producing renewable fuels.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>When Marathon announced its intent to convert in 2020, the Martinez facility laid off \u003ca href=\"https://www.wri.org/insights/california-oil-refineries-biofuels-problematic\">700\u003c/a> workers, including 345 unionized workers, according to a brief from World Resources Institute. In an email, Marathon said it currently employs “115 USW represented employees.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of hiring people and making it fair for everybody and giving us the amount of people we need. They just want more of us,” Greg Belcher, another wastewater operator, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the fire, Contra Costa County commissioned a third-party \u003ca href=\"https://ehq-production-us-california.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/598d34aab8252e043de757f9fd5c312b369b2e88/original/1751899090/b28c594f2a0c358b073ebd1574d24593_MTZ%20Safety%20Culture%20Assessment%20Report_7.3.2025.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4KKNQAKIPIPQP5NM%2F20260428%2Fus-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260428T232646Z&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b72a2e4d1eeee01061e8e2aeb7f471627366abae91a00da635b29534301805d1\">assessment\u003c/a> that gave Martinez Renewables an overall “safety culture” rating of 65% — below industry benchmarks. The report identified understaffing as a key issue both during the interviews and in on-site observation days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When asked about the strike and progress that they’ve made since the report, Marathon said that the company has “implemented a number of corrective and preventive actions to address the recommendations identified in its investigation report, and we are continuously looking for ways to improve the safety and reliability of our operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "driving-in-the-bay-area-is-essential-for-many-its-only-gotten-more-expensive",
"title": "Driving in the Bay Area Is Essential for Many. It’s Only Gotten More Expensive",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Running late between work and school, Naomi Rodriguez pulled her blue 2000 Nissan Quest minivan into one of the most expensive gas stations in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood, the gas station is a last chance for commuters like Rodriguez to fill up before heading east on the Bay Bridge. During the afternoon rush hour in early April, the marquee of the Shell station displayed $6.80 for a gallon of regular gas, about $3 higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez paid $17 for around two and a half gallons, just enough to make it across the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The gas is making it impossible to even survive,” said Rodriguez, a 32-year-old student who graduated with a degree in political science from UC Berkeley last May and is working on a separate degree there in legal studies. “ I can’t even focus on putting my money toward getting a place for myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area and California have long had some of the country’s highest gas prices, and they’ve soared in recent weeks, driven in part by the war with Iran. But sky-high gas prices are only one piece of a broader surge in driving costs that is reshaping life in the Bay Area, where residents already endure grueling, car-dependent commutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081540\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081540\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-160x302.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-813x1536.jpg 813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cost breakdown of owning and driving a new car in San Francisco includes multiple factors, such as gas, maintenance and insurance. \u003ccite>(\n\u003cp>Sources: \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/drivingcosts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Driving Costs Calculator\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Gas Prices\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.edmunds.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edmunds\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/daily-miles-traveled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Graphic: Marnette Federis/KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>)\u003c/p>\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rising vehicle prices, insurance, maintenance and loan payments are forcing many drivers to make stark tradeoffs — stretching budgets, delaying major purchases or abandoning car ownership altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total expense of owning a car rose 40% from January 2020 to August 2025, with the sharpest increases associated with insurance, gasoline and repair costs, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.navyfederal.org/about/press-releases/2025-press-releases/coco-index-car-costs-rising.html\">index\u003c/a> from Navy Federal Credit Union. In 2025, the average cost to own and operate a new car in the U.S. was $11,577, or nearly $965 a month, according to \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UPDATE-AAA-Fact-Sheet-Your-Driving-Cost-9.2025-1.pdf\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The affordability crisis for cars right now is fairly intense,” said Jessica Caldwell, assistant vice president of insights at Edmunds, an automotive analytics company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outer reaches of the Bay Area have long had some of the country’s highest \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=9fbef2021ab54de19615985df01ddb49\">populations \u003c/a>of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11706621/the-life-of-a-bay-area-on-demand-super-commuter\">super commuters\u003c/a>, people who travel more than 90 minutes one-way. Contra Costa County residents had the longest commutes, averaging over 40 minutes by car or more than an hour on public transit, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income workers may be more affected by sudden spikes in transportation costs, said Michael Anderson, who researches transportation economics at UC Berkeley. He explained that people with low-income jobs are more likely to be required to work in person and outside of normal business hours, when public transportation is unavailable, forcing them to drive more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Rodriguez, the rising price of driving means she can’t save for other necessities, like housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her daughter had to move out of on-campus family housing in February and have since been living with friends in Albany, Walnut Creek and Oakland, while Rodriguez commutes into San Francisco for work at a social justice nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you can’t make it to places on time, you lose everything. I can’t lose my job. I can’t not finish school,” Rodriguez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said her own car is having trouble, and the minivan she pulled into the station is on loan from a friend. If she went shopping for a replacement, she’d likely find a market geared toward selling her something less than ideal for a penny-pinched Bay Area commuter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bigger, more expensive cars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People shopping for a budget-friendly new car or truck don’t have a lot of options in today’s market, increasing costs across the entire auto industry, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Cars are expensive because Americans want bigger vehicles with more amenities and more features, and automakers are happy to produce them because they make more money on them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of vehicles priced at $60,000 or more has almost doubled since 2017, from 61 to 117, according to Sean Tucker, the managing editor at Kelley Blue Book. Meanwhile, the number of models priced at $25,000 or under has dropped from 36 to four, Tucker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033975 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2207060270-scaled-e1777317412637.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1309\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brand new Toyota trucks are displayed on the sales lot at City Toyota on March 26, 2025, in Daly City, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The average age of a vehicle on American roads is now nearly 13 years old, a figure that has steadily increased since from almost 9 years in 2020, according to Kelley Blue Book and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Caldwell said this has, in part, led to shrinking inventory in the used car market, making it harder for used car shoppers to find a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area drivers seeking shelter from the volatility of fuel prices, Tucker said a flood of lightly-used electric vehicles has hit the market, as three-year EV leases are running out for people who took advantage of a federal government tax credit. (Until last year, the federal government offered up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">$7,500\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher prices for new cars and trucks are driving up insurance rates, repair costs and the length of auto loans.[aside postID=news_12080289 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260420-SLEEP-PODS-MD-01-KQED_1.jpg']“ It used to be that if you and I were in a fender bender, we needed a new bumper. Now we need a new bumper, a new radar, a new lidar, and two new cameras. We’re seeing even minor accidents are now costing $10,000,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance rates nationwide are up 12% on average annually over the past five years, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/replay-available-cox-automotive-q1-2026-industry-insights-and-sales-forecast-call/\">Cox Automotive\u003c/a>, a technology services company for the automotive industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in California is $3,119 per year — or 16% more than the national average — and people in dense cities like San Francisco pay significantly more than the state average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, a financial planning website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, drivers who opt for more expensive cars, or who have a tight budget, may decide to finance their purchase with auto loans over a longer period of time to reduce monthly payments, even if it means they will pay more interest overall, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Right or wrong, when most people think about the price of their vehicle, they’re looking at the monthly payment,” she said. “If the average is 70, it’s not unusual to have a loan term of 84 months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, buyers financing a new vehicle at an average 7% annual percentage rate over about 70 months would pay roughly $10,000 in interest, Caldwell said. For used cars, the average APR was higher, at 11% in March, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Calculating the cost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As costs associated with cars rise, drivers are keeping their vehicles on the road for longer, driving less or changing how they get around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erin Rabourn relies on her 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to get her 11-year-old son to school, soccer practice and friend hangouts. The family moved from South Berkeley to Richmond in 2023, when she and her husband bought a home after years of saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We can’t be without a car. I can’t e-bike him from Richmond to South Berkeley. It’s not gonna happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081499\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RichmondCaliforniaNewCarsGetty-scaled-e1777318176581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A truck carries brand new cars on March 4, 2025, in Richmond, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rabourn said her car needs its 120,000-mile service and a new hybrid battery, and that her mechanic estimated it would cost $10,000 to keep it on the road over the next few years, suggesting it may be time to invest in a new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rabourn said she’s leaning toward keeping the Highlander, given the state of the market. Comparable SUVs, like a 2023 Toyota Rav4, would cost between $29,000 and $45,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, not to mention insurance and loan payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As maintenance costs on his 2011 Volkswagen Jetta grew, Albert Flynn DeSilver decided he had had enough. The resident of Woodacre in Marin County sold his car last year and now gets around on a Class 1 e-bike, though he still keeps a 2017 Honda Fit “mostly sitting in the driveway” for when he or his wife needs a car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It became too much. I realized I could be saving thousands of dollars every year by just letting go of that car,” DeSilver said, estimating he saves between $3,000 and $5,000 a year. DeSilver commutes eight miles to a coworking space in San Rafael, where he works as a publisher — a journey that takes him around 40 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas shows her gas log on her phone while she waits in line at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Shekinah Samaya-Thomas, 61, of East Oakland, the cost of driving is a matter of survival. On a recent March afternoon, she waited in line with other Bay Area drivers at a Costco gas station in San Leandro, where regular was $5.19 for a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Every time I have to put an extra $25 or $30 into our car, that’s money I don’t have for food, utility bills, retirement or savings,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas, a substitute adult educator, described herself and her husband, who works in security, as “very much under-employed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas fills up her gas tank at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said they have both been searching for full-time work for years. Combined, they made just $34,000 last year, and low housing costs through a partnership with the Oakland Community Land Trust are what keep them from becoming homeless, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas said when she drives, she bundles her errands into one trip to save.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Driving is reserved for getting to and from work and getting our basic needs met. I don’t see friends. I don’t go out. I don’t do social things,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (left) and her husband Christopher Samaya-Thomas (right) walk into a food distribution center to pick up groceries in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she or her husband, who share a 2016 Toyota Prius, are offered job opportunities, she said the first consideration is the logistics of showing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some substitute opportunities that are just too far away from me to feel like I can drive to them with gas prices the way they are,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, she said her husband has been unable to take a job because it required showing up at 6 a.m. on a weekend, before BART service begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christopher Samaya-Thomas (left) and his wife Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (right) pick up groceries at a food distribution center in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waiting to pump her gas at Costco, she said the line was longer than usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a constant calculation trying to manage all this. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting, and it’s not easy on a marriage either,” she said, gripping her faded Mickey Mouse steering wheel cover, a reminder of her happy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with rising transportation costs and what she described as an already “bare bones” lifestyle, she said if prices kept rising, she’d be forced to cut one of the few things left that bring her and her husband joy: their streaming subscriptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other than that, I don’t know what’s left to cut,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Car ownership has gotten more expensive in recent years, and the rising costs have strained many Bay Area drivers who are already stretched thin.",
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"title": "Driving in the Bay Area Is Essential for Many. It’s Only Gotten More Expensive | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Running late between work and school, Naomi Rodriguez pulled her blue 2000 Nissan Quest minivan into one of the most expensive gas stations in the United States.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Located in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood, the gas station is a last chance for commuters like Rodriguez to fill up before heading east on the Bay Bridge. During the afternoon rush hour in early April, the marquee of the Shell station displayed $6.80 for a gallon of regular gas, about $3 higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez paid $17 for around two and a half gallons, just enough to make it across the bridge.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The gas is making it impossible to even survive,” said Rodriguez, a 32-year-old student who graduated with a degree in political science from UC Berkeley last May and is working on a separate degree there in legal studies. “ I can’t even focus on putting my money toward getting a place for myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay Area and California have long had some of the country’s highest gas prices, and they’ve soared in recent weeks, driven in part by the war with Iran. But sky-high gas prices are only one piece of a broader surge in driving costs that is reshaping life in the Bay Area, where residents already endure grueling, car-dependent commutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081540\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081540\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1889\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-160x302.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/Blue-Colorful-Illustrative-Buy-Used-Car-Tips-Infographic-Poster_1000px-813x1536.jpg 813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The cost breakdown of owning and driving a new car in San Francisco includes multiple factors, such as gas, maintenance and insurance. \u003ccite>(\n\u003cp>Sources: \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.aaa.com/autorepair/drivingcosts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Driving Costs Calculator\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://gasprices.aaa.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AAA Gas Prices\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.edmunds.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Edmunds\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/daily-miles-traveled\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Graphic: Marnette Federis/KQED\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>)\u003c/p>\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rising vehicle prices, insurance, maintenance and loan payments are forcing many drivers to make stark tradeoffs — stretching budgets, delaying major purchases or abandoning car ownership altogether.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The total expense of owning a car rose 40% from January 2020 to August 2025, with the sharpest increases associated with insurance, gasoline and repair costs, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.navyfederal.org/about/press-releases/2025-press-releases/coco-index-car-costs-rising.html\">index\u003c/a> from Navy Federal Credit Union. In 2025, the average cost to own and operate a new car in the U.S. was $11,577, or nearly $965 a month, according to \u003ca href=\"https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UPDATE-AAA-Fact-Sheet-Your-Driving-Cost-9.2025-1.pdf\">AAA\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ The affordability crisis for cars right now is fairly intense,” said Jessica Caldwell, assistant vice president of insights at Edmunds, an automotive analytics company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The outer reaches of the Bay Area have long had some of the country’s highest \u003ca href=\"https://www.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=9fbef2021ab54de19615985df01ddb49\">populations \u003c/a>of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11706621/the-life-of-a-bay-area-on-demand-super-commuter\">super commuters\u003c/a>, people who travel more than 90 minutes one-way. Contra Costa County residents had the longest commutes, averaging over 40 minutes by car or more than an hour on public transit, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Low-income workers may be more affected by sudden spikes in transportation costs, said Michael Anderson, who researches transportation economics at UC Berkeley. He explained that people with low-income jobs are more likely to be required to work in person and outside of normal business hours, when public transportation is unavailable, forcing them to drive more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Rodriguez, the rising price of driving means she can’t save for other necessities, like housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her daughter had to move out of on-campus family housing in February and have since been living with friends in Albany, Walnut Creek and Oakland, while Rodriguez commutes into San Francisco for work at a social justice nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you can’t make it to places on time, you lose everything. I can’t lose my job. I can’t not finish school,” Rodriguez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rodriguez said her own car is having trouble, and the minivan she pulled into the station is on loan from a friend. If she went shopping for a replacement, she’d likely find a market geared toward selling her something less than ideal for a penny-pinched Bay Area commuter.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Bigger, more expensive cars\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>People shopping for a budget-friendly new car or truck don’t have a lot of options in today’s market, increasing costs across the entire auto industry, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Cars are expensive because Americans want bigger vehicles with more amenities and more features, and automakers are happy to produce them because they make more money on them,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The number of vehicles priced at $60,000 or more has almost doubled since 2017, from 61 to 117, according to Sean Tucker, the managing editor at Kelley Blue Book. Meanwhile, the number of models priced at $25,000 or under has dropped from 36 to four, Tucker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12033975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12033975 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-2207060270-scaled-e1777317412637.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1309\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brand new Toyota trucks are displayed on the sales lot at City Toyota on March 26, 2025, in Daly City, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The average age of a vehicle on American roads is now nearly 13 years old, a figure that has steadily increased since from almost 9 years in 2020, according to Kelley Blue Book and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Caldwell said this has, in part, led to shrinking inventory in the used car market, making it harder for used car shoppers to find a deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Bay Area drivers seeking shelter from the volatility of fuel prices, Tucker said a flood of lightly-used electric vehicles has hit the market, as three-year EV leases are running out for people who took advantage of a federal government tax credit. (Until last year, the federal government offered up to \u003ca href=\"https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-clean-vehicles-purchased-in-2023-or-after\">$7,500\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher prices for new cars and trucks are driving up insurance rates, repair costs and the length of auto loans.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“ It used to be that if you and I were in a fender bender, we needed a new bumper. Now we need a new bumper, a new radar, a new lidar, and two new cameras. We’re seeing even minor accidents are now costing $10,000,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance rates nationwide are up 12% on average annually over the past five years, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/replay-available-cox-automotive-q1-2026-industry-insights-and-sales-forecast-call/\">Cox Automotive\u003c/a>, a technology services company for the automotive industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in California is $3,119 per year — or 16% more than the national average — and people in dense cities like San Francisco pay significantly more than the state average, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/average-cost-of-car-insurance-in-california/\">Bankrate\u003c/a>, a financial planning website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Additionally, drivers who opt for more expensive cars, or who have a tight budget, may decide to finance their purchase with auto loans over a longer period of time to reduce monthly payments, even if it means they will pay more interest overall, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Right or wrong, when most people think about the price of their vehicle, they’re looking at the monthly payment,” she said. “If the average is 70, it’s not unusual to have a loan term of 84 months.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of March, buyers financing a new vehicle at an average 7% annual percentage rate over about 70 months would pay roughly $10,000 in interest, Caldwell said. For used cars, the average APR was higher, at 11% in March, Caldwell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Calculating the cost\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As costs associated with cars rise, drivers are keeping their vehicles on the road for longer, driving less or changing how they get around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erin Rabourn relies on her 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to get her 11-year-old son to school, soccer practice and friend hangouts. The family moved from South Berkeley to Richmond in 2023, when she and her husband bought a home after years of saving.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ We can’t be without a car. I can’t e-bike him from Richmond to South Berkeley. It’s not gonna happen,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081499\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081499\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/RichmondCaliforniaNewCarsGetty-scaled-e1777318176581.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1307\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A truck carries brand new cars on March 4, 2025, in Richmond, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Rabourn said her car needs its 120,000-mile service and a new hybrid battery, and that her mechanic estimated it would cost $10,000 to keep it on the road over the next few years, suggesting it may be time to invest in a new vehicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Rabourn said she’s leaning toward keeping the Highlander, given the state of the market. Comparable SUVs, like a 2023 Toyota Rav4, would cost between $29,000 and $45,000, according to Kelley Blue Book, not to mention insurance and loan payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As maintenance costs on his 2011 Volkswagen Jetta grew, Albert Flynn DeSilver decided he had had enough. The resident of Woodacre in Marin County sold his car last year and now gets around on a Class 1 e-bike, though he still keeps a 2017 Honda Fit “mostly sitting in the driveway” for when he or his wife needs a car.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It became too much. I realized I could be saving thousands of dollars every year by just letting go of that car,” DeSilver said, estimating he saves between $3,000 and $5,000 a year. DeSilver commutes eight miles to a coworking space in San Rafael, where he works as a publisher — a journey that takes him around 40 minutes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00546_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas shows her gas log on her phone while she waits in line at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Shekinah Samaya-Thomas, 61, of East Oakland, the cost of driving is a matter of survival. On a recent March afternoon, she waited in line with other Bay Area drivers at a Costco gas station in San Leandro, where regular was $5.19 for a gallon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Every time I have to put an extra $25 or $30 into our car, that’s money I don’t have for food, utility bills, retirement or savings,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas, a substitute adult educator, described herself and her husband, who works in security, as “very much under-employed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00574_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas fills up her gas tank at a Costco gas station in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said they have both been searching for full-time work for years. Combined, they made just $34,000 last year, and low housing costs through a partnership with the Oakland Community Land Trust are what keep them from becoming homeless, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Samaya-Thomas said when she drives, she bundles her errands into one trip to save.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ Driving is reserved for getting to and from work and getting our basic needs met. I don’t see friends. I don’t go out. I don’t do social things,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00329_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (left) and her husband Christopher Samaya-Thomas (right) walk into a food distribution center to pick up groceries in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>When she or her husband, who share a 2016 Toyota Prius, are offered job opportunities, she said the first consideration is the logistics of showing up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are some substitute opportunities that are just too far away from me to feel like I can drive to them with gas prices the way they are,” Samaya-Thomas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other times, she said her husband has been unable to take a job because it required showing up at 6 a.m. on a weekend, before BART service begins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081450\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081450\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260416-COSTOFDRIVING00385_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christopher Samaya-Thomas (left) and his wife Shekinah Samaya-Thomas (right) pick up groceries at a food distribution center in Oakland on April 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Waiting to pump her gas at Costco, she said the line was longer than usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a constant calculation trying to manage all this. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting, and it’s not easy on a marriage either,” she said, gripping her faded Mickey Mouse steering wheel cover, a reminder of her happy place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Faced with rising transportation costs and what she described as an already “bare bones” lifestyle, she said if prices kept rising, she’d be forced to cut one of the few things left that bring her and her husband joy: their streaming subscriptions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other than that, I don’t know what’s left to cut,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Oakland Laborers Allege Over $300,000 in Wage Theft at Public Housing Redevelopment",
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"content": "\u003cp>In East Oakland, several construction workers allege that they are owed more than $300,000 in total wages for their roofing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/labor\">labor\u003c/a> on a large, publicly funded affordable housing development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Partially funded by the Oakland Housing Authority, the renovation project took place last year at Lion Creek Crossings, which has hundreds of affordable housing units near the Coliseum BART station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least 21 workers said that they were underpaid for weeks, and in some cases months, by Milestone Roofing, a subcontractor of Alameda-based Saarman Construction Ltd. Since last October, more than 10 of those laborers have filed complaints with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office to try to recover pay, according to a legal aid group assisting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on Monday, organized by the nonprofit Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, some of the workers said they struggled to support their families and were forced to deplete their savings while receiving partial or no paychecks from Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was extremely difficult when rent came due — especially when it came to paying for gas just to get to work,” said Jesus Martinez, 32, in Spanish. “At the same time, it was incredibly frustrating not having an income — particularly because I was dependent on this job.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez, the father of a 9-year-old girl, estimates his due wages at $18,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081538\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His father, 54-year-old Eusebio Martinez, a foreman in the project, said he himself lost sleep and saw his diabetes worsen because of the alleged wage theft. Despite fielding questions from other roofers who were not receiving their full paychecks, Martinez said he got no clear answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The stress made me sick…. I had such severe anxiety that the doctor prescribed medication for it,” said the elder Martinez, who has worked as a roofer for 25 years. “Wage theft is unfair; it is undignified. I felt frustrated. I had no money to bring home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of Monday’s announcement, more than a dozen workers and supporters marched to Saarman’s offices to deliver a follow-up letter demanding they be properly paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, a Milestone Roofing representative said the Tracy-based company is investigating the accuracy of the workers’ allegations.[aside postID=news_12046137 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250626-OAKLAND-DAY-LABORERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg']“Negotiations with Saarman Construction, the contracting party, are ongoing,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company is “not in a position to offer further comment” until those matters are settled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>General contractor Saarman Construction said the workers alleging underpayment were hired by its subcontractor Milestone Roofing, not Saarman. The construction firm, founded more than 40 years ago, said that it’s also reviewing the allegations against Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take wage compliance on all our projects seriously and expect all our subcontractors to do the same,” the company said. “We are working to verify the facts and are engaging with counsel for the workers to address their claims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson with the Labor Commissioner’s Office, which is tasked with enforcing labor laws, confirmed it has received complaints involving Saarman Construction and Milestone Roofing, but declined to comment further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roofers worked in two phases of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.relatedcalifornia.com/our-company/properties/lion-creek-crossings\">Lion Creek Crossings\u003c/a> project, involving 261 affordable housing units at the site of an older public housing complex called Coliseum Gardens. The transit-oriented development now features a large public park and community center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexx Campbell, a senior staff attorney with Legal Aid at Work who represents some of the roofers claiming unpaid wages, said the city referred their query to the project’s private developer, Related California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell said that Related California seems to have deflected any responsibility to Saarman, which oversaw the project, and its subcontractor Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He added that the workers, undertaking difficult and often dangerous roofing tasks, were entitled to a prevailing wage of $74.78 per hour that they failed to receive. Employers in public works projects are required to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/public-works/prevailing-wage.html\">prevailing wage\u003c/a> rates set by state regulators, which are higher than the minimum wage for all other workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell pointed to the publicly funded nature of the project, saying that “it used taxpayer money, and when that happens, it’s even more important that the employers who hire workers to work on that kind of project follow the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland Housing Authority said in a statement that projects like Lion Creek Crossings provide meaningful job opportunities for Oakland workers and hundreds of affordable homes, adding that its development partners hire construction firms that operate separately from the housing authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) takes concerns about wage compliance seriously and expects all contractors and subcontractors working on developments that receive public funding to follow all applicable labor laws,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081534\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saarman and Milestone have been involved in previous worker complaints, including other public works projects, Campbell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, Saarman Construction agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement to resolve a 2018 lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court by three workers who alleged that the company failed to pay them and others both prevailing and overtime wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would think that the city of Oakland, the Oakland Housing Authority, would want to see workers on a project like this, on a public housing project, be paid properly,” Campbell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In East Oakland, several construction workers allege that they are owed more than $300,000 in total wages for their roofing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/labor\">labor\u003c/a> on a large, publicly funded affordable housing development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Partially funded by the Oakland Housing Authority, the renovation project took place last year at Lion Creek Crossings, which has hundreds of affordable housing units near the Coliseum BART station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least 21 workers said that they were underpaid for weeks, and in some cases months, by Milestone Roofing, a subcontractor of Alameda-based Saarman Construction Ltd. Since last October, more than 10 of those laborers have filed complaints with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office to try to recover pay, according to a legal aid group assisting them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on Monday, organized by the nonprofit Trabajadores Unidos Workers United, some of the workers said they struggled to support their families and were forced to deplete their savings while receiving partial or no paychecks from Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was extremely difficult when rent came due — especially when it came to paying for gas just to get to work,” said Jesus Martinez, 32, in Spanish. “At the same time, it was incredibly frustrating not having an income — particularly because I was dependent on this job.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez, the father of a 9-year-old girl, estimates his due wages at $18,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081538\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>His father, 54-year-old Eusebio Martinez, a foreman in the project, said he himself lost sleep and saw his diabetes worsen because of the alleged wage theft. Despite fielding questions from other roofers who were not receiving their full paychecks, Martinez said he got no clear answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The stress made me sick…. I had such severe anxiety that the doctor prescribed medication for it,” said the elder Martinez, who has worked as a roofer for 25 years. “Wage theft is unfair; it is undignified. I felt frustrated. I had no money to bring home.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of Monday’s announcement, more than a dozen workers and supporters marched to Saarman’s offices to deliver a follow-up letter demanding they be properly paid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, a Milestone Roofing representative said the Tracy-based company is investigating the accuracy of the workers’ allegations.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Negotiations with Saarman Construction, the contracting party, are ongoing,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company is “not in a position to offer further comment” until those matters are settled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>General contractor Saarman Construction said the workers alleging underpayment were hired by its subcontractor Milestone Roofing, not Saarman. The construction firm, founded more than 40 years ago, said that it’s also reviewing the allegations against Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We take wage compliance on all our projects seriously and expect all our subcontractors to do the same,” the company said. “We are working to verify the facts and are engaging with counsel for the workers to address their claims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson with the Labor Commissioner’s Office, which is tasked with enforcing labor laws, confirmed it has received complaints involving Saarman Construction and Milestone Roofing, but declined to comment further.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The roofers worked in two phases of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.relatedcalifornia.com/our-company/properties/lion-creek-crossings\">Lion Creek Crossings\u003c/a> project, involving 261 affordable housing units at the site of an older public housing complex called Coliseum Gardens. The transit-oriented development now features a large public park and community center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Alexx Campbell, a senior staff attorney with Legal Aid at Work who represents some of the roofers claiming unpaid wages, said the city referred their query to the project’s private developer, Related California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell said that Related California seems to have deflected any responsibility to Saarman, which oversaw the project, and its subcontractor Milestone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081535\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081535\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-06-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He added that the workers, undertaking difficult and often dangerous roofing tasks, were entitled to a prevailing wage of $74.78 per hour that they failed to receive. Employers in public works projects are required to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/public-works/prevailing-wage.html\">prevailing wage\u003c/a> rates set by state regulators, which are higher than the minimum wage for all other workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Campbell pointed to the publicly funded nature of the project, saying that “it used taxpayer money, and when that happens, it’s even more important that the employers who hire workers to work on that kind of project follow the law.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland Housing Authority said in a statement that projects like Lion Creek Crossings provide meaningful job opportunities for Oakland workers and hundreds of affordable homes, adding that its development partners hire construction firms that operate separately from the housing authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Oakland Housing Authority (OHA) takes concerns about wage compliance seriously and expects all contractors and subcontractors working on developments that receive public funding to follow all applicable labor laws,” the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081534\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081534\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260427-CONSTRUCTIONWORKERS-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Construction workers and supporters march through Oakland to the Lion Creek Crossings, an affordable housing complex, on April 27, 2026, as part of a demonstration calling for more than $300,000 in unpaid wages from Bay Area contractors Milestone Roofing and Saarman Construction. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saarman and Milestone have been involved in previous worker complaints, including other public works projects, Campbell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2023, Saarman Construction agreed to pay a $150,000 settlement to resolve a 2018 lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court by three workers who alleged that the company failed to pay them and others both prevailing and overtime wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I would think that the city of Oakland, the Oakland Housing Authority, would want to see workers on a project like this, on a public housing project, be paid properly,” Campbell said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Public defenders across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> wore all black on Thursday to call attention to what they said is a chronic underfunding of their service.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Standing on the steps of the Alameda Courthouse, the county’s top public defender, Brendon Woods, called the current lack of resources for public defenders “a constitutional crisis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When a judge is able to dictate what our workload should be as public defenders, in my mind, the right to counsel is effectively dead,” Woods said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Attorneys gathered on the steps of the Alameda Courthouse dressed in all black, holding signs depicting a torn image of Clarence Earl Gideon, a man accused of felony breaking and entering in Florida state court in 1961.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After being denied legal counsel and being forced to represent himself, Gideon’s appeal made it to the Supreme Court, solidifying a defendant’s right to be provided a lawyer if they can’t afford one in state felony cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The right to counsel is protected in the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2023, the public defender’s office reported a 44% increase in new felony files in 2025 — from 3,266 to 4,708.[aside postID=news_12077413 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250224-SFPD-POLICE-COMMISSIONER-PROTEST-MD-23-1020x680.jpg']Across the Bay Area, public defenders have reported that the number of criminal cases filed has been steadily rising, while their offices’ budgets have not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tensions came to a head in San Francisco last month when Public Defender Mano Raju was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075775/san-francisco-public-defender-faces-contempt-charges-after-refusing-new-cases\">held in contempt of court\u003c/a> after refusing to take on new cases one day a week starting last May, citing understaffing and a lack of adequate resources to provide due process. Raju is facing a fine of $26,000 and plans to appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raju’s office highlighted a recent study linking excessive workloads with a violation of court ethics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woods said he asked the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for more lawyers, investigators and support staff. According to the 2023 National Public Defense Workload Study, Alameda County Superior Court would need to add an additional 104 attorneys to meet the study’s staffing benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our clients are suffering more, and nobody seems to be listening,” Alameda Chief Assistant Public Defender Aundrea Brown said on Thursday, dressed in all black. “It’s not an ‘us versus them’. If they suffer, we all suffer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Courts in other California cities are experiencing similar strains, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Across the Bay Area, public defenders have reported that the number of criminal cases filed has been steadily rising, while their offices’ budgets have not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tensions came to a head in San Francisco last month when Public Defender Mano Raju was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075775/san-francisco-public-defender-faces-contempt-charges-after-refusing-new-cases\">held in contempt of court\u003c/a> after refusing to take on new cases one day a week starting last May, citing understaffing and a lack of adequate resources to provide due process. Raju is facing a fine of $26,000 and plans to appeal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Raju’s office highlighted a recent study linking excessive workloads with a violation of court ethics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Woods said he asked the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for more lawyers, investigators and support staff. According to the 2023 National Public Defense Workload Study, Alameda County Superior Court would need to add an additional 104 attorneys to meet the study’s staffing benchmarks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our clients are suffering more, and nobody seems to be listening,” Alameda Chief Assistant Public Defender Aundrea Brown said on Thursday, dressed in all black. “It’s not an ‘us versus them’. If they suffer, we all suffer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Courts in other California cities are experiencing similar strains, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "San Francisco Directs $15 Million to Health Department Security After Fatal Stabbing",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> officials say they will commit $15 million annually to modernize security infrastructure and hire four additional staff for the Department of Public Health security team following the fatal stabbing of a social worker in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to a new report released Wednesday that pointed to a lack of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912297/fatal-ucsf-stabbing-heightens-concerns-about-health-worker-safety\">adequate safety protections\u003c/a> leading up to the death of Alberto Rangel, who was killed by a patient at Ward 86, the city’s historic HIV/AIDS clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The funding promise comes as San Francisco is facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079126/more-layoffs-ahead-as-san-franciscos-budget-woes-persist\">massive budget deficit\u003c/a> and is cutting positions and funding across departments, including public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are committed to maintaining safe and secure environments for the staff, patients and visitors who rely on our care every day,” Director of Health Daniel Tsai said. “We can and must do more. This assessment and these investments will have a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of all who walk through our doors. Alberto was a beloved social worker at Ward 86, and we will continue to honor his memory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 13-page report presented a list of recommendations for the hospital and health department in response to the stabbing. It calls for a more consistent process for threat risk escalation and follow-up, more clarity on how different security and law enforcement should respond to threats, and psychological support for staff. It also identified the need for better security measures at Ward 86, including weapons detection and panic buttons for staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard from many staff members within ZSFG and our partner clinical sites about ways to make meaningful and lasting improvements to safety,” said Dr. Susan Ehrlich, the CEO of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “Staff also reminded us not to forget the importance of making sure our patients feel welcome. We need to remain accessible to our vulnerable city residents, while instituting changes that protect everyone who walks through our doors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health department said it has already developed a 24/7 threat management team to better coordinate risk assessments, weapons detection systems and security staff at all DPH sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066544\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A memorial for social worker Alberto Rangel, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 4 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, outside the hospital on Dec. 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The report provided a detailed timeline of events, including how staff reported the patient’s dangerous behavior in the weeks before he stabbed Rangel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the timeline, the man, Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, exhibited “elevated behaviors” during an appointment with his doctor around Nov. 20, prompting the physician and nursing leadership to share their concerns with DPH security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security attempted to contact him but was unable to reach him, and a sheriff’s lieutenant conducted a criminal history check that showed no warrants. On the day of the stabbing, a sheriff’s deputy was in Ward 86, but not in the reception area where the incident occurred.[aside postID=news_12075387 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/030526_-SOCIAL-WORKER-SAFETY-_GH_018-KQED.jpg']The assailant arrived around 1:30 looking to speak with his doctor, but was connected with Rangel and stabbed him from behind with a knife at 1:36 p.m. A Code Blue — which hospitals call when someone is having a life-threatening medical emergency — was paged at 1:44 p.m., and he arrived in the emergency department at 2:03 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation revealed that one of Rangel’s colleagues at SF General first intervened in the attack, not a sheriff’s deputy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward 86 staff previously told KQED that they were dismayed by the city’s public response immediately following the tragic incident, particularly around how the San Francisco Sheriff’s union posted images online claiming that one of their deputies prevented a “mass stabbing” through swift intervention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward 86 social worker Alejandro Alvarez was the first person to pull the attacker off of Rangel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staff had to repeatedly direct the deputy to remove the attacker from the scene,” Alvarez said at a public rally in March outside the administrative offices for USCF, which oversees SF General alongside DPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When staff have to guide the sheriff to a life-threatening moment, that tells us something in this system is not working. That did not align with the public narrative that was shared that day by the Sheriff’s Association.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068510\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12068510 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Alvarez, a clinical social worker, stands on a parking garage at UCSF Parnassus campus in San Francisco on Dec. 30, 2025. He said the view from the gym helps him recover, reflect and think following the fatal stabbing of his colleague Alberto Rangel at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, after the audit was released, Alvarez said he was feeling “disillusioned” and that the approach leadership had taken felt “top-down” and not collaborative. He’d like to see more financial support for affected employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many staff at Ward 86 affected by the loss of their colleague are still struggling with what comes next, for patient safety and for their own well-being as health care professionals. Many have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075387/hospital-security-debate-swirls-after-san-francisco-social-worker-stabbing\">demanded that UCSF and DPH commit\u003c/a> to increased staffing to balance case loads and improve options for necessary time off and mental health care following the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075387/hospital-security-debate-swirls-after-san-francisco-social-worker-stabbing\">survey conducted by the union representing UCSF social workers\u003c/a> found that the vast majority have either directly experienced or seen violence, and half said they have been sexually assaulted or harassed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I live in the aftermath, the hyper vigilance, the disturbed sleep,” Alvarez said. “What comes after that moment is not something you clock out of. It doesn’t end when the shift ends. It doesn’t stay in the building. It doesn’t follow policy timelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> officials say they will commit $15 million annually to modernize security infrastructure and hire four additional staff for the Department of Public Health security team following the fatal stabbing of a social worker in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s according to a new report released Wednesday that pointed to a lack of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101912297/fatal-ucsf-stabbing-heightens-concerns-about-health-worker-safety\">adequate safety protections\u003c/a> leading up to the death of Alberto Rangel, who was killed by a patient at Ward 86, the city’s historic HIV/AIDS clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. The funding promise comes as San Francisco is facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12079126/more-layoffs-ahead-as-san-franciscos-budget-woes-persist\">massive budget deficit\u003c/a> and is cutting positions and funding across departments, including public health.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are committed to maintaining safe and secure environments for the staff, patients and visitors who rely on our care every day,” Director of Health Daniel Tsai said. “We can and must do more. This assessment and these investments will have a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of all who walk through our doors. Alberto was a beloved social worker at Ward 86, and we will continue to honor his memory.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 13-page report presented a list of recommendations for the hospital and health department in response to the stabbing. It calls for a more consistent process for threat risk escalation and follow-up, more clarity on how different security and law enforcement should respond to threats, and psychological support for staff. It also identified the need for better security measures at Ward 86, including weapons detection and panic buttons for staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We heard from many staff members within ZSFG and our partner clinical sites about ways to make meaningful and lasting improvements to safety,” said Dr. Susan Ehrlich, the CEO of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “Staff also reminded us not to forget the importance of making sure our patients feel welcome. We need to remain accessible to our vulnerable city residents, while instituting changes that protect everyone who walks through our doors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health department said it has already developed a 24/7 threat management team to better coordinate risk assessments, weapons detection systems and security staff at all DPH sites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066544\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251209-SFGENERALMEMORIAL-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A memorial for social worker Alberto Rangel, who was fatally stabbed on Dec. 4 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, outside the hospital on Dec. 9, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The report provided a detailed timeline of events, including how staff reported the patient’s dangerous behavior in the weeks before he stabbed Rangel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the timeline, the man, Wilfredo Tortolero-Arriechi, who has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge, exhibited “elevated behaviors” during an appointment with his doctor around Nov. 20, prompting the physician and nursing leadership to share their concerns with DPH security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security attempted to contact him but was unable to reach him, and a sheriff’s lieutenant conducted a criminal history check that showed no warrants. On the day of the stabbing, a sheriff’s deputy was in Ward 86, but not in the reception area where the incident occurred.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The assailant arrived around 1:30 looking to speak with his doctor, but was connected with Rangel and stabbed him from behind with a knife at 1:36 p.m. A Code Blue — which hospitals call when someone is having a life-threatening medical emergency — was paged at 1:44 p.m., and he arrived in the emergency department at 2:03 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The investigation revealed that one of Rangel’s colleagues at SF General first intervened in the attack, not a sheriff’s deputy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward 86 staff previously told KQED that they were dismayed by the city’s public response immediately following the tragic incident, particularly around how the San Francisco Sheriff’s union posted images online claiming that one of their deputies prevented a “mass stabbing” through swift intervention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ward 86 social worker Alejandro Alvarez was the first person to pull the attacker off of Rangel.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Staff had to repeatedly direct the deputy to remove the attacker from the scene,” Alvarez said at a public rally in March outside the administrative offices for USCF, which oversees SF General alongside DPH.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When staff have to guide the sheriff to a life-threatening moment, that tells us something in this system is not working. That did not align with the public narrative that was shared that day by the Sheriff’s Association.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068510\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12068510 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251230-SFSocialWorker-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alex Alvarez, a clinical social worker, stands on a parking garage at UCSF Parnassus campus in San Francisco on Dec. 30, 2025. He said the view from the gym helps him recover, reflect and think following the fatal stabbing of his colleague Alberto Rangel at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, after the audit was released, Alvarez said he was feeling “disillusioned” and that the approach leadership had taken felt “top-down” and not collaborative. He’d like to see more financial support for affected employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many staff at Ward 86 affected by the loss of their colleague are still struggling with what comes next, for patient safety and for their own well-being as health care professionals. Many have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075387/hospital-security-debate-swirls-after-san-francisco-social-worker-stabbing\">demanded that UCSF and DPH commit\u003c/a> to increased staffing to balance case loads and improve options for necessary time off and mental health care following the incident.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12075387/hospital-security-debate-swirls-after-san-francisco-social-worker-stabbing\">survey conducted by the union representing UCSF social workers\u003c/a> found that the vast majority have either directly experienced or seen violence, and half said they have been sexually assaulted or harassed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I live in the aftermath, the hyper vigilance, the disturbed sleep,” Alvarez said. “What comes after that moment is not something you clock out of. It doesn’t end when the shift ends. It doesn’t stay in the building. It doesn’t follow policy timelines.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>A ride-hail driver organization alleged \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uber\">Uber\u003c/a> broke a California gig-worker law by failing to provide terminated drivers enough of a recourse to challenge account deactivations, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco. If successful, the complaint could open a way for workers in the industry to claim additional rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Approved by voters in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11843123/prop-22-explained-why-gig-companies-are-spending-huge-money-on-an-unprecedented-measure\">Proposition 22\u003c/a> gave Uber a big win, allowing the company to classify its drivers as independent contractors — who are often cheaper to hire and easier to fire than employees. But attorneys for Rideshare Drivers United, which represents about 20,000 app-based drivers statewide, contend Uber terminated thousands of them without an appeals process required by that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Uber has not held up its end of the bargain,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney for the group. “It has not complied with Prop. 22, and as a result, it should not get the benefit of Prop. 22, meaning that Uber should not be able to claim that the drivers are independent contractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Uber spokesperson rejected the allegations, slamming the lawsuit as a “publicity stunt” that the company will fight in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legal challenge represents the latest attempt in a years-long battle by gig workers to gain more labor protections. Independent contractors have more flexibility on the job, but lack employee rights such as overtime pay, unemployment insurance benefits and expense reimbursements. If the state court grants Rideshare Drivers United’s request to bar Uber from treating its drivers as independent contractors, they could then be entitled to employee protections, Liss-Riordan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11910763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11910763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/04/yes2-scaled-e1776791757748.jpg\" alt='A woman wearing sunglasses drives a car while holding a sign that says: \"Lyft and Uber we see you profiting off our back!\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rideshare drivers protest outside Uber’s former headquarters on Market Street in downtown San Francisco on Aug. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gig Workers Rising)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/driver-app/deactivation-review/\">common reasons\u003c/a> drivers lose access to their accounts are an expired document or a background check issue, according to Uber. The company said it provides drivers with multiple channels to raise concerns, request reviews of deactivations, and provide evidence to support their case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a baseless lawsuit by an opportunistic trial lawyer seeking to overturn Proposition 22 and the will of California voters,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “Uber complies with Prop 22, including providing drivers with clear processes to appeal deactivations, raise concerns and request reviews, while delivering guaranteed earnings, healthcare support, and the flexibility drivers value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on the steps of the California Supreme Court building near Civic Center Plaza, several terminated drivers said Uber unfairly cut them off the platform, without sufficient explanation or a meaningful way to challenge the decision. They said they tried calling the company and interacting with its chatbots, to no avail.[aside postID=news_12057798 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/07/GettyImages-2003719181-1020x680.jpg']“It seems like it was nothing but a copy and paste response,” said Devins Baker, 36, who said he was deactivated the week before Christmas in 2024 after driving for Uber for years. “No matter what I sent, even going in person, just seems like they had already made a decision even prior to my appeal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker, an Oakland resident, said suddenly losing his Uber driver job left him scrambling to find another way to make money, so he could keep his housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The process actually has been very much of a headache,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area drivers with high ratings and years of experience said Uber account deactivations left them struggling to make ends meet. Mirwais Noory, a father of four living in Antioch, said he moved his family from one house to another because they couldn’t afford the rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since his termination in November 2024, he has worked as a security guard and part-time rideshare driver for Lyft, he said, but still owes thousands of dollars in credit card debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It affected me hugely because I’m the only one making money in my family,” said Noory, 38. “It just turned my situation upside down … and basically, there was no accountability from Uber.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A ride-hail driver organization alleged \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uber\">Uber\u003c/a> broke a California gig-worker law by failing to provide terminated drivers enough of a recourse to challenge account deactivations, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco. If successful, the complaint could open a way for workers in the industry to claim additional rights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Approved by voters in 2020, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11843123/prop-22-explained-why-gig-companies-are-spending-huge-money-on-an-unprecedented-measure\">Proposition 22\u003c/a> gave Uber a big win, allowing the company to classify its drivers as independent contractors — who are often cheaper to hire and easier to fire than employees. But attorneys for Rideshare Drivers United, which represents about 20,000 app-based drivers statewide, contend Uber terminated thousands of them without an appeals process required by that law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Uber has not held up its end of the bargain,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney for the group. “It has not complied with Prop. 22, and as a result, it should not get the benefit of Prop. 22, meaning that Uber should not be able to claim that the drivers are independent contractors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An Uber spokesperson rejected the allegations, slamming the lawsuit as a “publicity stunt” that the company will fight in court.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legal challenge represents the latest attempt in a years-long battle by gig workers to gain more labor protections. Independent contractors have more flexibility on the job, but lack employee rights such as overtime pay, unemployment insurance benefits and expense reimbursements. If the state court grants Rideshare Drivers United’s request to bar Uber from treating its drivers as independent contractors, they could then be entitled to employee protections, Liss-Riordan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11910763\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11910763\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/04/yes2-scaled-e1776791757748.jpg\" alt='A woman wearing sunglasses drives a car while holding a sign that says: \"Lyft and Uber we see you profiting off our back!\"' width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rideshare drivers protest outside Uber’s former headquarters on Market Street in downtown San Francisco on Aug. 27, 2019. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Gig Workers Rising)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The most \u003ca href=\"https://www.uber.com/us/en/drive/driver-app/deactivation-review/\">common reasons\u003c/a> drivers lose access to their accounts are an expired document or a background check issue, according to Uber. The company said it provides drivers with multiple channels to raise concerns, request reviews of deactivations, and provide evidence to support their case.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a baseless lawsuit by an opportunistic trial lawyer seeking to overturn Proposition 22 and the will of California voters,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “Uber complies with Prop 22, including providing drivers with clear processes to appeal deactivations, raise concerns and request reviews, while delivering guaranteed earnings, healthcare support, and the flexibility drivers value.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a press conference on the steps of the California Supreme Court building near Civic Center Plaza, several terminated drivers said Uber unfairly cut them off the platform, without sufficient explanation or a meaningful way to challenge the decision. They said they tried calling the company and interacting with its chatbots, to no avail.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It seems like it was nothing but a copy and paste response,” said Devins Baker, 36, who said he was deactivated the week before Christmas in 2024 after driving for Uber for years. “No matter what I sent, even going in person, just seems like they had already made a decision even prior to my appeal.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baker, an Oakland resident, said suddenly losing his Uber driver job left him scrambling to find another way to make money, so he could keep his housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The process actually has been very much of a headache,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Bay Area drivers with high ratings and years of experience said Uber account deactivations left them struggling to make ends meet. Mirwais Noory, a father of four living in Antioch, said he moved his family from one house to another because they couldn’t afford the rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since his termination in November 2024, he has worked as a security guard and part-time rideshare driver for Lyft, he said, but still owes thousands of dollars in credit card debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It affected me hugely because I’m the only one making money in my family,” said Noory, 38. “It just turned my situation upside down … and basically, there was no accountability from Uber.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Security officers from across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> rallied with labor leaders and officials on Thursday in downtown San Francisco, calling for better pay, improved labor standards and more comprehensive training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security officers represented by the Service Employees International Union are currently fighting to win a new contract, in hopes of securing benefits such as employer-paid health care, retirement and better working conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re dealing with bad, bad conditions,” said Latasha Reed, a security officer in San Leandro. “We have officers that [have] been slashed on their arm where they have to get 23 stitches. We have security officers that have been knocked down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally also championed proposed state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1203\">legislation\u003c/a> that aims to review pay and set enhanced training standards for private security officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Huerta, president of the SEIU, said there are over 330,000 private security guards compared to 90,000 badged police officers in California. This disparity often places a strain on security guards to act as first responders, despite receiving less training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Security officers drum and march behind an SEIU United Service Workers West banner during a rally demanding fair contracts, better pay and improved safety standards on April 16, 2026, at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/guard_fact.pdf\">currently \u003c/a>requires licensed guards to receive just 32 hours of training within six months of registration and an additional eight hours of yearly use-of-force and power to arrest training. This primarily happens online, without many opportunities for officers to ask questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s often insufficient practice for the complex, interpersonal tasks they’re asked to perform every day, said Charles Person, a security officer, union shop steward and member of the bargaining committee for the upcoming contract negotiation.[aside postID=news_12080047 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20250424_UCSFFILE_GC-12-KQED-1020x630.jpg']By comparison, the San Francisco Police Department requires a \u003ca href=\"https://www.joinsfpd.com/basic-academy\">34-week-long Basic Academy training\u003c/a> and an additional 40 hours of training every two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of training can have dire consequences. In June 2023, a security guard shot and killed 24-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952689/they-carry-weapons-so-why-dont-security-guards-have-to-get-use-of-force-training\">Banko Brown\u003c/a> after police said he shoplifted $14 worth of merchandise. Months after Brown’s death, the state began mandating use-of-force training for security guards. Earlier this year, a security officer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074645/san-francisco-security-guard-charged-with-murder-claims-self-defense\">shot\u003c/a> and killed a man in a Tenderloin parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the first line of defense,” Person said. “We’re the ones that respond to emergencies … but we’re being treated as if we’re not important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The private security industry predominantly employs Black and brown workers, often for substandard wages, officials said. In California, security guards had an annual mean wage of just \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes339032.ht\">$21.61\u003c/a> in 2023. By comparison, police officers have an annual mean wage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes333051.htm\">$53.74 \u003c/a>in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Fairfield resident, Person said that with gas and toll prices increasing, every time he commutes to his security work in Richmond, he gets “hit in the pocket.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their wages are well below what it takes to really be able to live and provide for their families, yet they’re protecting multi-billion dollar facilities,” Huerta said ahead of Thursday’s rally. “They’re protecting multi-building dollar companies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/epeppel\">\u003cem>Eliza Peppel \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to the report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Security officers from across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> rallied with labor leaders and officials on Thursday in downtown San Francisco, calling for better pay, improved labor standards and more comprehensive training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Security officers represented by the Service Employees International Union are currently fighting to win a new contract, in hopes of securing benefits such as employer-paid health care, retirement and better working conditions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re dealing with bad, bad conditions,” said Latasha Reed, a security officer in San Leandro. “We have officers that [have] been slashed on their arm where they have to get 23 stitches. We have security officers that have been knocked down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally also championed proposed state \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1203\">legislation\u003c/a> that aims to review pay and set enhanced training standards for private security officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>David Huerta, president of the SEIU, said there are over 330,000 private security guards compared to 90,000 badged police officers in California. This disparity often places a strain on security guards to act as first responders, despite receiving less training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12080329\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12080329\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041626SECURITY-PROTEST-FOLO_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Security officers drum and march behind an SEIU United Service Workers West banner during a rally demanding fair contracts, better pay and improved safety standards on April 16, 2026, at Mechanics Monument Plaza in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California \u003ca href=\"https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/guard_fact.pdf\">currently \u003c/a>requires licensed guards to receive just 32 hours of training within six months of registration and an additional eight hours of yearly use-of-force and power to arrest training. This primarily happens online, without many opportunities for officers to ask questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s often insufficient practice for the complex, interpersonal tasks they’re asked to perform every day, said Charles Person, a security officer, union shop steward and member of the bargaining committee for the upcoming contract negotiation.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>By comparison, the San Francisco Police Department requires a \u003ca href=\"https://www.joinsfpd.com/basic-academy\">34-week-long Basic Academy training\u003c/a> and an additional 40 hours of training every two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lack of training can have dire consequences. In June 2023, a security guard shot and killed 24-year-old \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952689/they-carry-weapons-so-why-dont-security-guards-have-to-get-use-of-force-training\">Banko Brown\u003c/a> after police said he shoplifted $14 worth of merchandise. Months after Brown’s death, the state began mandating use-of-force training for security guards. Earlier this year, a security officer \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074645/san-francisco-security-guard-charged-with-murder-claims-self-defense\">shot\u003c/a> and killed a man in a Tenderloin parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re the first line of defense,” Person said. “We’re the ones that respond to emergencies … but we’re being treated as if we’re not important.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The private security industry predominantly employs Black and brown workers, often for substandard wages, officials said. In California, security guards had an annual mean wage of just \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes339032.ht\">$21.61\u003c/a> in 2023. By comparison, police officers have an annual mean wage of \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes333051.htm\">$53.74 \u003c/a>in 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A Fairfield resident, Person said that with gas and toll prices increasing, every time he commutes to his security work in Richmond, he gets “hit in the pocket.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their wages are well below what it takes to really be able to live and provide for their families, yet they’re protecting multi-billion dollar facilities,” Huerta said ahead of Thursday’s rally. “They’re protecting multi-building dollar companies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/epeppel\">\u003cem>Eliza Peppel \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to the report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> patient care and service workers plan to walk off the job May 14 with no return date in sight, union officials announced Wednesday, after long contract negotiations have failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike would disrupt operations at UC campuses and medical facilities statewide in a historic move, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents some of the university’s lowest-paid employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will be incredibly hard on our families, but we know UC is proposing a future where workers’ rights are ignored and we fall further and further behind,” union president Michael Avant said at a press conference outside UCSF’s Mission Bay Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aren’t demanding millions of dollars in salaries like they give to the executives,” said Avant, who works transporting patients at UC San Diego’s health system. “We are asking for our employer, California’s third-largest employer, to bargain with us in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union representing about 42,000 cafeteria and custodial workers, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists and other employees has held five \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028446/tens-of-thousands-uc-workers-strike-disrupting-campuses-hospitals-labs\">short walkouts\u003c/a> at UC during more than two years of bargaining. Avant said those previous work stoppages failed to move the university on workers’ top issues: housing affordability and health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AFSCME patient care employees have been working without a contract since August 2024, and service workers since November of that year. As housing and health care costs rise, many of the employees are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064357/uc-service-workers-strike-saying-wages-arent-enough-to-afford-cost-of-living\">struggling to make ends meet\u003c/a>, union officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, university representatives rejected the union’s accusations of unfair labor practices and said the UC system remained committed to giving employees wage increases and other benefits as quickly as possible, recognizing the cost-of-living challenges that many of its workers face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California remains focused on reaching an agreement that delivers real, immediate benefits for employees and is sustainable over the long term,” the \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-highlights-323-pay-proposal-urges-continued-bargaining-following-afscme-strike-notice\">statement\u003c/a> said. “We are disappointed that AFSCME is moving toward an open-ended strike despite the significant progress made at the bargaining table.”[aside postID=news_12064357 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-08-BL.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining began in January 2024, the university said it has proposed to increase total pay by 32.3% through 2029, adding that the hourly wage for its lowest-paid employees was raised to $25 last year. UC has also offered workers a bonus of up to $1,000, extra payments for long-serving employees, and monthly stipends and other measures to help manage rising health care costs. More than 16,000 AFSCME members pay less than $100 a month in health care premiums, the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This represents substantial movement and a good-faith effort to respond directly to employee priorities,” the university said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives said UC’s total pay raise offer was in reality lower, slamming the 32.3% figure as based on “fuzzy math.” They argued that the university proposals have made an affordability crisis worse, including for workers living in homeless shelters and out of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liz Perlman, executive director of AFSCME Local 3299, said UC has unilaterally increased health care premiums for employees, sometimes doubling their costs. The university has also refused to discuss a union proposal to provide emergency financial assistance to workers at risk of eviction or foreclosure, based on a program already in place at UC Davis, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members don’t eat percentages; they pay gas with dollars. Right now they are choosing between buying inhalers and buying a tank of gas,” said Perlman, adding that members earn $62,000 a year on average. “Your take-home pay is going to be so small … We live on so few dollars that any increase is putting people at a breaking point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> patient care and service workers plan to walk off the job May 14 with no return date in sight, union officials announced Wednesday, after long contract negotiations have failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike would disrupt operations at UC campuses and medical facilities statewide in a historic move, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents some of the university’s lowest-paid employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It will be incredibly hard on our families, but we know UC is proposing a future where workers’ rights are ignored and we fall further and further behind,” union president Michael Avant said at a press conference outside UCSF’s Mission Bay Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We aren’t demanding millions of dollars in salaries like they give to the executives,” said Avant, who works transporting patients at UC San Diego’s health system. “We are asking for our employer, California’s third-largest employer, to bargain with us in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union representing about 42,000 cafeteria and custodial workers, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists and other employees has held five \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12028446/tens-of-thousands-uc-workers-strike-disrupting-campuses-hospitals-labs\">short walkouts\u003c/a> at UC during more than two years of bargaining. Avant said those previous work stoppages failed to move the university on workers’ top issues: housing affordability and health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>AFSCME patient care employees have been working without a contract since August 2024, and service workers since November of that year. As housing and health care costs rise, many of the employees are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064357/uc-service-workers-strike-saying-wages-arent-enough-to-afford-cost-of-living\">struggling to make ends meet\u003c/a>, union officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, university representatives rejected the union’s accusations of unfair labor practices and said the UC system remained committed to giving employees wage increases and other benefits as quickly as possible, recognizing the cost-of-living challenges that many of its workers face.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The University of California remains focused on reaching an agreement that delivers real, immediate benefits for employees and is sustainable over the long term,” the \u003ca href=\"https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-highlights-323-pay-proposal-urges-continued-bargaining-following-afscme-strike-notice\">statement\u003c/a> said. “We are disappointed that AFSCME is moving toward an open-ended strike despite the significant progress made at the bargaining table.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining began in January 2024, the university said it has proposed to increase total pay by 32.3% through 2029, adding that the hourly wage for its lowest-paid employees was raised to $25 last year. UC has also offered workers a bonus of up to $1,000, extra payments for long-serving employees, and monthly stipends and other measures to help manage rising health care costs. More than 16,000 AFSCME members pay less than $100 a month in health care premiums, the statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This represents substantial movement and a good-faith effort to respond directly to employee priorities,” the university said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives said UC’s total pay raise offer was in reality lower, slamming the 32.3% figure as based on “fuzzy math.” They argued that the university proposals have made an affordability crisis worse, including for workers living in homeless shelters and out of their cars.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Liz Perlman, executive director of AFSCME Local 3299, said UC has unilaterally increased health care premiums for employees, sometimes doubling their costs. The university has also refused to discuss a union proposal to provide emergency financial assistance to workers at risk of eviction or foreclosure, based on a program already in place at UC Davis, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our members don’t eat percentages; they pay gas with dollars. Right now they are choosing between buying inhalers and buying a tank of gas,” said Perlman, adding that members earn $62,000 a year on average. “Your take-home pay is going to be so small … We live on so few dollars that any increase is putting people at a breaking point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-fabricators-face-artificial-stone-ban-as-silicosis-cases-mount",
"title": "California Fabricators Face Possible Artificial Stone Ban as Silicosis Cases Mount",
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"headTitle": "California Fabricators Face Possible Artificial Stone Ban as Silicosis Cases Mount | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>As artificial stone became the top countertop material in the U.S. over the last decade, fabricator Gino Scolari told KQED he’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect his employees from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064693/california-doctors-urge-ban-on-engineered-stone-as-silicosis-cases-surge\">an incurable lung disease\u003c/a> linked to the factory-made product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial stone, also known as quartz or engineered stone, now makes up most of the business at Scolari Marble and Granite, after overtaking natural stones in popularity. To keep workers from inhaling toxic silica dust generated when cutting quartz, Scolari invested in automated machines that slice stone slabs under a layer of water, sophisticated personal protective equipment, strict clean-up practices, silica air monitoring and other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think you can get any more stringent on our protocols right now,” said Scolari, 64, observing workers at his Vallejo facility polish quartz countertop edges while wearing powered-air purifying respirators. “We’re on the guys constantly. That is probably 80% of the fight is making sure the guys follow through with all their protection and standards and just following the protocols.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as companies invest heavily to comply with California’s strict silica rules, a looming regulatory decision could upend the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California regulators are weighing whether to effectively ban the fabrication of artificial stone amid mounting evidence that even rigorous safety measures may not protect workers from silicosis, an aggressive and often fatal lung disease. The decision could reshape a multibillion-dollar industry while determining whether thousands of workers remain at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As silicosis disables hundreds of stonecutters statewide, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a medical association’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-609.html\">petition\u003c/a> to prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica at its meeting on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana polishes a countertop at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A final decision on whether to advance the proposal is expected next month \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">amid fierce industry opposition\u003c/a>. A yes vote would kickstart a rulemaking process, meaning it could be months or years before any ban is fully approved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the problem lies with unlicensed fabricators violating safety requirements, not the material itself. A major U.S. manufacturer and industry representatives are pushing instead to restrict quartz’s supply to only certified fabrication businesses. But worker advocates say research now shows that crystalline silica particles released by artificial stone are more dangerous than previously known, and that even people at compliant shops risk contracting silicosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fabricators are in a very difficult position because they’re dealing with what I would characterize as an inherently hazardous product. And yet this is what has evolved into the majority of their business,” said David Harrington, a retired Cal/OSHA officer who worked with Scolari and other motivated fabrication business owners to help them comply with the silica regulations.[aside postID=news_12064693 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251115-DEADLY-LUNG-DISEASE-MD-01-KQED-1.jpg']Artificial stone can contain more than 90% silica, which researchers deem uniquely toxic. Keeping exposures low enough at all times is extremely difficult, according to Harrington. Wet routers and saws may temporarily allow dust to become airborne, workers may not always wear the right respirators, and forklift drivers can carry silica residue in their tracks to unsuspecting workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the current Cal/OSHA rules, which require the wet cutting of artificial stone to limit dust exposure and other steps, significantly reduces airborne silica particles, according to Harrington. But even if all operations complied, it wouldn’t be enough to prevent some stoneworkers from being overexposed to the hazard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe you slow down the rate of disease, but you’re still going to have people working in this industry who are going to develop silicosis,” said Harrington, who spoke before regulators in support of a ban in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, the only state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">actively tracking\u003c/a> silicosis cases in the industry, confirmed more than 540 stoneworkers have contracted the incurable disease since 2019, most of them Latino immigrants. Dozens have undergone lung transplants, and 29 died. Some of the sick workers, who now need oxygen machines to breathe, are only \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956246/california-fast-tracks-rules-to-protect-stonecutters-from-horrible-deaths\">in their 20s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases have also been reported in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Utah \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067166/health-emergency-california-doctors-urge-ban-of-countertop-material-linked-to-deadly-disease\">and other states\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana wears a monitor that measures his silica exposure while working polishing countertops at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Occupational doctors proposing that California prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone believe it would encourage consumers and builders to use safer substitutes. Some quartz manufacturers have started selling products with low or no crystalline silica in the U.S. and Australia, the first country to ban high-silica artificial stone in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Scolari, phasing out the dominant material in the countertop industry would be a “huge shock,” but fabricators like himself would simply adapt, he said. He agrees that reducing the level of toxic silica in all quartz countertop products would help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If one company can do it, make a zero silica content quartz or whatever they’re gonna call it, then yeah, I think they should all go to that. Why not? It just makes sense,” said Scolari, who has worked in the slab fabrication business for about 40 years, when customers preferred granite and marble, which are generally considered safer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078375\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078375 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gino Scolari at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As things stand now, Cal/OSHA inspectors say they don’t have the capacity to visit roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/fabops.aspx\">1,300 fabrication operations\u003c/a> statewide, but evidence suggests many shops are not following the rules. Out of the more than 130 shops the division has inspected, 94% had violations, according to Eric Berg, a top Cal/OSHA official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlicensed fabricators have a financial incentive to work on artificial stone without purchasing tools to implement the required protections, Scolari said. People can earn $2,000 or more per day while cutting slabs dry, in front of someone’s house or backyard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a lot of money. It’s very tempting. So I think the only thing that I think we could do industry-wide … controlling access to it. Or just banning it outright. Just get rid of it,” said Scolari, adding that workers’ compensation insurance costs have increased due to the silicosis crisis. “Personally, I think regulating it is the correct way. But if you’re gonna ban it, then let’s ban it and move on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078371\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs warn of the risk of silica dust exposure at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Silicosis, an ancient occupational disease among miners and stonemasons, resurfaced in an accelerated form in the U.S., coinciding with the explosion in popularity of artificial stone. Quartz, which is stain-resistant and cheaper than natural stones, can be produced in attractive designs and colors. Once installed, it’s safe for consumers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the combination of crystalline silica powder with resins, dyes and other quartz ingredients is powerfully toxic, said Dr. Robert Blink, a former president of the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association, which petitioned for the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silica particles generated during fabrication and installation processes are so tiny that they lodge deep into the lungs and cause progressive scarring. To handle artificial stone safely, workers would need to wear a Level A hazmat suit, or “spacesuit,” which is generally unworkable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers at Scolari Marble & Granite select a slab for cutting in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Humans really can’t work this material safely. You need a robot,” Blink told regulators at a recent meeting. “There may be problems with other materials, there always have been, but it’s nothing as dangerous as this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vocal opponent of the petition is Cambria, the largest U.S. manufacturer of artificial stone. Other large quartz manufacturers facing hundreds of lawsuits by sick workers, like Israel-based Caesarstone or Cosentino, which is headquartered in Spain, have developed alternative products with lower or no crystalline silica. But Cambria has not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Minnesota-based company, which also runs its own fabrication shops, supports establishing an industry-led \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070138/stone-industry-proposes-self-policing-as-california-weighs-artificial-stone-ban\">certification program\u003c/a>. State Assemblymember Phillip Chen, who represents parts of Orange and San Bernardino counties, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2137\">a bill\u003c/a> that would require Cal/OSHA to develop a certification process by Jan. 2028.[aside postID=news_12070138 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/StoneWorkerGetty2.jpg']“We know compliant stone fabrication is happening in good shops. It’s possible. It’s feasible. Because we do it,” Rebecca Schult, chief legal counsel at Cambria, told regulators at a meeting last month. “There are no spacesuits, I assure you. There are real human workers, hundreds of them, working with us for over 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Schult testified at a congressional hearing in support of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">federal bill\u003c/a> that would immunize artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers from liability, by prohibiting civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products. The bill, by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., would also dismiss pending lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a recent event attended by a law firm representing about 400 stonecutters claiming silica-related injuries in California and 15 other states, a former large-scale fabricator doubted a certification program would stop the rise of silicosis in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aki Vourakis, who ran one of the largest stone fabrication companies in the U.S., said Aegean Stoneworks was repeatedly recognized by major quartz manufacturers and suppliers, yet at least eight of his workers developed silicosis. One died in 2025, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I tell you that even one of the best-run, best-capitalized, award-winning shop in the country cannot keep its workers safe, you should understand what that means for the thousands of smaller, less sophisticated operations across the country,” said Vourakis, now a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thealphaconsultinggroup.com/about\">consultant to attorneys \u003c/a>specializing in silica exposure and engineered stone fabrication and installation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>As artificial stone became the top countertop material in the U.S. over the last decade, fabricator Gino Scolari told KQED he’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to protect his employees from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064693/california-doctors-urge-ban-on-engineered-stone-as-silicosis-cases-surge\">an incurable lung disease\u003c/a> linked to the factory-made product.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Artificial stone, also known as quartz or engineered stone, now makes up most of the business at Scolari Marble and Granite, after overtaking natural stones in popularity. To keep workers from inhaling toxic silica dust generated when cutting quartz, Scolari invested in automated machines that slice stone slabs under a layer of water, sophisticated personal protective equipment, strict clean-up practices, silica air monitoring and other measures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t think you can get any more stringent on our protocols right now,” said Scolari, 64, observing workers at his Vallejo facility polish quartz countertop edges while wearing powered-air purifying respirators. “We’re on the guys constantly. That is probably 80% of the fight is making sure the guys follow through with all their protection and standards and just following the protocols.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as companies invest heavily to comply with California’s strict silica rules, a looming regulatory decision could upend the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California regulators are weighing whether to effectively ban the fabrication of artificial stone amid mounting evidence that even rigorous safety measures may not protect workers from silicosis, an aggressive and often fatal lung disease. The decision could reshape a multibillion-dollar industry while determining whether thousands of workers remain at risk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As silicosis disables hundreds of stonecutters statewide, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is considering a medical association’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition-609.html\">petition\u003c/a> to prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica at its meeting on Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078364\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078364\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana polishes a countertop at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A final decision on whether to advance the proposal is expected next month \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">amid fierce industry opposition\u003c/a>. A yes vote would kickstart a rulemaking process, meaning it could be months or years before any ban is fully approved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents argue that the problem lies with unlicensed fabricators violating safety requirements, not the material itself. A major U.S. manufacturer and industry representatives are pushing instead to restrict quartz’s supply to only certified fabrication businesses. But worker advocates say research now shows that crystalline silica particles released by artificial stone are more dangerous than previously known, and that even people at compliant shops risk contracting silicosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fabricators are in a very difficult position because they’re dealing with what I would characterize as an inherently hazardous product. And yet this is what has evolved into the majority of their business,” said David Harrington, a retired Cal/OSHA officer who worked with Scolari and other motivated fabrication business owners to help them comply with the silica regulations.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Artificial stone can contain more than 90% silica, which researchers deem uniquely toxic. Keeping exposures low enough at all times is extremely difficult, according to Harrington. Wet routers and saws may temporarily allow dust to become airborne, workers may not always wear the right respirators, and forklift drivers can carry silica residue in their tracks to unsuspecting workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the current Cal/OSHA rules, which require the wet cutting of artificial stone to limit dust exposure and other steps, significantly reduces airborne silica particles, according to Harrington. But even if all operations complied, it wouldn’t be enough to prevent some stoneworkers from being overexposed to the hazard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Maybe you slow down the rate of disease, but you’re still going to have people working in this industry who are going to develop silicosis,” said Harrington, who spoke before regulators in support of a ban in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California, the only state \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/essdashboard.aspx\">actively tracking\u003c/a> silicosis cases in the industry, confirmed more than 540 stoneworkers have contracted the incurable disease since 2019, most of them Latino immigrants. Dozens have undergone lung transplants, and 29 died. Some of the sick workers, who now need oxygen machines to breathe, are only \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11956246/california-fast-tracks-rules-to-protect-stonecutters-from-horrible-deaths\">in their 20s\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cases have also been reported in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Utah \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067166/health-emergency-california-doctors-urge-ban-of-countertop-material-linked-to-deadly-disease\">and other states\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078365\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carlos Orellana wears a monitor that measures his silica exposure while working polishing countertops at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Occupational doctors proposing that California prohibit the fabrication of artificial stone believe it would encourage consumers and builders to use safer substitutes. Some quartz manufacturers have started selling products with low or no crystalline silica in the U.S. and Australia, the first country to ban high-silica artificial stone in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Scolari, phasing out the dominant material in the countertop industry would be a “huge shock,” but fabricators like himself would simply adapt, he said. He agrees that reducing the level of toxic silica in all quartz countertop products would help.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If one company can do it, make a zero silica content quartz or whatever they’re gonna call it, then yeah, I think they should all go to that. Why not? It just makes sense,” said Scolari, who has worked in the slab fabrication business for about 40 years, when customers preferred granite and marble, which are generally considered safer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078375\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078375 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-27-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gino Scolari at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As things stand now, Cal/OSHA inspectors say they don’t have the capacity to visit roughly \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DEODC/OHB/Pages/fabops.aspx\">1,300 fabrication operations\u003c/a> statewide, but evidence suggests many shops are not following the rules. Out of the more than 130 shops the division has inspected, 94% had violations, according to Eric Berg, a top Cal/OSHA official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlicensed fabricators have a financial incentive to work on artificial stone without purchasing tools to implement the required protections, Scolari said. People can earn $2,000 or more per day while cutting slabs dry, in front of someone’s house or backyard, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a lot of money. It’s very tempting. So I think the only thing that I think we could do industry-wide … controlling access to it. Or just banning it outright. Just get rid of it,” said Scolari, adding that workers’ compensation insurance costs have increased due to the silicosis crisis. “Personally, I think regulating it is the correct way. But if you’re gonna ban it, then let’s ban it and move on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078371\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078371\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-19-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signs warn of the risk of silica dust exposure at Scolari Marble & Granite in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Silicosis, an ancient occupational disease among miners and stonemasons, resurfaced in an accelerated form in the U.S., coinciding with the explosion in popularity of artificial stone. Quartz, which is stain-resistant and cheaper than natural stones, can be produced in attractive designs and colors. Once installed, it’s safe for consumers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the combination of crystalline silica powder with resins, dyes and other quartz ingredients is powerfully toxic, said Dr. Robert Blink, a former president of the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association, which petitioned for the ban.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The silica particles generated during fabrication and installation processes are so tiny that they lodge deep into the lungs and cause progressive scarring. To handle artificial stone safely, workers would need to wear a Level A hazmat suit, or “spacesuit,” which is generally unworkable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260331-PETITION-TO-BAN-ENGINEERED-STONE-USE-MD-09-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers at Scolari Marble & Granite select a slab for cutting in Vallejo on March 31, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Humans really can’t work this material safely. You need a robot,” Blink told regulators at a recent meeting. “There may be problems with other materials, there always have been, but it’s nothing as dangerous as this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A vocal opponent of the petition is Cambria, the largest U.S. manufacturer of artificial stone. Other large quartz manufacturers facing hundreds of lawsuits by sick workers, like Israel-based Caesarstone or Cosentino, which is headquartered in Spain, have developed alternative products with lower or no crystalline silica. But Cambria has not.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Minnesota-based company, which also runs its own fabrication shops, supports establishing an industry-led \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070138/stone-industry-proposes-self-policing-as-california-weighs-artificial-stone-ban\">certification program\u003c/a>. State Assemblymember Phillip Chen, who represents parts of Orange and San Bernardino counties, introduced \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2137\">a bill\u003c/a> that would require Cal/OSHA to develop a certification process by Jan. 2028.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We know compliant stone fabrication is happening in good shops. It’s possible. It’s feasible. Because we do it,” Rebecca Schult, chief legal counsel at Cambria, told regulators at a meeting last month. “There are no spacesuits, I assure you. There are real human workers, hundreds of them, working with us for over 20 years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In January, Schult testified at a congressional hearing in support of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069714/as-california-silicosis-cases-rise-engineered-stone-industry-seeks-immunity-in-dc\">federal bill\u003c/a> that would immunize artificial stone manufacturers and suppliers from liability, by prohibiting civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products. The bill, by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., would also dismiss pending lawsuits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a recent event attended by a law firm representing about 400 stonecutters claiming silica-related injuries in California and 15 other states, a former large-scale fabricator doubted a certification program would stop the rise of silicosis in the industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Aki Vourakis, who ran one of the largest stone fabrication companies in the U.S., said Aegean Stoneworks was repeatedly recognized by major quartz manufacturers and suppliers, yet at least eight of his workers developed silicosis. One died in 2025, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I tell you that even one of the best-run, best-capitalized, award-winning shop in the country cannot keep its workers safe, you should understand what that means for the thousands of smaller, less sophisticated operations across the country,” said Vourakis, now a \u003ca href=\"https://www.thealphaconsultinggroup.com/about\">consultant to attorneys \u003c/a>specializing in silica exposure and engineered stone fabrication and installation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "sfs-presidio-will-continue-to-run-normally-after-trump-fires-board-officials-say",
"title": "SF’s Presidio ‘Will Continue to Run Normally’ After Trump Fires Board, Officials Say",
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"headTitle": "SF’s Presidio ‘Will Continue to Run Normally’ After Trump Fires Board, Officials Say | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco officials and representatives of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/presidio\">Presidio\u003c/a> Trust are hopeful that little will change for the famous national park site after President Donald Trump fired the entire board that oversees it last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Joe Biden appointed all six members of the Presidio Trust board. A seventh seat, which is supposed to be filled by a Department of the Interior appointee, was already vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board members’ firing was “expected,” said Lisa Petrie, a spokesperson for the trust — as is their coming replacement by Trump appointees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve expected a board transition for a year, as the board is appointed by the President,” Petrie wrote in a statement. “The terms of three of our board members had expired nearly a year ago, and we fully anticipated a change in the board around this time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following their firing, several former board members expressed appreciation for their time with the Presidio Trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been a passion and a pleasure to serve on the board of the Presidio Trust,” former Chair Mark Buell wrote. “The Presidio is the most successful example of a Post to Park conversion in the country and should serve as a model for others.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12028302 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1536x1044.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1920x1305.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A jogger runs on Crissy Field at Presidio of San Francisco on Feb. 20, 2025, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Presidio Trust, which Congress formed in 1996 to manage and protect the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972756/the-hidden-history-of-fort-scott-in-san-franciscos-presidio\">historic 1,500-acre park\u003c/a> on the site of a former Army base that looks out on the Golden Gate Bridge, has been a target of Trump’s since he took office last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was one of four agencies named in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027864/trump-moves-slash-presidio-trust-agency-runs-historic-sf-park\">Trump’s February 2025 “Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” executive order\u003c/a>, which calls for shrinking agencies that the administration deems unnecessary to “minimize government waste and abuse.” They were ordered to eliminate their non-statutory operations “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” and reduce their statutory function to the minimum required by law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Presidio doesn’t rely on federal funding for its operations. It was created by the Presidio Trust Act, which gives it power to manage properties — and, therefore, the ability to sustain itself using the revenue from its rents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Presidio hasn’t received regular appropriations from Congress since 2013. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029839/san-franciscos-presidio-trust-defends-existence-response-trump-order\">A report filed last year in response\u003c/a> to Trump’s executive order defended the trust’s work and explained its financial independence.[aside postID=news_12027864 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/DSC_1576_qed-1-1020x676.jpg']“So I think that understanding will make all the difference,” said Christine Lehnertz, CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, which works closely with the Presidio Trust. “There’s not a budget to cut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, whose district includes the Presidio, said he is surprised the president didn’t fire the board sooner, as half of their terms were set to expire nearly a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said it’s thanks to work by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who helped create the Presidio Trust, that the organization can survive Trump’s budget attacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi wrote in a statement to KQED that she is disappointed by the firings but said “previous Republican appointees to the Board have respected the Presidio,” and she hopes Trump’s will do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regardless of any new Board’s composition, I have every confidence that the Presidio Trust will continue to be protected by the strength of the legislation which created it,” Pelosi wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new members of the board have yet to be appointed, but according to Petrie, the park’s operations will not be affected by being without a board temporarily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The park and the agency will continue to run normally,” Petrie wrote. “The board provides overall governance and major policy decisions, but staff manage daily park operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sherrill said he plans to hold the new board members accountable, whoever they may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to see people who love the Presidio, who believe in conservation, who have strong fiscal management, and who really love San Francisco and understand the importance of the Presidio to not only San Franciscans, but to the 7 million visitors nationwide who come through the gates,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House did not commit to a timeline for the appointment of new board members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The firings of all six Presidio Trust board members should change little for the famous national park site, officials said, though the White House has not yet announced new appointees.",
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"title": "SF’s Presidio ‘Will Continue to Run Normally’ After Trump Fires Board, Officials Say | KQED",
"description": "The firings of all six Presidio Trust board members should change little for the famous national park site, officials said, though the White House has not yet announced new appointees.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco officials and representatives of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/presidio\">Presidio\u003c/a> Trust are hopeful that little will change for the famous national park site after President Donald Trump fired the entire board that oversees it last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>President Joe Biden appointed all six members of the Presidio Trust board. A seventh seat, which is supposed to be filled by a Department of the Interior appointee, was already vacant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The board members’ firing was “expected,” said Lisa Petrie, a spokesperson for the trust — as is their coming replacement by Trump appointees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve expected a board transition for a year, as the board is appointed by the President,” Petrie wrote in a statement. “The terms of three of our board members had expired nearly a year ago, and we fully anticipated a change in the board around this time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Following their firing, several former board members expressed appreciation for their time with the Presidio Trust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been a passion and a pleasure to serve on the board of the Presidio Trust,” former Chair Mark Buell wrote. “The Presidio is the most successful example of a Post to Park conversion in the country and should serve as a model for others.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028302\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12028302 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1359\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-800x544.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1020x693.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-160x109.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1536x1044.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/PresidioSFGetty-1920x1305.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A jogger runs on Crissy Field at Presidio of San Francisco on Feb. 20, 2025, in San Francisco, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Presidio Trust, which Congress formed in 1996 to manage and protect the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11972756/the-hidden-history-of-fort-scott-in-san-franciscos-presidio\">historic 1,500-acre park\u003c/a> on the site of a former Army base that looks out on the Golden Gate Bridge, has been a target of Trump’s since he took office last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was one of four agencies named in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027864/trump-moves-slash-presidio-trust-agency-runs-historic-sf-park\">Trump’s February 2025 “Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” executive order\u003c/a>, which calls for shrinking agencies that the administration deems unnecessary to “minimize government waste and abuse.” They were ordered to eliminate their non-statutory operations “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” and reduce their statutory function to the minimum required by law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the Presidio doesn’t rely on federal funding for its operations. It was created by the Presidio Trust Act, which gives it power to manage properties — and, therefore, the ability to sustain itself using the revenue from its rents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, the Presidio hasn’t received regular appropriations from Congress since 2013. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12029839/san-franciscos-presidio-trust-defends-existence-response-trump-order\">A report filed last year in response\u003c/a> to Trump’s executive order defended the trust’s work and explained its financial independence.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“So I think that understanding will make all the difference,” said Christine Lehnertz, CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, which works closely with the Presidio Trust. “There’s not a budget to cut.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, San Francisco Supervisor Stephen Sherrill, whose district includes the Presidio, said he is surprised the president didn’t fire the board sooner, as half of their terms were set to expire nearly a year ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said it’s thanks to work by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who helped create the Presidio Trust, that the organization can survive Trump’s budget attacks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pelosi wrote in a statement to KQED that she is disappointed by the firings but said “previous Republican appointees to the Board have respected the Presidio,” and she hopes Trump’s will do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Regardless of any new Board’s composition, I have every confidence that the Presidio Trust will continue to be protected by the strength of the legislation which created it,” Pelosi wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new members of the board have yet to be appointed, but according to Petrie, the park’s operations will not be affected by being without a board temporarily.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The park and the agency will continue to run normally,” Petrie wrote. “The board provides overall governance and major policy decisions, but staff manage daily park operations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sherrill said he plans to hold the new board members accountable, whoever they may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want to see people who love the Presidio, who believe in conservation, who have strong fiscal management, and who really love San Francisco and understand the importance of the Presidio to not only San Franciscans, but to the 7 million visitors nationwide who come through the gates,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The White House did not commit to a timeline for the appointment of new board members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "when-teachers-cant-afford-to-live-in-the-bay-area-districts-get-into-the-housing-game",
"title": "When Teachers Can’t Afford to Live in the Bay Area, Districts Get Into the Housing Game",
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"headTitle": "When Teachers Can’t Afford to Live in the Bay Area, Districts Get Into the Housing Game | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Ms. Hernandez’s son began to ask her where he would attend high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His curiosity brought forward a bigger question looming in her mind: Was their family going to be able to stay in San Francisco at all?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m sorry, baby, but I don’t know,” she told her middle-schooler. “I don’t know if we’re going to continue to be living in the city; things are going to be too expensive here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> paraeducator and her husband had lived in the Bay Area for two decades, mostly in the city. For the last 10 years, they’d shared a two-bedroom apartment in the Outer Mission, paying about $3,000 a month in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building was aging, the family was growing tired of struggles with their landlord, and they wanted to be in a neighborhood that felt safer. For years, though, finding another apartment in their price range seemed impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At one point we even wondered if we wanted to stay here or move even across the country,” Hernandez, who asked to be identified by only her last name because of ongoing litigation with a previous landlord, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Multiple affordable housing applications had gotten her no further than long waiting lists and only a few calls back to apply. Then, in May, MidPen Housing called to say her family had been selected for a unit in a new affordable housing development that gives priority to school district staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079592 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shirley Chisholm Village, an affordable housing development that gives priority to San Francisco Unified School District educators, on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I felt like I was dreaming,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hernandez remembers picking her son up from school after they got the keys, ordering pizza and bringing him to the building near Ocean Beach as a surprise. “This is going to be your new house,” she told him, hopeful that he’d attend high school in their new neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new, five-story apartment building, nestled between the Sunset District’s signature two-story single-family homes and a burgeoning number of neighborhood restaurants, bookstores and coffee shops, is now home to more than 100 SFUSD employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.midpen-housing.org/shirley-chisholm-village/\">Shirley Chisholm Village development\u003c/a> sprang from a partnership between the school district and the city’s affordable housing program that was announced in 2015. It’s part of a growing number of teacher housing projects cropping up throughout the Bay Area as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">cost of living in the region continues to climb\u003c/a>, often outpacing the salaries of essential education workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Sarah Karlinsky, the director of research and policy at UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation, the trend follows many universities and public sector employers, who have provided housing options for decades — both because of sky-high costs and a shortage of units in urban areas.[aside postID=news_12075761 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00263_TV-KQED.jpg']“Many of us are familiar with this idea of the ‘company town,’” she said. “When there’s a large-scale employer and they want to make sure they can attract talent and workers … they need to ensure their workers have housing. Even if you think about building the railroads, large infrastructure projects involve thinking about where workers might live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, even companies in higher-paying sectors like tech have sought to help house their employees because of the lack of housing stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts are among the latest to pursue the model as they find themselves with vacant properties and employees who say they can’t afford to live near work or, in some cases, stay in the profession.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarita Lavin, an ethnic studies teacher at George Washington High School, has worked in SFUSD for five years and lived in San Francisco for more than 10, but she said that before she moved into Shirley Chisholm Village, she was considering leaving both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’d lived with roommates for a decade, navigating the usual cohabitating strifes like dirty dishes in the sink and uninvited guests, as well as some less common circumstances — like a pet reptile on the loose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing like opening a cabinet and having a six-foot African king snake looking at you,” Lavin said. “That was the big moment where I was like, ‘Maybe it’s time for me to really start thinking about independent living.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin said the Sunset District apartment, which is considered affordable, still costs more than half of her monthly take-home income at about $2,500 a month. But it’s a far cry from the rates she saw on Craigslist and Zillow when she started looking at studios and one-bedrooms. Those, which she said could top $3,000, are “totally out of the price range for teachers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079591 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shirley Chisholm Village has units designated for various income levels between 40% to 120% of the area median income, with priority to San Francisco Unified School District educators. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She makes the cost work in part because it was important to her to stay in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just felt like a place where my family had roots in the U.S.,” said Lavin, whose mother immigrated from Guatemala to Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin grew up in Oakland but moved to the Inland Empire at 11, after her family was priced out. She said they spent a lot of their time in San Francisco, though, so she felt drawn to move here more than a decade ago to attend college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her last apartment, Lavin paid $1,100 a month, plus about $200 to $300 in utilities, for a room with two roommates — a low outlier among city rents, because the three tenants split the cost of their space equitably based on their salaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as she got older, it became increasingly important to have her own space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was really thinking, if I can’t get this place, then I might want to start looking outside of San Francisco, move maybe out to the East Bay and leave SFUSD, because it’s just too unaffordable to live here,” Lavin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I kind of feel like maybe I don’t need an exit strategy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Seeing results, but challenges remain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Throughout the 2010s, Jefferson Union High School District was losing and replacing about 25% of its employees every year across its five campuses in Daly City and Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we surveyed our staff, we found that the number one reason that they were leaving our district was long commutes and housing affordability,” said Denise Shreve, the district’s director of housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jefferson Union, the lowest-funded high school district in San Mateo County, “had to be creative” to retain teachers and recruit new ones, Shreve said. That led to a plan to build affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, the district was one of the first in the nation to pass a bond measure to fund affordable teacher housing, generating about $33 million. Shreve said it borrowed an additional $40 million or so through certificates of participation, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofparticipation.asp\">form of municipal financing\u003c/a> often used as an alternative to traditional voter-approved bonds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district broke ground in 2020 on a 122-unit development at its Serramonte Del Rey campus in Daly City, which opened in 2022 with all of its one- to three-bedroom units filled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just two years later, the district began the school year without any job openings. “We were completely, fully staffed. Before we had staff housing, that was unheard of,” Shreve said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other districts across the Bay Area have also pursued similar projects in recent years. Neighboring Jefferson Elementary School District opened 56 apartments for staff in 2024. Santa Clara Unified School District was one of the first in the state to provide housing for teachers, constructing 40 units in 2001 and 30 more in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, an Oakland nonprofit announced it had purchased an apartment complex that it would turn into housing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078453/one-way-to-help-oakland-teachers-salaries-go-further-affordable-housing\">Oakland Unified School District employees\u003c/a>, pricing units at 30% of their household income. The 33-unit building in the Temescal District is the first that the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation’s Rooted program has acquired as part of its effort to purchase 150 residential units in the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When SFUSD began work on the Shirley Chisholm development, it cited many of the same challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, more than 64% of district teachers surveyed said they spent more than 30% of their income on rent, and about 15% spent 50% or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079588\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079588\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Shayla Putnam walks through a courtyard at Shirley Chisholm Village on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a resolution committing to pursue workforce housing that was passed the previous year, the San Francisco school board said, “High housing costs are a significant contributing factor to SFUSD educators’ ability to remain in San Francisco and remain employed with SFUSD, risking dire and unpredictable negative effects on the quality of SFUSD education when educators can no longer afford to live here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, workforce housing has not completely solved the problem for teachers in areas with a high cost of living. For those like Lavin, even an affordable housing unit can take up a large chunk of their take-home salary. And in San Francisco, many teachers, especially those with more experience, make too much to qualify for some of the units in Shirley Chisholm Village.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building has units designated for various income levels between 40% to 120% of the area median income. For a single person, that equates to an annual salary between $41,130 and $130,900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, fully credentialed \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/labor-partners/uesf-certificated#78271\">teacher salaries\u003c/a> ranged from $81,350 to $134,762, meaning that even entry-level teachers are ineligible for 34 of the affordable apartments. And as educators — especially those with more post-college credits — gain seniority, they surpass the income threshold for more units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While SFUSD educators have priority for the building, about 10% of its units are occupied by non-SFUSD renters, most of whom have priority for specially designed ADA units. Of the 115 units that house SFUSD employees, many are occupied by support staffers who make lower salaries, such as paraeducators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the district’s housing is operated in partnership with the city, residents have to go through San Francisco’s affordable housing lottery to apply for a unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin and Hernandez said that the process took months, and they had to provide a lot of information that the district already knows, like income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of these issues are less pervasive in districts like Jefferson Union, which operates its housing independently, with the help of a property manager. It designates about two-thirds of its units for certificated teachers, while the rest are available to paraeducators and other staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a smaller district, it’s also able to have a bigger impact. While about a quarter of the staff lives in Jefferson Union’s workforce housing, only about 115 of more than 6,000 SFUSD employees live in its apartment complex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, SFUSD set a goal of developing more than 500 housing units by 2030, and the district said it is exploring additional sites and partnerships to expand. It’s already broken ground on a second subsidized housing development in the Western Addition, which will add 75 more apartment units. And it’s identified \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2024-04-04-sfusd-identifies-additional-sites-educator-housing#:~:text=In%20October%202023%2C%20SFUSD%20formed,enable%20the%20development%20of%20housing.\">multiple other district-owned properties\u003c/a> throughout the city for future projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before pursuing future projects, the district said it will conduct a “thorough analysis — including surveying staff — to understand the needs and preferences” of educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the demand is clear. Nearly 15% of SFUSD’s workforce applied for the Shirley Chisholm Village complex, and about 395 district employees are on the waitlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Shayla Putnam stands outside Shirley Chisholm Village on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shayla Putnam, who teaches ceramics at George Washington High School, said securing a spot there felt like “hard work paid off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Putnam is the main earner for her and her partner, who have bounced around to one-bedroom apartments in the city for five years. Even at the below-market rates at Shirley Chisholm Village, they could only afford a one-bedroom unit, but she said amenities like a dishwasher and in-building laundry, as well as a measurably larger living space, have made a huge difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having the extra space does bring a quality of life that I haven’t necessarily experienced in the city,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her partner, who is an artist, has a dedicated workspace, and they were able to get a kitchen table for the first time. The bathroom is also big enough to move around comfortably — “you could spin in here with your arms out,” Putnam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, they save about $300 a month compared to their last apartment, which was also in the Sunset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a little more leeway,” Putnam said. “It’s the difference [between] literally cooking food every night versus being like, ‘We can eat out at this locally-owned business, we can have this coffee shop’ — those little things that make life worth living rather than scraping by.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, Ms. Hernandez’s son began to ask her where he would attend high school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His curiosity brought forward a bigger question looming in her mind: Was their family going to be able to stay in San Francisco at all?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m sorry, baby, but I don’t know,” she told her middle-schooler. “I don’t know if we’re going to continue to be living in the city; things are going to be too expensive here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district\">San Francisco Unified School District\u003c/a> paraeducator and her husband had lived in the Bay Area for two decades, mostly in the city. For the last 10 years, they’d shared a two-bedroom apartment in the Outer Mission, paying about $3,000 a month in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building was aging, the family was growing tired of struggles with their landlord, and they wanted to be in a neighborhood that felt safer. For years, though, finding another apartment in their price range seemed impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At one point we even wondered if we wanted to stay here or move even across the country,” Hernandez, who asked to be identified by only her last name because of ongoing litigation with a previous landlord, told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Multiple affordable housing applications had gotten her no further than long waiting lists and only a few calls back to apply. Then, in May, MidPen Housing called to say her family had been selected for a unit in a new affordable housing development that gives priority to school district staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079592 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_016_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shirley Chisholm Village, an affordable housing development that gives priority to San Francisco Unified School District educators, on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I felt like I was dreaming,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hernandez remembers picking her son up from school after they got the keys, ordering pizza and bringing him to the building near Ocean Beach as a surprise. “This is going to be your new house,” she told him, hopeful that he’d attend high school in their new neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new, five-story apartment building, nestled between the Sunset District’s signature two-story single-family homes and a burgeoning number of neighborhood restaurants, bookstores and coffee shops, is now home to more than 100 SFUSD employees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.midpen-housing.org/shirley-chisholm-village/\">Shirley Chisholm Village development\u003c/a> sprang from a partnership between the school district and the city’s affordable housing program that was announced in 2015. It’s part of a growing number of teacher housing projects cropping up throughout the Bay Area as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">cost of living in the region continues to climb\u003c/a>, often outpacing the salaries of essential education workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Sarah Karlinsky, the director of research and policy at UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation, the trend follows many universities and public sector employers, who have provided housing options for decades — both because of sky-high costs and a shortage of units in urban areas.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Many of us are familiar with this idea of the ‘company town,’” she said. “When there’s a large-scale employer and they want to make sure they can attract talent and workers … they need to ensure their workers have housing. Even if you think about building the railroads, large infrastructure projects involve thinking about where workers might live.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, even companies in higher-paying sectors like tech have sought to help house their employees because of the lack of housing stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School districts are among the latest to pursue the model as they find themselves with vacant properties and employees who say they can’t afford to live near work or, in some cases, stay in the profession.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sarita Lavin, an ethnic studies teacher at George Washington High School, has worked in SFUSD for five years and lived in San Francisco for more than 10, but she said that before she moved into Shirley Chisholm Village, she was considering leaving both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She’d lived with roommates for a decade, navigating the usual cohabitating strifes like dirty dishes in the sink and uninvited guests, as well as some less common circumstances — like a pet reptile on the loose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s nothing like opening a cabinet and having a six-foot African king snake looking at you,” Lavin said. “That was the big moment where I was like, ‘Maybe it’s time for me to really start thinking about independent living.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin said the Sunset District apartment, which is considered affordable, still costs more than half of her monthly take-home income at about $2,500 a month. But it’s a far cry from the rates she saw on Craigslist and Zillow when she started looking at studios and one-bedrooms. Those, which she said could top $3,000, are “totally out of the price range for teachers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12079591 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_015_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shirley Chisholm Village has units designated for various income levels between 40% to 120% of the area median income, with priority to San Francisco Unified School District educators. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She makes the cost work in part because it was important to her to stay in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just felt like a place where my family had roots in the U.S.,” said Lavin, whose mother immigrated from Guatemala to Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin grew up in Oakland but moved to the Inland Empire at 11, after her family was priced out. She said they spent a lot of their time in San Francisco, though, so she felt drawn to move here more than a decade ago to attend college.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In her last apartment, Lavin paid $1,100 a month, plus about $200 to $300 in utilities, for a room with two roommates — a low outlier among city rents, because the three tenants split the cost of their space equitably based on their salaries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as she got older, it became increasingly important to have her own space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I was really thinking, if I can’t get this place, then I might want to start looking outside of San Francisco, move maybe out to the East Bay and leave SFUSD, because it’s just too unaffordable to live here,” Lavin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I kind of feel like maybe I don’t need an exit strategy,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Seeing results, but challenges remain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Throughout the 2010s, Jefferson Union High School District was losing and replacing about 25% of its employees every year across its five campuses in Daly City and Pacifica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we surveyed our staff, we found that the number one reason that they were leaving our district was long commutes and housing affordability,” said Denise Shreve, the district’s director of housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jefferson Union, the lowest-funded high school district in San Mateo County, “had to be creative” to retain teachers and recruit new ones, Shreve said. That led to a plan to build affordable housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, the district was one of the first in the nation to pass a bond measure to fund affordable teacher housing, generating about $33 million. Shreve said it borrowed an additional $40 million or so through certificates of participation, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofparticipation.asp\">form of municipal financing\u003c/a> often used as an alternative to traditional voter-approved bonds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district broke ground in 2020 on a 122-unit development at its Serramonte Del Rey campus in Daly City, which opened in 2022 with all of its one- to three-bedroom units filled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just two years later, the district began the school year without any job openings. “We were completely, fully staffed. Before we had staff housing, that was unheard of,” Shreve said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other districts across the Bay Area have also pursued similar projects in recent years. Neighboring Jefferson Elementary School District opened 56 apartments for staff in 2024. Santa Clara Unified School District was one of the first in the state to provide housing for teachers, constructing 40 units in 2001 and 30 more in 2008.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Earlier this month, an Oakland nonprofit announced it had purchased an apartment complex that it would turn into housing for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078453/one-way-to-help-oakland-teachers-salaries-go-further-affordable-housing\">Oakland Unified School District employees\u003c/a>, pricing units at 30% of their household income. The 33-unit building in the Temescal District is the first that the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation’s Rooted program has acquired as part of its effort to purchase 150 residential units in the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When SFUSD began work on the Shirley Chisholm development, it cited many of the same challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, more than 64% of district teachers surveyed said they spent more than 30% of their income on rent, and about 15% spent 50% or more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079588\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079588\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_009_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Shayla Putnam walks through a courtyard at Shirley Chisholm Village on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a resolution committing to pursue workforce housing that was passed the previous year, the San Francisco school board said, “High housing costs are a significant contributing factor to SFUSD educators’ ability to remain in San Francisco and remain employed with SFUSD, risking dire and unpredictable negative effects on the quality of SFUSD education when educators can no longer afford to live here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, workforce housing has not completely solved the problem for teachers in areas with a high cost of living. For those like Lavin, even an affordable housing unit can take up a large chunk of their take-home salary. And in San Francisco, many teachers, especially those with more experience, make too much to qualify for some of the units in Shirley Chisholm Village.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building has units designated for various income levels between 40% to 120% of the area median income. For a single person, that equates to an annual salary between $41,130 and $130,900.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, fully credentialed \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/information-employees/labor-relations/labor-partners/uesf-certificated#78271\">teacher salaries\u003c/a> ranged from $81,350 to $134,762, meaning that even entry-level teachers are ineligible for 34 of the affordable apartments. And as educators — especially those with more post-college credits — gain seniority, they surpass the income threshold for more units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While SFUSD educators have priority for the building, about 10% of its units are occupied by non-SFUSD renters, most of whom have priority for specially designed ADA units. Of the 115 units that house SFUSD employees, many are occupied by support staffers who make lower salaries, such as paraeducators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because the district’s housing is operated in partnership with the city, residents have to go through San Francisco’s affordable housing lottery to apply for a unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lavin and Hernandez said that the process took months, and they had to provide a lot of information that the district already knows, like income.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of these issues are less pervasive in districts like Jefferson Union, which operates its housing independently, with the help of a property manager. It designates about two-thirds of its units for certificated teachers, while the rest are available to paraeducators and other staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As a smaller district, it’s also able to have a bigger impact. While about a quarter of the staff lives in Jefferson Union’s workforce housing, only about 115 of more than 6,000 SFUSD employees live in its apartment complex.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2018, SFUSD set a goal of developing more than 500 housing units by 2030, and the district said it is exploring additional sites and partnerships to expand. It’s already broken ground on a second subsidized housing development in the Western Addition, which will add 75 more apartment units. And it’s identified \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfusd.edu/about-sfusd/sfusd-news/press-releases/2024-04-04-sfusd-identifies-additional-sites-educator-housing#:~:text=In%20October%202023%2C%20SFUSD%20formed,enable%20the%20development%20of%20housing.\">multiple other district-owned properties\u003c/a> throughout the city for future projects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before pursuing future projects, the district said it will conduct a “thorough analysis — including surveying staff — to understand the needs and preferences” of educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the demand is clear. Nearly 15% of SFUSD’s workforce applied for the Shirley Chisholm Village complex, and about 395 district employees are on the waitlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/041226Affordability-series-teacher-housing_GH_010_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Shayla Putnam stands outside Shirley Chisholm Village on April 12, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Shayla Putnam, who teaches ceramics at George Washington High School, said securing a spot there felt like “hard work paid off.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Putnam is the main earner for her and her partner, who have bounced around to one-bedroom apartments in the city for five years. Even at the below-market rates at Shirley Chisholm Village, they could only afford a one-bedroom unit, but she said amenities like a dishwasher and in-building laundry, as well as a measurably larger living space, have made a huge difference.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having the extra space does bring a quality of life that I haven’t necessarily experienced in the city,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her partner, who is an artist, has a dedicated workspace, and they were able to get a kitchen table for the first time. The bathroom is also big enough to move around comfortably — “you could spin in here with your arms out,” Putnam said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, they save about $300 a month compared to their last apartment, which was also in the Sunset.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have a little more leeway,” Putnam said. “It’s the difference [between] literally cooking food every night versus being like, ‘We can eat out at this locally-owned business, we can have this coffee shop’ — those little things that make life worth living rather than scraping by.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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