Home Care In San Diego, CA

Bumble Bee representatives said the company will not comment on pending litigation.

City News Service, News Partner

SAN DIEGO, CA — Four Indonesian villagers who say they were subjected to physical abuse and forced labor while working as fishermen for San Diego-based Bumble Bee Foods sued the canned tuna company Wednesday in what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind forced labor case against an American seafood company.

The complaint filed in San Diego federal court claims the men accepted jobs on fishing vessels within Bumble Bee's supply chain after promises of good wages, only to endure violent abuse on a daily basis and requirements to work even after suffering serious injuries on the job.

Three of the plaintiffs allege they were beaten or stabbed, or both, by the ship's captain, while the fourth man claims he suffered serious, permanent burn injuries in an accident but was denied medical care nor allowed to leave the ship.

The men were also not allowed to quit because doing so would mean they owed money to their employers, who imposed fees, deductions and penalties on their wages, the complaint alleges.

Bumble Bee representatives said the company will not comment on pending litigation.

Find out what's happening in San Diegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Agnieszka Fryszman, one of the attorneys representing the men, said they were denied sufficient food and medical care and were essentially held against their will aboard the vessels.

"These men were looking for good jobs so they could provide for their families and build a future," Fryszman said. "Instead, they allege, they were trapped -- isolated at sea, beaten with metal hooks, not getting enough food, working around the clock -- and facing financial penalties if they tried to leave."

One of the plaintiffs, Akhmad, said he was forced to work for two weeks after his leg was cut open from thigh to shin, exposing his bone. He was not provided medical care and had to tend to his injuries on his own, he alleges.

Another man, Angga, allegedly endured beatings and was stabbed with a needle while on board. He and other crew members were only allowed to leave after arranging a work stoppage, but Angga later learned that none of the pay he was supposed to receive for "many months" of work was ever sent to his family, the complaint states.

The lawsuit alleges Bumble Bee's network of fishing vessels operated by keeping boats at sea more or less perpetually, which left the men "isolated, at the mercy of the captain and cut off from sources of potential assistance."

The complaint seeks not only damages for the men but also measures to ensure workers within Bumble Bee's network of fishing vessels are paid in full, receive adequate food and medical care, and that ships return to port at least every three months or less.

Fryszman said, "Our clients are seeking justice not only for themselves but to implement changes that will protect other fishers, including men at sea right now on the same boats."

— City News Service

More from San Diego

Weather conditions are expected to be drier and warmer over the weekend and by the middle of next week.

City News Service, News Partner

SAN DIEGO, CA — More snow and rain is in the forecast Friday for parts of San Diego County and a winter weather advisory is in effect for the mountain areas.

The winter weather advisory is from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday, with wet snow expected and 3 to 5 inches of snow at elevations above 4,500 feet. On the higher peaks above 8,000 feet, 6 to 8 inches of snow is expected with wind gusts up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather conditions are expected to be drier and warmer over the weekend and by the middle of next week.

Mountains should see mostly cloudy conditions Friday, mostly sun Saturday, with highs in the low 50s to low 60s and some more sun expected to break through by Wednesday. Deserts expect mostly sunny conditions over the weekend, with light winds and highs in the mid-70s.

The coast is expected to see some sun Saturday afternoon, with partly cloudy conditions Sunday and highs in the low to upper 60s. The inland valleys should also be expecting some warmer conditions over the weekend, light winds and highs in the mid-60s to low 70s.

Find out what's happening in San Diegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Downtown San Diego Friday expects showers mainly after 11 a.m., a high near 57, southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, with winds high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%, with new precipitation amounts possibly between one-quarter and half an inch.

Showers are likely before 11 p.m. in the downtown area, with mostly cloudy conditions and a low around 50.

A wind advisory will be in effect until at least 2 a.m. Saturday for county deserts, along with a small-craft advisory through early Saturday for coastal waters from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border and out to 30 nautical miles from San Mateo Point to the Mexican border, including San Clemente Island.

Saturday's San Diego-area surf forecast includes a high-risk rip current, with surf from 3 to 5 feet and west swell from 280 degrees.

Marine forecasters said west-northwesterly winds around 25 knots will continue to weaken Friday morning, but the period of calmer conditions will be brief as another weather system moves in.

"Wind strengthen and seas build and steepen again this afternoon and evening, and hazardous conditions linger through Saturday morning," the NWS said.

Gradually clearing skies with a possibility of scattered light showers should prevail over the weekend, followed by a chance of more wet weather across the county early next workweek, according to forecasters.

— City News Service

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said Friday that he will grant State Farm’s request to raise home insurance premiums by 22% on average if the company agrees to certain conditions — and wins approval at a public rate hearing next month.

Lara’s conditions are that State Farm, the state’s biggest provider of homeowners insurance, commit to pause canceling and not renewing policies through the end of this year. He also is asking that its parent company, State Farm Mutual, give or loan the California entity, State Farm General, $500 million to help boost its finances.

In addition, State Farm must prove its need for the interim rate increases at a hearing April 8, where it must present updated and more detailed data.

Lara said he had to “make an unprecedented decision in the short term.”

“I expect both State Farm and its parent company to meet their responsibilities and not shift the burden entirely onto their customers,” Lara wrote. “The facts will be revealed in an open, transparent hearing.”

In an interview with CalMatters, the commissioner said he has heard from other state insurance commissioners that large companies like State Farm have a history of not disclosing enough data to justify their requests for rate increases.

“This is part of their playbook… they come in, they bully you. They start getting folks calling you and pressuring you, and threatening that hey, we may start not renewing folks,” Lara said. “That’s why I think it’s better to have a public hearing with an (administrative law judge).”

An email exchange obtained by CalMatters shows that on Thursday afternoon, a lawyer for State Farm told the Insurance Department that it would not commit to holding off on 11,000 remaining non-renewals that the company announced last year, as requested by the commissioner.

Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group that filed a challenge against the insurer’s rate requests and which had been pushing for a rate hearing, cheered Lara’s decision. “It’s a victory for consumers that State Farm will have to make its case in a public hearing before an (administrative law judge), and the judge will decide if a rate hike is justified,” said Carmen Balber, executive director of the group, in an email.

State Farm spokesperson Sevag Sarkissian said in an email: “It’s time for certainty in the California insurance market for our customers. The provisional nature of today’s decision does not improve that certainty but it’s a step in the right direction.” Sarkissian also said the company would be “moving forward with implementing this provisionally approved rate” but did not immediately respond to what exactly that means, and when.

The commissioner has been trying to reform the state’s insurance market as providers like State Farm have canceled policies or paused writing new ones, saying they have been unable to charge premiums that match increased wildfire risks.

State Farm asked for “emergency” interim rate increases after fires burned through parts of Los Angeles County in January, saying it expects more than $7 billion in claims from the deadly blazes, a drastically reduced surplus and a potential cut to its credit rating, which could affect its ability to meet mortgage lenders’ insurance requirements.

The company, which insures nearly 3 million property owners in the state, including more than 1 million homeowners, had been waiting for a decision on rate hikes it requested last summer, which the Insurance Department had not approved after months of discussions, so it sought special approval for interim rate increases.

Under California law, insurance companies that request rate increases of 7% or more must go through a rate hearing if there are objections by intervenors, as there are in the case of State Farm’s requests. Rate hearings are rare; the last one was in 2015 and also involved State Farm.

If State Farm is successful at proving its need for rate hikes at next month’s hearing, its interim rates will climb on June 1 an average 22% for homeowners, 15% for renters and condos, and 38% for rental dwellings. The company had asked for the rates to become effective May 1.

Those increases would follow an average 20% premium rate hike State Farm customers saw just last year.

State Farm would still have to go through a rate hearing for its summer rate requests, which will happen no later than June 1.

An administrative law judge will preside over the hearing for the interim rate request at the department’s Oakland office, and is expected to provide a proposed decision to the commissioner within 10 days, according to Lara’s order.

Lara’s decision came about two weeks after he called an in-person meeting between his department, State Farm executives and Consumer Watchdog. The same parties also met virtually Tuesday, during which the commissioner previewed his decision.

State Farm General Chief Executive Dan Krause said at the meeting this week that State Farm General was willing to consider giving its California arm a capital infusion of at least $250 million if the interim rate requests were approved, according to the meeting transcript.

State Farm General said in a recent press release that because of claims from the LA-area fires, as well as its share of the FAIR Plan’s $1 billion assessment — the company must help give the last-resort fire insurance provider money to help keep it afloat — it expected a $400 million reduction in its surplus.

At the in-person, private meeting called by the commissioner last month, State Farm Chief Financial Officer Mark Schwamberger told Lara that without the interim rate increase, the company would likely have to keep “reducing expenses,” according to a transcript of the meeting that was released afterward.

When Lara pressed him about whether that would mean the company could cancel and non-renew even more policies, Schwamberger said yes.

CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization bringing Californians stories that probe, explain and explore solutions to quality of life issues while holding our leaders accountable.

San Bernardino County had the fewest empty rentals in February in Southern California.

My trusty spreadsheet looked at ApartmentList’s monthly rental vacancy report for 165 big U.S. counties, including six in Southern California. The study, which looks at available units at primarily larger complexes on ApartmentList’s website, tracks a fundamental challenge for folks seeking a rental property: What’s available?

January’s Los Angeles County wildfires created extra housing demand in the region’s already tight rental market by destroying or damaging more than 12,000 structures around Altadena and Pacific Palisades. February vacancy was compared to to December in order to gauge how wildfires altered apartment availability.

Not only was San Bernardino’s 3.7% vacancy rate in February the region’s lowest, it also ranked as the fifth-tightest market among large U.S. counties.

And any search for a rental in San Bernardino got tougher this winter. The vacancy rate fell 0.2 percentage points in two months, the No. 49 dip nationally.

Now February’s rate was equal to San Bernardino’s five-year average vacancy was flat, but that was still the 38th worst result for renters among the 165 counties.

In Los Angeles County, where the fires struck, availability also shrank.

L.A.’s 4.9% vacancy rate in February was 23rd lowest among the big counties. That was down 0.1 point in two months, the No. 52 dip, and 0.5 points below the 5.3% 5-year average, the No. 18 decline.

Here’s how four other local counties ranked on the ApartmentList scorecard …

Riverside County: 4.8% February vacancy, the 18th fewest empty units – down 0.1 points from December (No. 55 decline) and 0.7 points above 4.1% 5-year average (No. 78).

Ventura County: 5% February vacancy (No. 27) – down 0.5 points from December (No. 13) and 0.6 points above 4.4% 5-year average (No. 68).

Orange County: 5.6% February vacancy (No. 51) – up 0.1 point from December (No. 92) and 0.7 points above 4.8% 5-year average (No. 79).

San Diego County: 5.9% February vacancy (No. 65) – up 0.1 point from December (No. 101) and 1.5 points above 4.3% 5-year average (No. 115).

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

Courtesy of San Diego Education Association

California school districts are again turning to layoffs to shore up budgets shrunk by declining enrollment, expiring federal Covid relief funds and a leveling off of state funding. So far, more than 2,300 school employees have received preliminary layoff notices, and the number is expected to grow.

More than 2,000 of the pink slips have gone to credentialed school staff — primarily teachers, school nurses and librarians, according to the California Teachers Association, which represents 300,000 school employees.

State law requires that districts send pink slips by March 15 each year to any employee who could be laid off by the end of the school year. Although many of the layoff notices are withdrawn by May 15 — the last day final layoff notices can be given to tenured teachers — the annual practice is criticized by many for demoralizing school staff and causing disruption to school systems.

“Layoffs are devastating and chaotic to our school communities and harm student learning conditions,” said CTA President David Goldberg. “This is even happening in communities like Pasadena, where educators and students lost their homes in wildfires. Our union will not stand by. We will demand that every single one of these notices is rescinded in the coming weeks.”

Pasadena Unified has issued 117 preliminary layoff notices, including 115 to credentialed staff.

Some districts tried to avoid large-scale layoffs by considering other options, including early retirement incentives. San Francisco gave buyouts to 300 veteran teachers and other staff, and Santa Ana Unified gave that option to 166 teachers, but ultimately both districts are still laying off staff.

In fact, the two districts have issued the largest number of pink slips in the state so far, according to CTA data. San Francisco Unified notified 395 teachers of potential layoffs and Santa Ana Unified sent pink slips to 351 teachers, according to the CTA. Santa Ana Unified Chief Business Officer Ron Hacker says that number has since been reduced to 280.

San Francisco Unified, the state’s sixth-largest school district, has been struggling to close a $113 million deficit that helped put it on the list of the state’s most financially strapped districts. The district has also sent preliminary layoff notices to 164 teachers’ aides, and to 278 administrators and other staff.

Santa Ana Unified is attempting to reduce a $180 million structural deficit, but it also needs to reduce staff, Hacker said. In 2018, the school board decided not to pursue layoffs despite overstaffing and a structural deficit. The overstaffing problem continued through Covid when funding was tied to a state stipulation that districts can’t lay off employees, he said.

“The Covid relief grant funds are no longer flowing, and they’re expired, so we’re at the point now where we can’t sustain the counseling ratios and the class sizes that we have,” Hacker said.

The district also plans to make cuts to supplies, services and capital outlay to help balance the budget, Hacker said in an interview last month.

“That being said, 80% of our budget is salary and benefits, so the only way to tackle that entire structural deficit is to include positions too,” he said.

Some school districts avoided making staffing cuts despite declining enrollment, said Michael Fine, chief executive director of the state’s Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team.

“I think if you were to look at some statewide data on staffing versus enrollment, you’d see that almost everybody’s overstaffed in some fashion, at least on the certificated side, which is where we see that data,” Fine said.

Data on support staff, also known as classified staff, is not being collected by the state, he said.

Santa Rosa Elementary School District and San Ramon Unified issued more than 100 pink slips to teachers and other credentialed staff in recent months, with the districts sending out 151 and 129 pink slips respectively, according to the CTA list.

Santa Rosa City Schools is trying to trim its budget by $30 million to reduce a structural deficit. The district, which operates 24 schools, has lost 3,000 students over the last decade.

Instead of offering an early retirement incentive, which wouldn’t save money for the district, Santa Rosa Unified gave employees bonuses if they gave advance notice that they wouldn’t be working at the district next school year, said Lisa August, associate superintendent of business services. Employees who gave notice by Jan. 31 received a $1,000 bonus, $750 if they gave notice by Feb. 15, and $500 if by Feb. 28.

The CTA list does not include many districts still in the process of issuing layoff notices, or whose unions did not report their numbers. Among them is Berkeley Unified, whose school board voted last week to notify 180 employees, 10 of whom are teachers, that they could lose their jobs, according to Berkeleyside.

Oakland Unified, which is on the state’s list of most financially strapped districts, also plans to issue 97 pink slips to teachers and central office staff, according to district information. And, Oxnard Union School district projects it will issue 91 pink slips to school staff, including 41 teachers and counselors, according to the Ventura County Star.

Layoffs can hurt teacher recruitment and make it more difficult to find teachers for hard-to-fill positions teaching special education, science, math, special education and English learners.

Teacher layoffs during the Great Recession, between 2007 and 2009, are widely considered to be one of the causes of the current teacher shortage because they discouraged people from entering teacher preparation programs. In recent years, enrollment in teacher preparation programs in the state has declined.

It’s unclear how many teachers will actually be laid off before next school year, as many pink slips are rescinded after district officials review credentials, expected retirements and projected enrollment numbers at school sites, and hearings with an administrative law judge are held to determine who stays and who goes.

The annual process can be nerve-wracking for teachers, especially those at the bottom of the seniority list, who could be issued pink slips in consecutive years.

“More than 2,000 educators have received a notice that they may not have a job next year, and tragically, that number increases each day,” Goldberg said. “These are the people who show up every day to teach and care for students in public schools across California — teachers, school counselors, social workers, instructional aides, custodians, and more.

“At a time when our students deserve a stable learning environment, smaller class sizes, and more mental health support, it is unconscionable to even think about laying off public school educators,” Goldberg said.