Rising together
It’s difficult to process what happened on Tuesday. Here in Silicon Valley, all the ballot measures we worked so hard for are on track to victory. With 64% of the votes counted, here’s how things are looking: Measure A: 67% YesRaises…
Cafeteria workers at Intel win union vote
Yesterday afternoon, contracted cafeteria workers at Intel’s Santa Clara headquarters won their vote to join UNITE HERE Local 19. Following key wins by janitors, security officers and shuttle bus drivers, this victory for food service workers — the fastest growing subcontracted…
Big win on career pathways
The Valley Transportation Authority Board just took a groundbreaking vote that will open up career opportunities on over $4 billion in construction projects for local community members who are struggling to find good, family-supporting jobs. This victory has been nearly five…
Opportunity to Work Initiative heads to the ballot
We did it! Thanks to hundreds of community leaders and tens of thousands of voters, the Opportunity to Work Initiative will come before San Jose voters in November – San Jose City Council made it official late yesterday. Opportunity to Work…
Historic vote moving $950M affordable housing bond this November
Yesterday, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place a $950 million affordable housing bond on the November ballot to combat homelessness and address our regional housing crisis. The size and scope of this bond is unprecendented, aiming…
Silicon Valley Officials Vote for Regional Minimum Wage of $15 by 2019
Last night the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, which convenes the 15 cities in the heart of Silicon Valley, voted overwhelmingly in favor of making a $15 minimum wage the region-wide policy by 2019, setting a timeline three years faster…
Half a billion dollar victory for transit equity
Last week, the VTA Board of Directors voted unanimously to place a half-cent 30-year sales tax on the November ballot, which includes half a billion dollars in investments to serve the transportation needs of underserved residents including seniors and low-income communities….
35,000 signatures for Opportunity to Work
The Opportunity to Work campaign continues to build momentum. Workers, clergy and community leaders gathered at San Jose City Hall yesterday morning to turn in 11 boxes of petitions to put the Opportunity to Work Initiative on the November ballot in…
A Hidden Crisis: Underemployment in Silicon Valley
In one of the most prosperous regions in the country, far too many working people are barely scraping by. Just released, our new report, A Hidden Crisis: Underemployment in Silicon Valley’s Hourly Workforce, reveals an explosion of part-time work that helps…
$15 by ’19 for Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is one of the wealthiest and most expensive places to live in California, yet we are in a crisis of low wages and underemployment. Now is our moment to turn that around. The Sunnyvale City Council just voted Tuesday…
Silicon Valley passes landmark affordable housing policy
Every day, the Bay Area is topping national lists of places with housing crises. Now, we’re at the top of a different list — the list of who’s taking the lead on building affordable housing. Last week, the Valley Transportation Authority…
The tech industry’s invisible workforce
Today we released a new research brief, Tech’s Invisible Workforce, which reveals the breathtaking scale and depth of a decades-long trend driving inequality in Silicon Valley. Anyone working hard to get by in this region knows that rising rents and incomes…