Labor
The pandemic created demand for food prep workers. But many say they face unsafe conditions: ‘I work through the pain’
San Francisco Chronicle 12/18
Ileana Chivalán was working at the HelloFresh warehouse in Richmond during the summer of 2020 packing the company’s at-home meal kits for shipping when she started to feel a pain in her shoulder.
The Burgerville Workers Union Has Ratified Its First Contract With the Company
Eater 12/17
For more than three years now, the Burgerville Workers Union has launched strikes, pickets, and walk-outs in pursuit of better pay and workers protections, all while negotiating the terms of its first union contract.
Food Industry Policy
New California laws going into effect in 2022 include to-go cocktails extension, harsher penalties for wage theft
SF Gate 12/20
In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 770 bills into law, ranging from speed limit reductions to major police reforms.
Oakland considers requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to enter restaurants, gyms and other gathering places
The Mercury News 12/18
OAKLAND — People dining inside restaurants in Oakland or visiting other indoor public gathering spaces such as gyms may have to show proof that they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 if the City Council approves an emergency ordinance on Tuesday.
On the Side
2021 was the year of restaurant revamps. Here’s what it meant for dining in the Bay Area
San Francisco Chronicle 12/20
At the start of 2021, Bay Area dining rooms sat empty as customers huddled over takeout boxes.
10 Spectacular LA Restaurants That Transport You to Another Country
Locale 12/18
Let’s be honest—daydreaming about hopping on a plane and catching a flight to Europe is something that we all do way too often.
