2,000 Philly building workers get raises as SEIU 32BJ ratifies ‘historic’ contract with building owners

Workers gathered for a vote on Friday afternoon at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia on Chestnut Street. Following the vote, they rallied outside the church, clad in purple SEIU shirts, chanting a call and response of ”32!″ and “BJ!”

The new agreement includes wage increases of 18.6% over the life of the four-year contract, as well as a bonus for union members. It came without cuts to workers’ hours, which union members worried would be on the table given the building owners’ push for flexibility as they contend with record-high building vacancies and low occupancy due to a shift toward remote and hybrid work schedules.

The union also got an additional paid holiday for Juneteenth, improved retirement benefits, and expanded dental benefits while existing health-care benefits were maintained. The contract also strengthened protections for pregnant workers, the union said.

More at source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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'Disease X' likely to be 20 times more deadlier than Covid-19, says expert. What is it?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) dubbed the potential next pandemic as ‘Disease X’ and said that it may already be on its way.

After over three years of small and big waves, coronavirus has now drastically reduced and become a familiar health concern. Now, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are gearing up for a potential new pandemic ‘Disease X’. According to experts, the new virus may be deadlier than Covid-19 - which has claimed nearly seven million lives - and may have a similar impact as the Spanish Flu.

More at source: HT Times

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Lawsuit filed over cleaning worker who died in department store bathroom, body not found for days

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The family of a cleaning worker whose body remained in a locked bathroom at a department store for days after she died filed suit Tuesday against the Belk chain, saying her body was so decomposed they couldn’t even hold an open casket funeral.

Bessie Durham, a 63-year-old worker with a contractor hired to clean the Belk store near Columbia, South Carolina, went into a family bathroom around 7 a.m. on a Thursday in 2022 and died shortly after from a cardiac problem, attorney Chris Hart said.

Durham had clocked in for work but never clocked out and her cleaning cart sat outside the locked door for four days until Columbia Police called the store trying to find Durham because her family reported the woman missing, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday.

More at source: Associated Press

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CDC reveals top Covid hotspots in the US as hospitalisations surge

The highest numbers of new hospitalisations last week per individual person was at 740 in Los Angeles County, California, whereas 351 different counties reported zero hospitalisations.

The highest number of hospital admissions by state per 100,00 this week was still Florida (11.2) and Hawaii (9.46), which were also the highest on 29 August. Some states have risen by a point of two and others have fallen, such as Mississippi, which was at 6.5 two weeks ago and is now at 6.18.

More at source: US News & World Report

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What to know about COVID as hospitalizations go up and some places bring back masks

A late-summer uptick in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths has some schools, hospitals and other businesses scrambling to keep illness from spreading.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an 18.8% increase in hospitalizations due to COVID between Aug. 13 and Aug. 19, marking the sixth straight week of increased hospitalizations; and a 17.6% increase in COVID deaths from Aug. 20 to Aug. 26. Still, hospitalizations remain in the CDC's "low" category in most places and aren't as high as past years at this time.

Experts say currently circulating variants don't necessarily cause more severe acute infection than previous variants, but there is still a risk of long-term effects from COVID. A new vaccine booster targeting the variants is expected to be available mid-September.

More at source: USA Today

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This Inexpensive, Impressive Bathroom-Cleaning Robot Signals the Death of Janitorial Jobs

And check out the job this little fella does, opening and closing doors for itself, riding the elevator between floors, hitting the cans, walls and floors with high-powered disinfectant and water sprays, lifting the lids to clean underneath, then vacuuming everything dry and stowing the vacuum on its back before going on its way.

And I guess it can`t clean sinks and mirrors, take out the trash or change toilet paper -Matt

More at source: Core

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News about Coronavirus Omicron variant

If you’re at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, it’s time to dust off those N95 masks and place them snugly over your nose and mouth to protect yourself from a recent uptick of the virus, according to a growing number of experts.

That advice should go all the way up to 80-year-old President Joe Biden, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist.

“Octogenarians comprise the highest-risk group for complications following Covid infection,” Reiner said...

More at source: CNN

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It may be time to break out the masks against Covid, some experts say

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Workers that maintain American Dream are on strike

Workers at the New Jersey megamall American Dream are striking this week in protest of what they said was unfair intimidation and retaliation, illegal firings, and substandard wages, among other grievances.

The conflict began between janitorial workers at the mall and their employer, HSA Cleaning, which manages the maintenance of the massive 3-million-square-foot mall, along with other commercial and retail clients. In June of 2022, two workers at the mall — Jose Terán and Luis Varela — began organizing a union drive among their fellow employees with the 32BJ branch of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU. Both men were fired for their efforts, but federal labor law prevents companies for retaliating against employees for unionization activities....

More at source: Glossy

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Garbage piles up at train station in southern France as janitorial workers Extend Strike strike

Garbage has accumulated in a train station in southern France as janitorial workers have decided to extend their strike over salary payment delays, local media reported.

Workers at the Marseille Saint-Charles station walked out on July 31 to press their company for salaries, according to broadcaster France 3.

"Today, we are not saying give us a raise, but pay our salaries," said Kamel Djeffel, spokesperson for the trade union Solidaires CAT, the media outlet reported on Monday.

Workers of the cleaning company, Laser, are fighting for delayed salary payments and poor working conditions.

Garbage was seen piling up inside the station, as trash cans were overfilled.

More at source: AA Europe

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What you should know about the latest Covid-19 surge. A doctor explains

CNN: Why might there be an uptick in coronavirus infections at this time? 

Dr. Leana Wen: We are now in the fourth summer of the coronavirus pandemic. Every summer thus far, the United States has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases. Some of this may be due to the cyclical nature of the coronavirus — we’ve seen an increase in cases, followed by a relatively quieter period, followed by another increase. This may well be the pattern going forward, with two or more of these waves of infections every year.

One of the reasons for a rise in cases during summer, specifically, may be that people get together indoors when the weather is very hot. This could also explain why there are increases in infections around holidays, when people gather in larger groups in enclosed spaces.

It’s important to note that this current increase does not appear to be driven by the emergence of a new variant. According to the CDC, all existing variants are offshoots of the Omicron strain, which first emerged in late 2021.

More at source: CNN

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