San Diego hotel workers strike for higher wages

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, September 4th.

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Hundreds of hotel workers at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront strike for higher wages. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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An Excessive Heat Warning for most of the county goes into effect today (Wednesday).

Temperatures are expected to be more than ten degrees above average.

The National Weather Service says the inland valleys could see temperatures up to one hundred and 10 degrees through Saturday.

And deserts could see temps up to one hundred and 16 degrees.

Coastal areas also won’t escape the scorching temps with highs up to 95 predicted tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday.

Meteorologist Dave Munyan is with the National Weather Service.

“These are definitely going to be some of the hottest temperatures for places like Ramona, most of the city of San Diego – pretty much much of the west-central portion of San Diego County as a whole.”

A heat bulletin issued by state power managers warns that the scorching temperatures could strain energy providers and flex alerts are possible.

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Restaurants in the city of Chula Vista can no longer have outdoor dining parklets.

The city started allowing the parklets during the COVID pandemic to create more outdoor seating, and continued to allow them until yesterday (Tuesday).

The city says removing the parklets will free up parking space which will help local businesses.

But businesses and customers have mixed emotions about the order.

Our media partner, 10 News spoke to Steve Garcia, a business owner who says his parklet took up two parking spaces.

"I was truly hoping for a last minute hail mary where things would all be on the same page where we could maintain these parklets but unfortunately it looks like it’s all over."

The City says the parklets were always temporary but it plans to consider a permanent outdoor dining policy soon.

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The San Diego Blood Bank is partnering with SeaWorld this month to give away free tickets to Howl-O-Scream, if you donate blood.

According to officials at the San Diego Blood Bank, the Blood Bank is currently meeting the needs of the hospitals it serves.

But according to the latest information from the Red Cross, blood supplies are down 25-percent nationwide.

To be eligible to donate blood, you must be 17 years or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in general good health.

A list of blood drives can be found at San-Diego-Blood-Bank-dot-org-slash-seaworld.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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Hundreds of hotel workers at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront were on strike for a third day yesterday (Tuesday).

Reporter Katie Anastas says it coincides with a nationwide strike demanding higher wages.

WORKERS ¿Qué queremos? Contrato. ¿Cuándo? Ahora. The contract for hundreds of housekeepers, cooks, servers and other Hilton San Diego Bayfront workers expired on Sunday. The union is asking for a $5 annual increase to workers’ hourly wages for three years. Martin Duarte is a cook at the hotel. DUARTE Right now, my pay is $28 an hour, which is just barely enough. Not even enough to make it with rent, with the cost of groceries, with utilities. I can't afford a $500 emergency. I don't have that. In a statement, a Hilton spokesperson says the company is committed to negotiating in good faith. The union says workers will continue to strike until they reach an agreement. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

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California lawmakers have passed a bill requiring schools to come up with policies to limit the use of smartphones on campus.

North County reporter Tania Thorne says some districts already have those rules.

The hustle and bustle of students is back at Sage Creek High School. But the buzzing of phones is not - kind of. We'd been hearing from some teachers and from parents that phones seemed to be a distraction in class. So our school board was interested to know if there is a way to address this. Ben Churchill is the superintendent for Carlsbad Unified School District. He says the school board approved cell phone restrictions ahead of the new school year. At elementary and middle school, the phones are supposed to be silent and out of sight all day long. They can certainly bring them with them, but they need to stay in a backpack or in a pocket, not used even during breaks and recess and lunch. But for high schools, cell phone use is only allowed during breaks or with a teacher's permission. But Carlsbad isn't the only school district implementing cell phone restrictions. Earlier this year, Governor Gavin Newsom urged California school districts to limit cell phone use in schools… saying excessive use is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Other districts are also taking action. TT KPBS News. 

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The final dash to election day ramps up this week.

As part of our ongoing conversations with San Diego's congressional delegation about democracy, reporter Amita Sharma spoke with democratic congressman Mike Levin.

He talked first about why Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are the right ticket for America's current moment.

So much has been said during this presidential election about democracy itself being on the line…but a gallup poll earlier this year showed 28 percent of American adults are happy with how democracy is working, down from 35 percent after January 6th in 2021…do those numbers worry you? Let’s talk about Project 2025…a blueprint to implement right wing policies and many say a roadmap for authoritarianism…how much do you think Americans understand about the document? Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington recently published a report saying 35 county election officials in 8 states, many of them swing states, have refused to certify elections since 2020 and are in positions to do so again in November…how prepared is our system to withstand the potential chaos that may create? You’re out there campaigning for your own re-election…what are constituents saying to you about the upcoming presidential election?

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. In tomorrow’s podcast, the San Diego Humane Society President and C-E-O will join me to talk about “Clear the Shelters” Day on Saturday. Join us again for that interview, plus the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Wednesday.