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‘It’s a sweat factory’: Instacart workers ready to strike for pay and conditions

‘It’s a sweat factory’: Instacart workers ready to strike for pay and conditions

Gig economy‘It’s a sweat factory’: Instacart workers ready to strike for pay and conditionsGig workers report falling wages, unmanageable orders and lack of concern from the company Gloria Oladipo@gaoladipoFri 15 Oct 2021 07.39 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 09.13 EDTFor Instacart workers across the country, the popular grocery delivery app promised flexibility and a solid wage, perks that enticed thousands to join the app during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.But amid worsening working conditions including plummeting pay, safety concerns, and a punitive rating system, Instacart employees, known as shoppers, will be staging a walkout on 16 October and will continue striking until the company meets their demands for better treatment.Workers, uniting as the Gig Workers Collective, have been organizing against Instacart for years, citing what they say is a trend of unresponsiveness from the company in the face of their concerns. The collective’s asks are mostly for a restoration of features the company has dropped: reinstating Instacart’s commission pay model, paying its shoppers per order rather than bundling them, a 10% default tip instead of the current 5%, transparency about how orders are assigned, and a rating system that doesn’t hurt shoppers forproblems outside their control.Shoppers have also asked for occupational death benefits, noting the increasing dangers shoppers face on the job.Ahead of the walk-off, the Guardian spoke to three Instacart shoppers on their journey to joining Instacart, problems they have encountered since joining the app, and why …

15/10/2021

Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

15/10/2021 Comments Off on Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle
Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

Supply chain crisisShips backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idleThe Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, two of the nation’s busiest, create more than 100 tons a day of smog that choke local communities Gabrielle Canon in Los Angeles@GabrielleCanonFri 15 Oct 2021 07.05 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 07.07 EDTDozens of behemoth cargo ships adorned with tall stacks of brightly colored containers still dot the coastline off southern California. Part of a shipping bottleneck plaguing US ports, the ships – their diesel-fueled engines always ablaze – are also pumping out pollutants as they idle, anchored off-shore.The clogged supply chain has been described as an economic calamity as the delayed cargo caused shortages in common goods and drove consumer prices higher. But environmentalists and public health advocates are concerned it’s also turning into a climate catastrophe.The container ships awaiting entry are compounding the levels of contaminants that have long come from the ports and that impact the local environment, coastal communities and ambitious carbon targets needed to curb the worst effects of climate change. With the holiday shopping frenzy just around the corner, there are now concerns the problem may get worse before it gets better.“The conversation right now is really focused on supply chain backlog and refilling the shelves with products – but that’s not the whole story,” said Madeline Rose, the climate campaign director for Pacific Environment, a climate advocacy organization that has …

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‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditions

15/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditions

US unions‘We are not machines’: Hollywood workers poised to strike for better conditionsUnion leaders say a strike will start Monday if there is no deal with studios as workers describe low pay and grueling days without breaks Michael SainatoFri 15 Oct 2021 05.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 12.55 EDTAt the start of the pandemic, Hollywood productions abruptly shut down, leaving many workers out of work before things began to resume with Covid-19 safety protocols in place.Since then, workers in Hollywood say they have worked long schedules and endured increased workloads, including staggering work because of social distancing; wearing and distributing personal protective equipment through long work days; and regularly getting tested for Covid-19.“We were working at breakneck speeds, and that was something that was supposed to have changed. We were supposed to have the time we needed to work in that kind of environment,” said Mike Loomer, a set dresser in Hollywood and International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 44 member.“The only thing that changed is what we had to endure to make the product that they had to have to get out for the public to see.”Studios will again go quiet around the US as IATSE leaders say its 60,000 members will go on strike from 12.01 PT on Monday if a deal is not reached with employers. It would be the first such national strike since the IATSE was formed 128 years ago.Members of …

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Boeing pilot indicted for allegedly deceiving US regulators over 737 Max

14/10/2021 Comments Off on Boeing pilot indicted for allegedly deceiving US regulators over 737 Max

BoeingBoeing pilot indicted for allegedly deceiving US regulators over 737 MaxMark A Forkner accused of giving FAA false information about flight-control system in plane that was involved in two crashes Associated PressThu 14 Oct 2021 20.25 EDTA Boeing pilot involved in testing the 737 Max jetliner was indicted on Thursday by a federal grand jury on charges of deceiving safety regulators who were evaluating the plane, which was later involved in two deadly crashes.The indictment accuses Mark A Forkner of giving the Federal Aviation Administration false and incomplete information about an automated flight-control system that played a role in the crashes, which killed 346 people.Prosecutors said that because of Forkner’s “alleged deception”, the system was not mentioned in key FAA documents, pilot manuals or pilot-training material supplied to airlines.The flight-control system automatically pushed down the noses of Max jets that crashed in 2018 in Indonesia, and 2019 in Ethiopia. The pilots tried unsuccessfully to regain control, but both planes went into nosedives minutes after taking off.Most pilots were unaware of the system, called the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, until after the first crash.Boeing directors to face investor lawsuit over 737 Max fatal crashesRead moreForkner, 49, was charged with two counts of fraud involving aircraft parts in interstate commerce and four counts of wire fraud. Federal prosecutors said he was expected to make his first appearance in court on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. If …

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Corporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?

14/10/2021 Comments Off on Corporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?

Green lightEnvironmentCorporations are pledging to be ‘water positive’. What does that mean?Reuse, watershed restoration and new cooling methods back companies’ commitments to conserve scarce water resources Supported byAbout this contentAmanda SchupakThu 14 Oct 2021 08.00 EDTLast modified on Thu 14 Oct 2021 08.38 EDTOne of PepsiCo’s largest food manufacturing plants sits in the perennially water-stressed Valley of Mexico watershed, which provides water to 21 million people in Mexico City and its surrounding suburbs. The aquifer running below the city is so drastically depleted that the metropolis is sinking as the water table falls, and the pipes that bring water in from far-off rivers and lakes are in disrepair.“The city cannot provide the water that we need, so we truck it in,” said Roberta Barbieri, vice-president for global sustainability at PepsiCo. It’s an expensive solution to an intractable problem – the water shortage is not sustainable from either a human or business standpoint. So Pepsi has promised to decrease its water consumption in the region and replenish what it uses. By treating wastewater on site, for example, the factory can reuse 80% of the water it draws from the tap or the truck. “We’re pushing to get that close to 100%,” Barbieri said.The efforts are part of the company’s “water positive” commitment to put more water into areas where they operate than they take out.The last year has seen a flurry of such promises from large corporations. Microsoft, Facebook and Google have …

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Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’

13/10/2021 Comments Off on Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’

Joe Biden Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’President eager to avert political damage from choked ports, highways and railways causing higher prices and empty shelves David Smith in Washington@smithinamericaWed 13 Oct 2021 16.58 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 19.16 EDTJoe Biden has warned companies that he will “call them out” if they fail to “step up” to ease supply chain bottlenecks ahead of the holiday season.The US president, facing grim opinion polls and a stalling legislative agenda, is eager to avert fresh political damage from choked ports, highways and railways resulting in higher prices and empty shelves.‘You never know what you’re going to get’: US supply chain woes leave schools scrambling to feed kids lunchRead more“I know you’re hearing a lot about something called supply chains and how hard it is to get a range of things from a toaster to sneakers to bicycles to bedroom furniture,” Biden acknowledged in a short address at the White House on Wednesday. “With the holidays coming up, you might be wondering if the gifts you plan to buy will arrive on time.”Biden announced that the Port of Los Angeles – which has recently suffered a record backlog – will expand to 24/7 operations, following the example of the Port of Long Beach, also in California.About 40% of shipping containers imported to the US come through the two ports, …

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What is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?

13/10/2021 Comments Off on What is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?

BrexitWhat is the ‘new model’ the EU is proposing for Northern Ireland?‘Bespoke Northern Ireland-specific solution’ includes potential new rules on food, plants and medicines Jennifer Rankin and Daniel Boffey in BrusselsWed 13 Oct 2021 15.15 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 15.56 EDTThe EU’s latest proposals, described as “a new model” for Northern Ireland, are a significant concession from Brussels. Having ruled out renegotiation of the protocol in July, the EU is proposing a “bespoke Northern Ireland-specific solution”.SausagesA new certificate scheme would mean that certain products that are generally prohibited for import into the EU, such as British sausages, would now be allowed to be imported. The EU would retain the right, however, to impose a ban if there is any suggestion these products are entering the wider single market.EU offers to scrap 80% of NI food checks but prepares for Johnson to reject dealRead morePlants, meat and dairyChecks would be reduced by 80% on a large range of supermarket product lines, through reinforced monitoring of supply chains and the use of specific packaging and labelling indicating that the goods are for sale only in the UK. In return the EU wants the UK to deliver on its commitment to complete the construction of permanent border control posts at Northern Irish ports for incoming trade from Great Britain.HaulageA type of haulage known as groupage, where goods from different companies for different customers are …

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Vaccine hesitant New Yorkers consider leaving the city as mandates take effect

13/10/2021 Comments Off on Vaccine hesitant New Yorkers consider leaving the city as mandates take effect

New YorkVaccine hesitant New Yorkers consider leaving the city as mandates take effectFor some in the Bronx, the borough hit hardest by the coronavirus, mistrust may win out over jobs and even home Bahar OstadanWed 13 Oct 2021 06.00 EDTDeysia Padilla’s family thought she was at work. Instead, she spent last Thursday afternoon unloading a mound of orange and pink baby socks in a sunny South Bronx laundromat – one-by one, in all their three-inch glory. She had 48 hours to consider an impossible choice: either get vaccinated or lose her job.Padilla is one of thousands of unvaccinated New Yorkers affected by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ultimatum last week. Not only do city employees face the reality of losing their jobs, but without a shot, they’ll even forgo unemployment payments. Some unvaccinated Bronx natives would rather pursue a life outside New York City than be forced to take the vaccine.“I feel like my dream is being shattered by the government,” said Padilla. “I’m being taken out of my home.” The 25-year-old mother had plans to become an art teacher one day. Now, she’s considering moving to Florida with her husband and three-month-old baby.A pandemic-induced population shift to Florida – sometimes called the city’s sixth borough – is already under way. As of March, more than 33,500 New Yorkers permanently relocated to Florida – up 32% from the same period in the previous year. Experts say people flocked south for looser Covid …

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Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’

12/10/2021 Comments Off on Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’

Cop26Carbon emissions ‘will drop just 40% by 2050 with countries’ current pledges’International Energy Agency says $4tn investment needed over decade to reach net zero target Rob Davies@ByRobDaviesWed 13 Oct 2021 00.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 03.11 EDTCurrent plans to cut global carbon emissions will fall 60% short of their 2050 net zero target, the International Energy Agency has said, as it urged leaders to use the upcoming Cop26 climate conference to send an “unmistakable signal” with concrete policy plans.In its annual World Energy Outlook, redesigned this year as a “guidebook” for world leaders attending the summit in Glasgow, the IEA predicted that carbon emissions would decrease by just 40% by the middle of the century if countries stick to their climate pledges.The organisation said the difference between current plans and the change necessary to reach the net zero target was “stark”, requiring up to $4tn (£2.94tn) in investment over the next decade alone to bridge the divide.The IEA’s executive director Fatih Birol told the Guardian that major economies recovering from Covid-19 were already missing the opportunity to spur investment in clean energy.‘Overwhelming’ backing for strong climate action, UK study showsRead more“We are witnessing an unsustainable recovery from the pandemic,” he said, pointing to sections of the report that show coal use growing strongly, contributing to the second-largest increase in CO2 emissions in history.Birol called for developing economies in particular to make …

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House passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early December

12/10/2021 Comments Off on House passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early December

US CongressHouse passes bill to raise US debt ceiling through early DecemberLegislation raises government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tnHard-fought House vote passes entirely along party lines Guardian staff and agenciesTue 12 Oct 2021 19.57 EDTLast modified on Tue 12 Oct 2021 21.57 EDTThe US House of Representatives gave final approval on Tuesday to a Senate-passed bill temporarily raising the government’s borrowing limit to $28.9tn, putting off the risk of default at least until early December.Kamala Harris: European colonizers ‘ushered in wave of devastation for tribal nations’Read moreDemocrats, who narrowly control the House, maintained party discipline to pass the hard-fought, $480bn debt limit increase. The vote was along party lines, with every yes from Democrats and every no from Republicans.Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure into law this week, before 18 October, when the treasury department has estimated it would no longer be able to pay the nation’s debts without congressional action.Republicans insist Democrats should take responsibility for raising the debt limit because they want to spend trillions of dollars to expand social programs and tackle climate change. Democrats say the increased borrowing authority is needed largely to cover the cost of tax cuts and spending programs during Donald Trump’s administration, which House Republicans supported.House passage warded off concerns that the world’s largest economy would go into default for the first time, but only for about seven weeks, setting the stage for continued fighting …

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