Daily Business Report-Feb. 25, 2020
Assembly GOP leader Marie Waldron at a rally against AB 5. (CALmatters photo)
Republican legislators introduce most of the
bills to alter the controversial gig worker law
by Dan Morain | CALmatters
By lobbyist Chris Micheli’s count, 34 bills have been introduced in 2020 to alter California’s new gig worker law.
Republicans, seeing a winning campaign issue, introduced most of the bills to alter Assembly Bill 5, the 2019 legislation that requires companies in many instances to hire employees rather than use independent contractors.
The GOP bills would exempt small business, musicians, timber companies, therapists, newspaper delivery people and freelance journalists, among others.
The Republicans’ bills have almost no chance of passage in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
However:
- Sen. Cathleen Gagliani, Stockton Democrat, introduced a billthat would create a third category of worker, offering certain protections for gig workers.
- Sen. Henry Stern, Malibu Democrat, introduced a bill, perhaps for the entertainment industry.
- Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, San Diego Democrat and AB 5’s author, also introduced legislation, details to come.
Meanwhile:
- A federal judge in San Diego blocked the statefrom enforcing the law against truckers and trucking companies, one of AB 5’s main targets.
- Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart, each of which relies on independent workers and were targets of the bill, have $107.4 million, a huge sum, in a campaign account for a November initiative. Under the measure, companies could use independent contractors so long as they provide some protections.
Micheli sees irony. The original bill was aimed at truckers and app-based drivers employees. If the initiative were to pass and the injunction remains in place, AB 5 would not cover those workers. Yet scores of other professions would be covered.
- “Proverbial collateral damage.”
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Tina Hay to Speak at Women’s Week 2020
Napkin Finance, Build Your Wealth in 30 Seconds or Less
Tina Hay is changing the conversation.
Tina started sketching explanations of financial concepts when she was an MBA student at Harvard Business School. What started as a personal learning tool has grown into a broader educational philosophy founded on visual learning.
A handy crash course in personal finance, Napkin Finance is the groundbreaking guide everyone needs to help them manage their money and feel more secure.
San Diego Women’s Week events are March 16 -20 Everyone is invited, and tickets can be purchased at www.sdwomensweek.com.
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General Atomics and Framatome join
forces on nuclear reactor channel boxes
General Atomics and Framatome are working together to develop nuclear reactor channel boxes fabricated from General Atomics’ SiGA silicon-carbide composite. Channel boxes are used in boiling light-water reactors (BWR), which represent one-third of the U.S. reactor fleet.
The goal is to deliver advanced BWR core components offering longer lifetimes, higher performance, and improved economics.
The channel box in a BWR surrounds the fuel rods and fuel assemblies for structural stability and to direct water over the fuel rods to ensure efficient cooling and heat transfer. Current channel boxes are made from a metal alloy known as Zircaloy. This is the same material used for the tubes that hold fuel pellets, and thus suffers similar embrittlement, lifetime, and strength limitations during operation and off-normal events, such as those that occurred during the accident at Fukushima.
GA originally developed SiGA for its innovative Energy Multiplier Module advanced reactor design, though the technology has broad applications for a variety of current reactors and future advanced reactor concepts.
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Northrop Grumman licenses new connector
technology for underwater environments
Northrop Grumman Corp. has signed its first non-exclusive agreement to manufacture niobium-based connectors specifically designed for harsh environments.
NiobiCon is a new way of making electrical connections underwater that enables power transfer and data exchange without using seals, oil or moving parts. This technology was developed to address the inefficient recharging of unmanned vehicles in underwater environments. When the niobium connector enters in contact with the water, it creates its own thin isolating layer, which gets scraped off when the connection is made. Once disconnected, the layer instantly regenerates.
“NiobiCon is a patented technology that has global commercial and defense applications,” said Alan Lytle, vice president, undersea systems, Northrop Grumman. “It is an innovative wet-mateable connector technology we have developed that will not only improve reliability and cost-effectiveness, but also revolutionize the industry. We are excited to take the first step in developing solutions for specific future applications.”
Northrop Grumman has entered into an agreement with iCONN Systems LLC, which specializes in the manufacture of connectors for harsh environments as their first non-exclusive licensee. They will work with potential customers to develop more reliable interconnects for both commercial and defense applications.
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Apartment complex managers agreed
to pay $12,000 to tenant with disabilities
Wakeland Atmosphere LP and FPI Management Inc. have agreed to pay $12,500 to a woman in a HUD subsidized apartment complex in San Diego after she compained that they refused to allow her a designated parking space, which she sought because of physical disabilities. The woman filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The woman alleged she was forced to navigate a steep incline each time she exited her building’s parking garage after parking in one of the regular spaces. FPI Management and Wakeland Atmosphere deny discriminating against the tenant but agreed to settle her complaint.
“Reasonable accommodations make a world of difference to persons who find the most routine things, like walking from a parking lot to their home, challenging,” said Anna María Farías, HUD assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. “Hopefully, today’s settlement will send a loud and clear message to housing providers that HUD is committed to ensuring that they meet their obligations under the nation’s fair housing laws.”
