Morning Brief: WeHo’s Minimum Wage, A Kaiser Strike, And Black Star Canyon

Good morning, L.A. It’s Nov. 5.

How does $17.64 per hour as minimum wage sound? It’ll become a reality for workers in West Hollywood — and it will be the highest minimum wage in the country.

The decision was approved by the West Hollywood City Council yesterday. Hotel workers will be the first to see the increase, and starting on July 1, 2022 all other workers will see incremental raises in their paychecks every six months until their hourly wage reaches the new minimum in July 2023.

Councilmember John D'Amico said during a recent city council meeting that West Hollywood employs 20,000 people, but only 2,000 of those jobs pay well enough for workers to live in the city. 

"Changing the minimum wage is a tremendous step in solving that imbalance,” he said. “It will improve wages all the way up the ladder.”

Minimum wage has been on many people’s minds for the past few months, as Democrats in Washington, D.C. attempt to pass a massive spending bill that initially included raising the minimum wage in the country to $15.

In L.A. County, experts estimate that a living wage for a single person with no children is $19.35 per hour. For a family of four with two adults working, that number jumps to $28.04.

Keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.

What Else You Need To Know Today

• The union that represents 28,000 Kaiser workers in SoCal, including nurses, filed their intention to go on strike in 10 days.
• The prosecution and defense made their opening statements in the manslaughter trial of L.A. Sheriff's Deputy Luke Liu.
• Jambalaya, porchetta, gra pow sausage, lasagna verde, esquites, oxtail kare-kare, cheese boreg, tea-smoked duck; there are plenty of options for Thanksgiving if you’d rather pass on the turkey. 
• Meet the writer of Helm Greycastle, a dungeons and dragons-style comic set in Mesoamerica, focusing on Aztec people and gods.

Weekend Reads

There's a lot going on in the world right now, and it’s hard enough to keep up with our day-to-day lives, let alone to stay current on the news. But if you have some time this weekend, here’s what you may have missed:

Daylight saving time ends this weekend, but many would like it to end forever. (NPR)

L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva insists, despite lack of evidence, that there will be a mass exodus of deputies if county officials fire unvaccinated workers. (LAist)

Here’s what the Hollywood Forever Cemetery looks like at 3:00 a.m. (L.A. Taco)

The East L.A. Classic, a decades-old football rivalry between Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools, brought highs, lows, and a restart for the community. (LAist)

Tupac Shakur’s handwritten lyrics to legendary songs like “California Love” and “Dear Mama” — along with other memorabilia, from his clothing to a jotted-down grocery list — will be part of a touring exhibit about the artist’s life that launches in L.A. in January. (L.A. Watts Times)

South L.A. will be the site of a new greening project, including parkway planters, new trees, and landscaped medians and more. (Urbanize L.A.)

Kakigori, a traditional Japanese shaved ice dessert, is quietly taking over L.A. (LAist)

Before You Go ... This Weekend's Outdoor Pick: Black Star Canyon

Black Star Canyon is open for hiking, biking and horse riding on Saturday, Nov. 6.

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bensondoc, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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The Irvine Ranch Conservancy hosts a few open access days a month, giving the public a chance to explore and visit the 40,000 acres that have been designated Natural Landmarks on both a state and federal level. On Saturday, Nov. 6, Black Star Canyon will be open for hiking, biking and equestrian use.

Or, you could: Shop a native plants sale. Take a neon night walk. Be among the first to see what drops at ComplexCon. Cheer on runners in the L.A. Marathon. Catch a play that investigates a Thanksgiving mystery from the turkeys' point of view. Get literary at a printers’ fair and a zine fest. And more.