Today on AirTalk, we discuss the latest efforts from Los Angeles County legislators to offer $5 hazard pay raises to grocery store workers. Also on the show, we answer your COVID-19 questions; breakdown how the pandemic has affected high school student-athletes; and more.
LA’s Battle Over ‘Hero Pay’ For Grocery Store Workers
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council backed a measure that would make grocery stores give their workers $5 dollar hazard pay raises.
This is the latest in the fight over “hero pay,” which advocates say grocery store workers deserve for putting themselves at risk during the pandemic to provide an essential service.
But some larger grocery stores have pushed back, saying that the pay raises aren’t financially viable. After Long Beach passed a $4 pay bump requirement for grocery store workers, Kroger decided to close two of its supermarkets in the area.
We dive into the issue.
Guests:
Phil Lempert, a supermarket and consumer behavior analyst with the Santa Monica-based publication SupermarketGuru.com; he tweets @PhilLempert
Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA), a non-profit representing businesses in the San Fernando Valley
Paul Koretz, Los Angeles city councilmember representing District 5, which includes the neighborhoods of Encino, Bel Air, Mar Vista and Palms; he tweets
COVID-19 AMA: Vaccine In LA, Latest With The Surge And More
In our continuing series looking at the latest medical research and news on COVID-19, Larry Mantle speaks with UCLA’s Dr. Timothy Brewer.
Topics today include:
L.A. needs more vaccines - why aren’t we getting them?
Drugstores will start distributing the vaccine next week
The surge is fading, but healthcare workers are burning out
UCSF study says line cooks are at highest risk of dying from COVID-19
SoCal pediatricians advise schools to reopen
Guest:
Timothy Brewer, M.D., epidemiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA’s school of public health; has served on the advisory boards of the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention
California’s Housing Crisis Is Evolving During The Pandemic. What Will It Mean Long-Term?
During the coronavirus pandemic, housing demand trends have shifted rapidly as more people work from home— major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have seen rents drop, while prices have gone up in suburbs and mid-sized cities.
Many of these trends would have been unthinkable to economists this time last year. The median rent in San Francisco has dropped 25% since last March, for example, while Fresno, Bakersfield and Chula Vista have seen some of the largest rent increases in the country in the last ten months. Those that can work from home full time are leaving dense urban centers and opting to move to places with more outdoor and working space. But will these trends last? Given that remote work is likely to stick around at least partially in many workplaces (productivity has not dipped, and companies save money on office space), it’s likely some of these housing shifts will be lasting. However, rent decreases in low-income communities, where higher densities of essential workers live, have not kept pace with the decreases found in wealthier neighborhoods. Low-income Californians are also more likely to be hit by the effects of the recession, including job losses and pay cuts.
Today on AirTalk, we’re learning more about the housing shifts occurring in response to increasing work from home lifestyles, and what that might mean for California’s housing crisis long-term. Questions? Give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Gary Painter, professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy and Director of the USC Price Center for Social Innovation and the Homelessness Policy Research Institute; he tweets
Oscar Wei, deputy chief economist at California Association of Realtors; he tweets
With High School Sports On Hold, How Are Student Athletes Continuing Their Pursuit Of Playing In College Or The Pros?
The pandemic has sidelined so many of our usual activities, but for high school athletes, the implications of no organized sports because of the coronavirus are farther-reaching than just missing a season.
For many student athletes, sports are more than just a passion or an extracurricular activity. For some, it’s the lone pathway to college, to maybe be the first in their family to go to college. For others, it’s the driving force behind staying on top of schoolwork -- failing grades mean you can’t play, but with many competitive sports on hold and students across the state learning at a distance, the struggles are amplified. And especially for senior student athletes, missing out on a whole year of competition means less tape for your highlight reel and missing out on the chance to play their final year in high school with three years of experience under their belt. Despite state guidelines that prevent high school sports competition, some schools have gone ahead and played games anyway.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at how the stoppage of high school sports is affecting student athletes who want to pursue a sport into college or even beyond. If you’re a student athlete, or the parent of a student athlete, we want to hear from you. How has the pandemic affected your/your child’s athletic career? Join the live conversation by calling us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Eric Sondheimer, prep sports columnist for The Los Angeles Times; he tweets
The History Of Area Codes In Los Angeles, And How They Came To Symbolize Angelenos’ Identity
For many Angelenos, the area code associated with their phone number is more than just three digits -- it’s an identity.
Whether you’re 213, 626, 310, 818, or one of the other six area codes that make up Greater Los Angeles, every area code has a meaning within the city. And, as Los Angeles Times columnist Patt Morrison writes in a recent article, sometimes those area codes can lend themselves to stereotypes. For example, 310, she writes, are often attributed to “the enviably rich, and the plastic surgeons who enable them. Phone scammers have been masking with this area code, probably because they figure people are curious to know who’s calling them from another income bracket.” 626? “The Tournament of Roses parade, and that other valley.” But, it wasn’t always like this. There was a time, decades ago, when Los Angeles had 213 as its lone area code. So, how did we get here?
Today on AirTalk, Patt Morrison joins Larry Mantle to explore how Los Angeles went from having one area code to having 10, the social and cultural meanings that each one has taken on and why they’ve become a source of identity for some Angelenos. And we want to hear from you -- what does your area code mean to you? To what lengths have you gone to keep your area code? Join our live conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
You can read Patt's column in The L.A. Times here.
Guest:
Patt Morrison, columnist for The Los Angeles Times; her recent column is “310, 213, 818: Why Southern California is obsessed with area codes”