Nevada Street Food Vendors Protected Under New Law / Public News Service

Nevada street food vendors will now be protected, as Gov. Joe Lombardo signed Senate Bill 92 into law – which allows vendors to obtain the necessary licensing to operate without fear of criminalization.

State Senator and leader of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus Fabian Doñate – D-Las Vegas – said when he was campaigning door-to-door last year with his mom, he became aware of the need for the initiative – especially in Nevada’s Latino community.

“We know that street food vendors deserve the opportunity to exist,” said Doñate, “and thanks to Senate Bill 92 and the efforts of our governor, together we will now pave the way for street food vendors to operate legally.”

Doñate said SB 92 also means fewer regulations for small businesses across Nevada. Doñate called the bill’s passage “historic.”

It will provide a path to legalizing street food vending – but will still prohibit anyone from selling food on a sidewalk within 1,500 feet of a hotel, sporting facilities with a capacity of at least 20,000, conventions, and state historical markers.

Gov. Joe Lombardo said the passage of SB 92 proves the state of Nevada “is open for business,” a message he highlighted during his State of the State address earlier this year.

Lombardo acknowledged that for many communities of color there is a fear of law enforcement, and added that “fear needs to be taken away.”

“Especially when you obtain a permit and you pay your taxes and you’re achieving the American dream by opening your own business and feeling safe in opening your own business,” said Lombardo, “without the fear of reprisal, without the fear of authorities coming down on you and removing your ability to make money.”

Lombardo said Nevada police want to partner with the Latino community and embrace the new law.

Lawmakers are now working to streamline the process for vendors to get licenses, insurance and health department certifications.

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By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.
Broadcast version by Emily Scott for Keystone State News Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Collaboration

It is probably safe to say that when most people think of Goodwill®, they think of the more than 3,300 donation centers and thrift stores spread across the U.S. and Canada. But, the nonprofit is so much more.

In fact, Goodwill may be the best-kept workforce development secret in America, with more than 350,000 people finding a job through Goodwill’s career counseling, résumé prep services, and skills training.

“Our entire history is about a mission of helping people flourish in life, helping them thrive. The ‘why’ for us is helping people reach their potential, often through learning and the power of work,” explains Steve C. Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International.

And thanks to a partnership with some of the biggest names in tech, more than 1.5 million people have upgraded their digital and tech skills through the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator^® (GDCA), a training program designed in partnership with Google and made possible by funding from Google.org.

To date, Google.org has supported the training program with over $29 million in cash and ad grants and 1,000 Googler volunteers who have taught classes for people employed and served by Goodwill, have helped conduct research, and co-developed resources and tools, explains Google.

Google.org Fellows – Google employees who specialize in marketing, user experience design, program management and more – also worked with the Goodwill team on a pro bono basis for six months to help research and redesign www.goodwill.org to work better for job seekers and career advancers.

Partnering to Advance Tech Careers

More than 80% of the people who come to Goodwill for work-related services have a high school diploma or less and range in age from their teens to in their 80s. Most have low-to-moderate income, and some have no income at all.

The Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator prepares job seekers and career advancers for for entry- and mid-level occupations. No degree and no experience required. Some of the learners need to learn keyboarding, English, and math before they can benefit from digital skills training and earn career certificates.

The program meets learners where they are at, offering many levels of hands-on training, from basic digital awareness and navigation through training for Google Career Certificates. Those employer-vetted certificates equip people with job-ready skills for in-demand entry-level careers in fields like data analytics, IT, and, most-recently, cybersecurity.

Interested? Here is What You Need to Know About the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator

We asked Goodwill and Google to answer these essential questions about the Goodwill Digital Career Accelerator program, which is hosted on the Coursera platform.

What does it cost?

“Thanks to scholarships and funding from Google.org and other partners, digital skills training is available at no cost to learners at most Goodwills.”

How much time does it take?

“The time a digital skills training course takes depends of what is being learned. To learn to set up and use email – an essential skill for a job search – may take only an hour or two. Learning to use Google suite may take a few hours over the course of a week. Earning a Google Career Certificate may take three to six months (though some highly motivated and disciplined learners have completed them in a few weeks).”

Is the program in-person or online?

“Many of the people who use Goodwill to build their digital skills begin their learning in-person until they are comfortable enough to learn at their own pace on their own time. The strongest models for training involve a blended approach where Goodwill organizations convene training groups in-person and integrate online learning. Providing additional supports beyond the training setting, such as regular career navigation check-in meetings, helps learners stay on track with training progress.”

Once completing the program, do you get an employer-vetted certificate?

“Some learners earn Google Career Certificates through Goodwill. The Google Career Certificates are an industry-recognized credential valued by a wide array of employers. Built by experts at Google and vetted by employers in the program’s Employer Consortium, the certificates teach skills employers are looking for. The employer consortium includes over 150 companies including Accenture, Walmart, Verizon, and Google that are looking to hire workers in the certificate fields.”

The Power to Change Lives

“It’s so important for us to realize that digital skills have become the price of entry for many jobs in our country. Digitization has so infused our workforce that the need for those skills is ubiquitous,” says Goodwill CEO Preston.

“Google believes the opportunities created by technology should truly be available to everyone, regardless of their zip code, education level, or background. We’re proud to continue our support for Goodwill, advancing our shared commitment to help all Americans access digital skills training in their local communities,” says Hector Mujica, head of Economic Opportunity for the Americas for Google.org.

He tells us, “To date, we’ve helped over 357,000 people connect with new jobs and increase their economic opportunities by offering programs including the Google Career Certificates. Through our collaboration, we’re excited to help more people improve their lives and livelihoods for years to come.”

Preston sums the partnership up this way. “I believe strongly in the power of human potential. Helping people tap into that potential is not only transformative to them, but it’s transformative to our communities. It’s transformative to our culture.”

Ramona Schindelheim wrote this article for WorkingNation.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

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Virginia Commonwealth University cleaners have won their first union contract.

Along with 12 additional paid days off, the school’s janitorial staff will also receive a pay increase. Under the contract, their pay will increase from $12 to $15 immediately, and over the next two years, they’ll get 65-cent increases to bring their pay to more than $16 an hour.

Angela Arrington, a lead cleaner at VCU, described how this contract benefits workers.

“I think we’ll be able to keep more people on our team with the pay raises,” she said. “We got 401(k), we’re going to be having health insurance. We’re going to have vacation and some sick time, and that’s going to help a lot, as well.”

She described the negotiation not as arduous as some have been. The cleaning staff will also gain some protections in cases of discipline and termination, as well as a grievance and arbitration process for settling disputes. The contract applies to workers at VCU’s Monroe Park, MCV, Medical College and undergraduate campuses.

In recent years, Virginia has seen an increase in union activity. In 2022, City of Richmond workers voted to unionize. Employees from other cities – Alexandria, Newport News and Virginia Beach – are either working to form unions, or already have one in place.

Jaime Contreras, executive vice president of 32BJ SEIU, said these are all part of the growing movement in the United States.

“I think the fact that COVID has done a number on all types of workers around the country; inflation has done a number, when it comes to everything going up,” he said, “and in general, workers see that a union is a way to improve their working conditions.”

While more than 200,000 workers unionized in 2022, union growth has actually dropped to around 10%, one of its lowest levels. The number of union election petitions grew by 53% in the last year – but so did the number of non-union jobs, far exceeding the growth of union jobs.

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Global trade negotiations are happening this weekend in Seattle and critics say the process should come out from behind closed doors.

Meetings for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation are taking place Sunday in Seattle, with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework trade negotiations at its center.

Director of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition Julia Bouanna said her organization and other groups in the region are delivering more than 10,000 petition signatures, calling for increased transparency of the trade talks.

Bouanna said corporations dominate talks like this away from public scrutiny.

“If we’re ever going to deliver on the promise of a new worker-centered, climate-friendly trade model,” said Bouanna, “people need to know what’s being proposed in these pacts while there’s still an opportunity to influence the rules being written.”

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework includes a dozen countries, including India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam – and represent 40% of world Gross Domestic Product.

The Biden administration says the deal will make supply chains more resilient, protecting against “costly disruptions that lead to higher prices for consumers.”

Bouanna said big technology companies could play an outsize role because of their access to the talks.

“What we’re really worried about is that these big tech companies will essentially rig trade deals, putting in clauses that will undermine consumer privacy, data security, AI accountability, and anti-monopoly rules.”

Bouanna says the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework could have the same effect as other trade deals, in which jobs are shipped from the U.S. to other parts of the world.

“That means workers here are losing good, union-paying jobs,” said Bouanna, “and workers abroad are continuing to be exploited and oppressed – working under really hazardous working conditions for very little pay and no right to unionize.”

Critics of the deal are gathering at 2 p.m. at Cal Anderson Park on Sunday. From there, they’ll march to the Seattle Convention Center, where meetings are being held.

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