Workers Rights

Sex Worker Film & Arts Fest Honors Founder Carol Leigh’s Legacy
This year’s festival is especially meaningful as it marks the first since the passing of the festival’s founder, Carol Leigh, aka “The Scarlot Harlot.” Leigh coined the term “sex worker” in the 1970s.

SF History: Sex WORK In The City
COYOTE (Call Off Your Tired Old Ethics) was founded in San Francisco in 1973 by Margo St. James, a sex worker, who also co-founded St. James Infirmary Clinic in the Tenderloin. COYOTE’s main goals were decriminalization (as opposed to legalization) of sex work, pimping, and pandering, as well as the elimination of social stigma concerning sex work as an occupation. Its work is considered part of the larger sex worker movement for legal and human rights.

Youth vs. Apocalypse Raises Their Young Voices in Protest
For the past few years young climate activists have been gathering in the thousands to raise their voices in protest. They are Youth vs. Apocalypse (YVA). Look for them in Sacramento for Lobby Day on May 16th as they march in protest. They also plan to go to a hearing and

The KQED & Noise Pop Block Party Looks Pretty Great
When two wonderful SF institutions get together to throw a block party your ears should perk up. KQED has teamed up with Noise Pop and is blocking off the streets in front of its storied SF headquarters for an all-day, live music-infused, street festival with delicious local food vendors, legendary Bay Area talent, and of course, your favorite KQED journalists and personalities.

Should We Be Worried About Artificial Intelligence? What Does History Say?
From ancient times, mankind has envisioned automation in the form of machines being trained to save labor. According to the Lie Zi text, in the 10th century BCE, a mechanical engineer known as Yan Shi presented King Mu of Zhou with a mechanical humanoid figure that could sing in tune, posture and much to King Mu’s displeasure, attempt to woo a lady.

Workers at the California Academy of Sciences Are Unionizing!
Workers at the California Academy of Sciences are unionizing! As I’m writing this, someone literally just drove by my window blaring John Lennon’s song “Power to the People” which couldn’t be more appropriate. The past few years have seen the biggest boom in labor union activity in the United States in

SF Burger King Franchise Ordered to Pay Workers $2.2 Million in Stolen Wages
By Alexandra Martinez, Prism At the end of last year, the California Labor Commissioner ordered a San Francisco Burger King franchise owner to pay 230 workers over $2.2 million in stolen wages and penalties. The decision, issued Dec. 19, stated that owners Monu Singh and Harkiran “Romi” Randhawa, along with

5 Things That Can Ruin a Server’s Day Before the Restaurant Even Opens
Far too often, customers are the scapegoat for making the day of a restaurant server a miserable one. But alas, dear customers, for it is not only you who know how to spoil a shift. We servers are quite capable of having a soul-crushing shift and it might have absolutely nothing to do with you.