Santa Clara County businesses that violate COVID-19 safety protocols over Thanksgiving weekend will face immediate fines as health officials struggle to control the spread of COVID-19. Unlike before, businesses will have no grace period to fix the violation if they are cited Nov. 26 to Nov. 29. Individual fines range from $250 to more than...
Local artist partners with San Jose brewery amid COVID-19 pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic first swept through the Bay Area, San Jose native Justin Engel experienced a series of unexpected setbacks. Within a few weeks of the shelter in place order in March, the 42-year-old father of two took a 20% pay cut at his day job as a technical writer, was forced to leave...
Santa Clara County moves forward with job cuts in face of deficit
Despite calls from county employees and labor advocates to reconsider, Santa Clara County continued on its path to lay off employees in anticipation of balancing its 2021-22 budget. In a 3-2 vote Nov. 20, the Board of Supervisors pushed through the elimination of 170 county positions. Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Dave Cortese cast the dissenting...
What the state’s COVID-19 curfew means for Santa Clara County
Despite a state-ordered curfew to curb COVID-19 spread starting this weekend, restaurants in Santa Clara County can stay open for takeout and people can still go out for walks. The only condition? Avoid contact with people from other households. When the overnight curfew ordered by the state starts at 10 p.m. on Nov. 21, it...
Santa Clara County eyeing more job cuts to balance next year’s budget
Santa Clara County supervisors are set to approve more layoffs across county government to prepare their 2021-22 budget for shortfalls due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Supervisors on Nov. 18 discussed eliminating about 170 county jobs. They will cast a final vote Nov. 20 on the layoffs, which are part of a broader plan to...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County to look into COVID-19 workplace safety
Maria Ruiz said she lost her job at a San Jose McDonald’s this summer after reporting her employer for COVID-19 violations and refusing to work in unsafe conditions. Many others also have lost their jobs, faced harassment or suffered in silence as their employers continue to ignore health and safety guidelines every day, according to...
Tech industry service workers in Silicon Valley fear wave of job losses
Recent layoffs have ignited fear among service workers that Silicon Valley high-tech firms, which have kept them on the payroll and covered by health insurance during the pandemic, may soon reverse course, creating a wave of job losses. Although Facebook, Google, Intel and others have continued to pay their subcontracted service workers during the pandemic,...
Minority-owned businesses having hardest time paying rent, poll finds
Justen Torres had a big vision this year: Build Get Away Games & Media, a place where players are trapped in a themed room, solving clues and puzzles before they can get out. “Escape rooms are getting popular here because it is a new way for friends, family and co-workers to bond and build relationships,”...
San Jose to study how Google project might benefit residents
The San Jose City Council met on Monday to discuss evolving plans for the massive Google and transit projects set to reinvent the face of downtown. Changes to the area surrounding Diridon Station have triggered community anxieties—and most recently roused the concern of the San Jose Sharks. The hockey team worried the long-term construction could...
‘No intent to do harm’ in San Jose business group’s racist political ad, officials say
After an internal investigation, leaders of The Silicon Valley Organization said the posting of a racist political ad on its website was the result of a lack of communication, and held no one accountable. In releasing some results of an investigation today, The SVO named Glenn Perkins as board chair and said it is launching...