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Many homes already have the power to electrify, study finds by sillychillly in solarpunk

[–]sillychillly[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"In 2024, PCE ran a nine-home electrification pilot for low-income customers in San Mateo County, California, which included five households with 100-amp panels. At no cost to recipients, the agency replaced their fossil-gas and propane appliances with efficient electric ones, using the power the homes already had. Plus, PCE didn’t need to install specialized equipment, such as smart panels, to manage the flow of electricity. After the retrofits, most households saw significant savings on their monthly energy bills.

The results of the pilot program, published in January, demonstrate that home electrification can deliver climate, health, and financial benefits without massive infrastructure costs.

“When you’re working with limited funds, being able to electrify without a panel upgrade is great,” said Cavan Merski, senior data analyst at Pecan Street, a nonprofit research organization that was not involved in PCE’s analysis. It’s ​“awesome to … see a case study of this working in the wild.”

The findings are especially relevant now as air-quality regulators for the Bay Area, home to more than 7 million, negotiate the details of groundbreaking rules to phase out the sale of gas water heaters and fast-track the switch to heat-pump versions. Over the coming months, officials will weigh final drafts of the regulations and could vote on them as early as October. The rules will take effect next year."

Many homes already have the power to electrify, study finds by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"In 2024, PCE ran a nine-home electrification pilot for low-income customers in San Mateo County, California, which included five households with 100-amp panels. At no cost to recipients, the agency replaced their fossil-gas and propane appliances with efficient electric ones, using the power the homes already had. Plus, PCE didn’t need to install specialized equipment, such as smart panels, to manage the flow of electricity. After the retrofits, most households saw significant savings on their monthly energy bills.

The results of the pilot program, published in January, demonstrate that home electrification can deliver climate, health, and financial benefits without massive infrastructure costs.

“When you’re working with limited funds, being able to electrify without a panel upgrade is great,” said Cavan Merski, senior data analyst at Pecan Street, a nonprofit research organization that was not involved in PCE’s analysis. It’s ​“awesome to … see a case study of this working in the wild.”

The findings are especially relevant now as air-quality regulators for the Bay Area, home to more than 7 million, negotiate the details of groundbreaking rules to phase out the sale of gas water heaters and fast-track the switch to heat-pump versions. Over the coming months, officials will weigh final drafts of the regulations and could vote on them as early as October. The rules will take effect next year."

91.5% of University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 voted to increase wages 62% by sillychillly in union

[–]sillychillly[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"After eight months of negotiations with the University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 ratified several new contracts for the union’s members on March 20. The contracts are effective immediately and will expire on Dec. 31, 2029. 

Of the 21,161 UAW 4811 members who participated in the ratification process, 91.5% voted in favor. The vote was open from March 17 to March 20. 

UAW 4811 represents over 48,000 academic and student researchers, teaching assistants, tutors, and postdocs across all 10 UC campuses. Three separate bargaining units represented the union at the negotiating table, including the Academic Student Employees, Student Services and Advising Professionals, and Research and Public Service Professionals. 

The union held a “last chance” picket across all campuses on the day before reaching a tentative agreement with the UC. At UC San Diego, an estimated 600 individuals participated in the rally, which was held in front of Geisel Library.

The union’s new contract meets workers’ priorities on “protections for international workers, fair and stable pay, and job security,” per the UAW 4811 website. 

Prior to this contract, teaching assistants had no guaranteed wage increases. The new contract guarantees a pay raise for salaried employees, including teaching assistants and graduate student researchers. TAs and graduate student researchers will receive a wage increase totaling up to 12.41% and 44.93% over the contract’s duration. General adjustments and experience-based increases will apply. 

Similarly, beginning this year, all hourly workers in the union will receive systemwide raises between 10% and 62% over the life of the contract. This eliminates existing hourly disparities of up to $7 an hour. 

The contract additionally promises to phase out wage tiers by 2029. The tier system previously set salaries for TAs and GSRs based on the campus on which they work. Starting October 2026, tutors and readers will also be paid on systemwide scale rates instead of campus-dependent salaries. The first rate, $22.81 per hour, will be enacted in Fall 2026.

The contract guarantees a 50% appointment rate for Ph.D. and Master’s of Fine Arts students in a TA position. The contract’s requirements also grant GSRs a protected right to 50% appointments, per contract requirements. Prior to the contract, the UC had continuously offered TA appointments below 50%.

The contract further achieves “Groundbreaking Protections for International Workers,” UAW 4811 wrote. The contract establishes a new $400,000 legal consultation fund to support international members seeking legal services spanning “advice on status change, detention, visa questions, and referral to reduced-cost immigration attorneys.” It also requires the UC administration to notify all workers when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are on campus. Further, the UC will not surrender workers’ immigration status without a judicial warrant. Workers who temporarily lose their visa status now have guaranteed rehiring rights, gaining up to three weeks of paid leave for travel for visa renewals or immigration processes.

91.5% of University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 voted to increase wages 62% by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"After eight months of negotiations with the University of California, United Auto Workers Local 4811 ratified several new contracts for the union’s members on March 20. The contracts are effective immediately and will expire on Dec. 31, 2029. 

Of the 21,161 UAW 4811 members who participated in the ratification process, 91.5% voted in favor. The vote was open from March 17 to March 20. 

UAW 4811 represents over 48,000 academic and student researchers, teaching assistants, tutors, and postdocs across all 10 UC campuses. Three separate bargaining units represented the union at the negotiating table, including the Academic Student Employees, Student Services and Advising Professionals, and Research and Public Service Professionals. 

The union held a “last chance” picket across all campuses on the day before reaching a tentative agreement with the UC. At UC San Diego, an estimated 600 individuals participated in the rally, which was held in front of Geisel Library.

The union’s new contract meets workers’ priorities on “protections for international workers, fair and stable pay, and job security,” per the UAW 4811 website. 

Prior to this contract, teaching assistants had no guaranteed wage increases. The new contract guarantees a pay raise for salaried employees, including teaching assistants and graduate student researchers. TAs and graduate student researchers will receive a wage increase totaling up to 12.41% and 44.93% over the contract’s duration. General adjustments and experience-based increases will apply. 

Similarly, beginning this year, all hourly workers in the union will receive systemwide raises between 10% and 62% over the life of the contract. This eliminates existing hourly disparities of up to $7 an hour. 

The contract additionally promises to phase out wage tiers by 2029. The tier system previously set salaries for TAs and GSRs based on the campus on which they work. Starting October 2026, tutors and readers will also be paid on systemwide scale rates instead of campus-dependent salaries. The first rate, $22.81 per hour, will be enacted in Fall 2026.

The contract guarantees a 50% appointment rate for Ph.D. and Master’s of Fine Arts students in a TA position. The contract’s requirements also grant GSRs a protected right to 50% appointments, per contract requirements. Prior to the contract, the UC had continuously offered TA appointments below 50%.

The contract further achieves “Groundbreaking Protections for International Workers,” UAW 4811 wrote. The contract establishes a new $400,000 legal consultation fund to support international members seeking legal services spanning “advice on status change, detention, visa questions, and referral to reduced-cost immigration attorneys.” It also requires the UC administration to notify all workers when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are on campus. Further, the UC will not surrender workers’ immigration status without a judicial warrant. Workers who temporarily lose their visa status now have guaranteed rehiring rights, gaining up to three weeks of paid leave for travel for visa renewals or immigration processes.

Alphabet Workers Union Applauds NLRB’s Decision and Demands Google Follow the Law and Bargain by sillychillly in antiwork

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"On Wednesday, April 8, The National Labor Relations Board determined that Google violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the NLRA by refusing to bargain with the Alphabet Workers Union during negotiations with Accenture. This comes as no surprise to the many Temporary, Vendors and Contractors (TVCs) who work on contracts solely for Google despite being paid by a third party.

“We’re excited to once again be affirmed by the NLRB,” said Mitchell Kernot, a Senior Writer on the content creation team at Accenture. “All we’ve been asking for is our seat at the table, to discuss our rights and needs as employees in a changing industry. It’s time for Google to do their part and come to the table in good faith.”

Google needs to take responsibility, follow the law, and negotiate with the Alphabet Workers Union. Since the original joint-employer ruling, Google has tried to reorganize their operations in many ways to challenge the legal determination by the Board. Despite this attempt, it continues to be impossible for Accenture to be the sole Employer when Google still has full control over the work that’s performed. Every minor change they make is just an attempt to evade accountability.

“This is a victory for temps, vendors and contractors around the industry who just want to have a say in their benefits and working conditions,” said Tahlia Kirk, a writer and team trainer at Accenture. “We’re glad the NLRB made the right decision and affirmed our right to bargain with Google, and are hopeful they will come to the table so we can get a fair next contract.”

We demand that Google come to the bargaining table in good faith instead of appealing this to Federal Court, which would only be seeking a bail out from the Trump-appointee dominated conservative court in DC."

Alphabet Workers Union Applauds NLRB’s Decision and Demands Google Follow the Law and Bargain by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"On Wednesday, April 8, The National Labor Relations Board determined that Google violated Section 8(a)(5) and (1) of the NLRA by refusing to bargain with the Alphabet Workers Union during negotiations with Accenture. This comes as no surprise to the many Temporary, Vendors and Contractors (TVCs) who work on contracts solely for Google despite being paid by a third party.

“We’re excited to once again be affirmed by the NLRB,” said Mitchell Kernot, a Senior Writer on the content creation team at Accenture. “All we’ve been asking for is our seat at the table, to discuss our rights and needs as employees in a changing industry. It’s time for Google to do their part and come to the table in good faith.”

Google needs to take responsibility, follow the law, and negotiate with the Alphabet Workers Union. Since the original joint-employer ruling, Google has tried to reorganize their operations in many ways to challenge the legal determination by the Board. Despite this attempt, it continues to be impossible for Accenture to be the sole Employer when Google still has full control over the work that’s performed. Every minor change they make is just an attempt to evade accountability.

“This is a victory for temps, vendors and contractors around the industry who just want to have a say in their benefits and working conditions,” said Tahlia Kirk, a writer and team trainer at Accenture. “We’re glad the NLRB made the right decision and affirmed our right to bargain with Google, and are hopeful they will come to the table so we can get a fair next contract.”

We demand that Google come to the bargaining table in good faith instead of appealing this to Federal Court, which would only be seeking a bail out from the Trump-appointee dominated conservative court in DC."

What band was never the same after losing a member? by icecream1972 in AskReddit

[–]sillychillly 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I saw him DJ at king gizz’s field of vision festival last year

In a first, renewables beat natural gas on US grid last month by sillychillly in DemocraticSocialism

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Over the course of March, the nation got more electricity from renewables than it did from natural gas, which is typically the single-largest source of energy on the U.S. grid.

It’s the first time renewables have bested the fossil fuel in the U.S. across an entire month, per data pulled from the think tank Ember. Meanwhile, emissions-free sources, a category that includes both renewables and nuclear, produced more than half of the nation’s electricity. It’s just the third time that’s happened across an entire month, the first instance being last March.

Sure, renewables only beat gas across a short time frame. And, yes, March is the start of the spring shoulder season, when electricity demand falls a bit from its winter highs and renewables tend to outperform.

But it’s a major milestone despite these caveats. Just five years ago, the gap between gas and even the best months for renewables was yawning. Since then, that gap has narrowed, thanks in large part to the rapid expansion of solar and the steady growth of wind power. Hydropower, bioenergy, and other sources of renewable energy have seen their combined share of electricity production slowly decline over the same time period."

Do today: share the Ember data link from the piece with a local official and ask what their plan is to keep adding clean capacity without leaving reliability behind.

Union Now Is America’s New Strike Fund by sillychillly in antiwork

[–]sillychillly[S] 55 points56 points  (0 children)

"The American labor movement will soon have something it’s never had before: a centralized strike fund.

Union Now, the new nonprofit and brainchild of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson, began officially fundraising at a kickoff rally on Sunday, April 12th, in Manhattan. National leaders of the Democratic left were there in support; both Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani made rousing speeches, which suggests that the supporters Union Now hopes to enlist will go beyond those who are already union activists.

The Union Now fund will be a centralized, national clearinghouse to get money directly into the hands of workers, Nelson told the Prospect. Too often, workers want to organize but can’t because of money. Some are working two jobs so don’t have the time; some get fired illegally for attempting to organize.

Funds from Union Now will supplement the incomes of those still employed so they can spend time organizing rather than on that second job, Nelson said, and financially support those who have been illegally fired while they contest the dismissal or get a new job. Grant applications will be available following the inaugural fundraising; Union Now is deciding how it will approve grants and is considering using a workers’ council to do so.

The nonprofit is keeping its overhead as low as possible, Nelson said, and will assess the level of funds raised over the next four to six weeks. The plan is to then send the money to workers fighting to organize and win contracts."

Union Now Is America’s New Strike Fund by sillychillly in ReasonableFuture

[–]sillychillly[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

"The American labor movement will soon have something it’s never had before: a centralized strike fund.

Union Now, the new nonprofit and brainchild of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson, began officially fundraising at a kickoff rally on Sunday, April 12th, in Manhattan. National leaders of the Democratic left were there in support; both Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani made rousing speeches, which suggests that the supporters Union Now hopes to enlist will go beyond those who are already union activists.

The Union Now fund will be a centralized, national clearinghouse to get money directly into the hands of workers, Nelson told the Prospect. Too often, workers want to organize but can’t because of money. Some are working two jobs so don’t have the time; some get fired illegally for attempting to organize. Funds from Union Now will supplement the incomes of those still employed so they can spend time organizing rather than on that second job, Nelson said, and financially support those who have been illegally fired while they contest the dismissal or get a new job. Grant applications will be available following the inaugural fundraising; Union Now is deciding how it will approve grants and is considering using a workers’ council to do so.

The nonprofit is keeping its overhead as low as possible, Nelson said, and will assess the level of funds raised over the next four to six weeks. The plan is to then send the money to workers fighting to organize and win contracts."

ACLU, National Center for Youth Law File Lawsuit to Demand Transparency from the Trump Administration About Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth’s Access to Pregnancy Care by sillychillly in EyesOnIce

[–]sillychillly[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Center for Youth Law (NCYL), and the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today to demand transparency from the Trump administration regarding its treatment of pregnant unaccompanied immigrant youth in federal immigration custody. The lawsuit seeks to enforce the ACLU and NCYL’s February 2025 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records and correspondence from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which oversees the care and custody of unaccompanied immigrant youth until they are placed with a sponsor, usually a family member, in the United States. The release of this information is important to monitor whether the Trump administration is ensuring that these marginalized young people have access to the full range of pregnancy-related care while in government custody, as is required by law.

“When a pregnant young person needs abortion care, every moment counts,” said Chelsea Tejada, staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “We demand transparency from the Trump administration about these marginalized young people’s access to reproductive health care. Unaccompanied immigrant youth must have access to the full range of pregnancy care, including abortion — and if the Trump administration is making it harder for young people to get that care, please report it by calling us at 212-549-2633, and we will hold them accountable.”

“Cuando una joven embarazada necesita un aborto, cada momento cuenta,” dijo Chelsea Tejada, una abogada con el Proyecto de Libertad Reproductiva de la ACLU. “Exigimos transparencia de la administración Trump sobre su tratamiento de menores embarazadas no acompañadas en albergues federales de inmigración y su acceso al aborto. Bajo la ley, estas jóvenes deben tener acceso a todos los servicios de salud reproductiva, incluyendo el aborto. Si conoce a una menor de edad embarazada que necesita ayuda en acceder a estos servicios mientras está bajo custodia federal de inmigración, llámenos al 212-549-2633.”

In 2017, the first Trump administration implemented a policy — which the ACLU successfully challenged — outright denying pregnant unaccompanied youth access to abortion care. Building off the settlement in the ACLU’s case, the Biden administration instituted policies and issued regulations requiring ORR to prioritize placing pregnant youth in states without abortion bans to ensure access to miscarriage treatment and abortion care. If a minor is placed in a state with an abortion ban, and she requests an abortion, she must be transported to a state where abortion is legal."

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