Julie Light

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

ICE Making List of Anyone Who Films Them “We have a nice little database and now you’re considered a domestic terrorist.”

🚨 ICE is creating a watchlist of anyone and everyone who films them, DHS sources tell me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-making...

Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing on "Modernizing Retirement Policy for Today’s Workforce" Testimony by Nari Rhee before the U.S. House HELP Subcommittee highlighting the challenges that most American workers face in the existing retirement system and offering some considerations for integr...

Nari Rhee's testimony before the U.S. House HELP Subcommittee highlighted the challenges that most American workers face in the existing retirement system and offered some considerations for integrating lifetime income products into 401(k) plans. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/house-help-t...

An email from UC Berkeley Labor Center that says labor summer opens new worlds for students interested in organizing

When Levin Lam applied for Labor Summer in his senior year at UC Berkeley, he was interested in labor issues but unsure of what path he might pursue after graduation. Almost a year and a successful union internship later, Lam is an organizer assigned to hospitality and custodial workers at Oakland Children’s Hospital. He credits the eight-week Labor Summer internship with the political department at AFSCME Local 3299 with opening up a new post-college pathway. “I would not have been exposed to organizing, “ he said. “I wouldn’t have known it was a path to go down. It’s very fulfilling.” Lam spent his summer signing up union members for training sessions on issues affecting their lives outside of work, such as housing and immigrant rights. He said those efforts helped build support for the union as members saw the organization active in issues that impact their daily lives beyond the workplace. He also shadowed an organizer at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco who had been having trouble connecting with some Chinese-speaking workers. The workers were resistant to the organizer’s overtures, physically pushing him out the door and even unintentionally slamming it on his foot. Lam, who grew up in a Chinese-speaking home, stepped in and used his Cantonese. A wary janitor decided to give her phone number to the organizer once Lam earned her trust. The experience immediately showed Lam that he had what it takes to be an organizer.

“He’s someone who cares, and this makes all the difference in this work,” said his Labor Summer mentor, Laura Watson, a former AFSCME 3299 organizer who now works at the Labor Center. “He can connect with people and listen.” Lam is drawn to union work because it resonates with his own experience as the child of immigrants, who has, at times, felt marginalized for many reasons. His job now is to support Oakland Children’s Hospital workers in their contract fight, which has been ongoing for about two years. “I didn’t realize how much I enjoy empowering others to fight for themselves,” he said. For more than 25 years, Labor Summer has successfully trained hundreds of students and opened a pathway into labor organizing. “Labor Summer provides a pipeline for young people to enter labor and social justice movements,” said Labor Center Senior Trainer Beatriz Herrera. “Many students want to learn to organize and help change the world, but just don’t know how to get involved. We aim to bridge that gap and enjoy supporting students to develop their skills and step into the labor movement.” For students like Lam, Labor Summer is a game-changer.

This email from @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social brought a smile to my face ❤️❤️❤️ mailchi.mp/berkeley/lab...

Labor Summer opens new worlds for students interested in organizing For students like Levin Lam, Labor Summer is a game-changer.

My latest blog post. Young folks entering the labor movement inspire me!
laborcenter.berkeley.edu/labor-summer...

After a white town rejected a data center, developers eyed a Black… Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.

An excellent and chilling piece:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/dat...

The Low-Wage Workforce of Color Endowment With excitement and gratitude, we announce the just-established Low-Wage Workforce of Color Endowment, spearheaded by former Labor Center Chair Katie Quan, to ensure ongoing support for research and c...

With gratitude, we announce the Low-Wage Workforce of Color Endowment, spearheaded by former Labor Center Chair Katie Quan, to support our research and capacity building for years to come. We sat down w/ Katie to discuss her vision for the endowment. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-low-wage...

Video: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis An analysis of footage from three camera angles show that the vehicle appears to be turning away from a federal officer as he opened fire.

Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

Can the Fight Against AI Revitalize the US Labor Movement? | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice. As AI becomes a battlefront in the US labor movement, traditional unions still have a role to play in preserving workers’ dignity and rights.

From my colleague Lisa Krege:
“AI and other digital technologies are showing up in contract fights and organizing campaigns, and in public policy debates across a variety of sectors,” said Lisa Kresge, senior researcher at UC Berkeley’s Labor Center."

nonprofitquarterly.org/can-the-figh...

Why even unsubsidized Californians could pay more for health insurance If Congress ends enhanced premium help, the people who never got it would pay more for health insurance. Here’s why.

If Congress ends enhanced premium help, the people who never got it would pay more for health insurance. Here’s why.

Why even unsubsidized Californians could pay more for health insurance If Congress ends enhanced premium help, the people who never got it would pay more for health insurance. Here’s why.

Dietz and other UC researchers projected that if the enhanced subsidies vanish, unsubsidized Californians would still see premiums rise. They estimate unsubsidized enrollees will pay about $253 more on average next year due to that worsened risk mix.
www.sacbee.com/news/equity-...

The WNBA Makes More Money Than Ever. What About the Players? WNBA players receive around 10 percent of league revenue, while the NBA gives 51 percent. With their bargaining agreement expiring in January, players want to share in the growth.

“All workers have the right to take collective action to improve their working conditions without retaliation from their employers,” said Katie Miles, a senior trainer at the UC Berkeley Labor Center with over 15 years of union organizing experience. “
www.thenation.com/article/soci...

West Contra Costa Teachers Are Set to Strike. Across the Bay Area, More Could Follow | KQED Teachers in the East Bay school district plan to walk off the job beginning Thursday. Their concerns over wages and benefits are echoed in districts throughout California.

Danielle Mahones: The "We Can't Wait" campaign hopes that coordinated pressure by teachers' unions will encourage district leaders to push legislators to allocate more money for public education in the state’s budget. www.kqed.org/news/1206573...

Scientists Trace Heavy Metals Spread by January’s Huge Battery Fire Near Monterey | KQED A new study from San José State University shows that last winter’s massive battery plant fire in Moss Landing spread a layer of toxic metals across the region.

The concern is not only for the local wildlife, which includes the southern sea otter, a threatened species still struggling back from the brink of extinction. Many agricultural fields are also close to the Moss Landing battery plant. www.kqed.org/science/1999... via @kqedscience.bsky.social

California court tosses Wonderful Company lawsuit over farmworker unionization law The Wonderful Company sued to overturn a farmworker unionization law, but a California appeals court found the lawsuit was premature. The company contends the law is unconstitutional.

The Wonderful company, and it's owners, the Resnicks, are the very definition of "bad actors." calmatters.org/economy/2025...

Opinion | The People Holding Everyone Together Are Coming Apart

This is no country in which to grow old. Nor is it one in which to take care of the aged.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/24/o...

Democracy dies in the dark.

#BREAKING: Dozens of federal agents are on their way to the Bay Area, a source with direct knowledge of the operation tells NBC Bay Area. nbcbay.com/dw6cqFW

We all know the rent and groceries are too damn high. Now, we have the data on how that affects local working families.

The UC Berkeley Labor Center Mourns the Loss of Friend and Colleague Kent Wong The Labor Center is deeply saddened by the passing of our long-time colleague and friend, Kent Wong, project director for labor and community partnerships and former director of our sister labor cente...

We will miss our steadfast partner and friend. Our hearts go out to his family, our colleagues at the UCLA Labor Center, and all who were touched by him. We salute a life well lived. Rest in power, Kent Wong.

laborcenter.berkeley.edu/the-uc-berke...

Kent Wong was a fighter, a thinker, an educator whose compassion and sense of justice was always a beacon of light. We are deeply saddened to share this news and extend our love and condolences to Kent’s family, colleagues and students.
Rest in power Kent.

UFCW 324 remembers a true champion of workers’ rights and a giant in the fight for a more just world, Kent Wong. As the longtime director of the UCLA Labor Center, Kent nurtured new generations of labor leaders. Our hearts are heavy with this loss to the labor movement.

Photo of Kent Wong, smiling and looking into the camera, in front of a building with a Labor Center logo.

The UC Berkeley Labor Center mourns Kent Wong, our longtime colleague and friend. A passionate champion for workers—especially immigrants—and students, Kent dedicated his life to justice. Our hearts are with our colleagues at the UCLA Labor Center.

"Can we talk for a minute about what we as educators, what we as an education union must do at this critical time to protect our kids and our communities?" — @cftunion.bsky.social's Kent Wong #TEACH25

How did LA go from being a notorious anti-worker city to a stronghold of labor power?

Listen to this re-air of my interview with Kent Wong of UCLA Labor Ctr on What’s Next, Los Angeles. Brought to you in partnership with @laforward.bsky.social . whatsnextlosangeles.buzzsprout.com

YouTube video by W.K. Kellogg Foundation Kent Wong on Solidarity: action

UFW mourns the passing of our brother Kent Wong. Please watch Kent speak in beautiful short video connecting his time with UFW to his view of the importance of solidary across labor and race and cultural backgrounds.

 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODkU...

We all know the rent and groceries are too damn high. Now, we have the data on how that affects local working families.

OMG YESSSSSS 🙌🙌

🚨: Today’s the last day to submit public comment to DHS to protect journalist visas!

So far, over 700 people have used our link to make their voices heard.

➡️Submit your public comment here:

actionnetwork.org/letters/stan...