On Saturday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the White House approved California’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration to bolster the state’s emergency response to wildfires burning in Northern California and support impacted residents in Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo Counties.

This declaration helps people in those counties through support and services that includes:

• Crisis counseling
• Housing and unemployment assistance
• Legal services

If you sustained losses from the Northern California fires in
Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, or Yolo Counties,
you can now apply for assistance. 

To begin the process:

1. Apply online with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

OR

2. Call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7585 (TTY).

We encourage you to apply online whenever possible. 

Important! If you have insurance, FEMA’s process may designate you “inelgible” for benefits even though they may rightfully be yours. If you receive a denial letter, you may appeal/reapply within 60 days to keep your file open with FEMA while you settle your claim with your insurance provider.

• FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but may be able to help where homeowner’s insurance did not.
• You have up to 12 months from the date you apply with FEMA to submit your insurance settlement records for review. If your settlement has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed your claim, you may write FEMA to explain the reason for the delay. Any funds you get from FEMA would then be considered an advance and must be repaid when you get your settlement.

When applying, you will be asked for information that includes your:

1. Social Security Number (SSN) OR the SSN of a minor child in the household who is a U.S. Citizen, Non-Citizen National, or Qualified Alien
2. Annual Household Income
3. Contact Information (phone number, mailing address, email address*, and damaged home address)
4. Insurance Information (coverage, insurance company name, etc.)
5. Bank Account Information (if you are eligible to receive financial assistance, the money can be deposited in your account)

*If you would like to review your application status online, you must provide an email address. If you do not provide an email address, you will have to contact FEMA to get updates on the status of your application. 

Undocumented immigrants may be eligible for resources and services

For information, download the Guide to Disaster Assistance Services for Immigrant Californians (English / Spanish) from the California Department of Social Services website.

NSCLC newsletter – issue 6 by Jennifer Hamilton

Over the last three days California has experienced a historic heat wave and lightning siege that has resulted in more than 300 new fires.  In our district alone, we are currently responding to the continued threat of the LNU Lightning Complex Fire that has already burned more than 131,000 acres. Given the speed of these developments, it is important that we all keep a close eye on developments related to road closures, evacuations, and shelters locations, for our safety and the safety of our family friends and neighbors.

Please visit the Cal Fire website for the most up-to-date information on the LNU lightning Complex Fire. If the website is down, live updates are also available on both Cal Fire LNU Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Napa County Updates & Resources

For local updates on road closures, evacuations, Shelter locations, and a satellite perimeter map of the fire, please visit Napa County’s wildlife information page. If you haven’t already, please sign up for Nixle alerts.

An evacuation shelter has been set up at the Crosswalk Community Church. Pets may be evacuated to the Napa County Animal Shelter.

Solano County Updates & Resources:

For local updates on road closures, evacuations, Shelter locations, and an interactive map of the fire, please visit Solano County’s evacuation page. If you haven’t already, please sign up for Nixle alterts.

If you have questions related to the LNU Lightning Fire evacuation in Solano County, call (707) 784-1634 or (707) 784-1635. Pets and livestock may be evacuated to the Solano County Fairgrounds, and small animals may be evacuated to the Solano County Animal Shelter.

Residents who need emergency housing or have lost homes may also reach out to the American Red Cross 24 hour disaster dispatch help line at 1-866-272-2237.

Please stay vigilant and continue to monitor updates for your safety and that of your family and neighbors. If your street does receive an evacuation notice, please leave immediately.

Thank you to the firefighters on the front lines working to protect our homes and communities.  I hope you and your loved ones stay safe during these challenging times.

 Sincerely,

Bill Dodd
Senator, 3rd District

Thank you for telling the Department of Labor not to cut farm worker wages during COVID19. We have a new petition we need you to sign @https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/primex-workers-fired-for-exposing-company-s-deadly-covid-19-practices?share=87d94109-eb19-4829-b0ab-1b4c1178c4cd&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email.

There is a COVID19 crisis for farm workers at Primex Farms, a major nut company in Wasco CA. The situation is dire. 150 of the 400 workers have now tested positive for COVID-19. Dozens of their family members have also tested positive for COVID-19. Sadly, one Primex worker has since died.

Workers have told us they learned about colleagues testing positive from other workers and media reports, not from the company. Out of frustration with the company giving them the runaround, worker leaders staged a strike on June 25th.Workers were requesting safety measures, including social distancing, company provision of PPE such as face masks and paid sick leave for infected/exposed employees. When the company-promised improvements did not happen, workers — including those in quarantine with the virus — held a Zoom press conference that got national attention.

Now Primex is retaliating. Many of the workers who spoke out worked through an employment agency, USA Staffing. On July 22, Primex told the dozens of USA Staffing workers that they were terminated because “production had dropped” –– but then they brought in new workers the same day!

We immediately filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board and appealed to the CA Attorney general. Workers want their jobs back. Primex workers are asking you to sign their petition telling the company to rehire them, with appropriate coronavirus protections in place. 

Sign their petition now at: https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/primex-workers-fired-for-exposing-company-s-deadly-covid-19-practices?share=87d94109-eb19-4829-b0ab-1b4c1178c4cd&source=email-share-button&utm_medium=&utm_source=email

Thank you for caring about farm workers!

Si Se Puede!

Jocelyn

Jocelyn Sherman
UFW Digital Director

NSCLC newsletter – issue 5 by Jennifer Hamilton

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We encourage you to  to ask our Senators to support both the RESTART ACT and the SAVE OUR STAGES ACT.

COPY + PASTE the letter below. Feel free to change and personalize the letter however you wish.

In Solidarity,

The Officers and Staff of Local 16

—————————————————————————————

Email Senator Dianne Feinstein here

Email Senator Kamala Harris here

Dear ______________,

I am writing on behalf of the RESTART ACT led by Senators Todd Young and Michael Bennett ( S.3814 ) and Representatives Michael Kelly and Jared Golden (H.R. 7481 ).

I strongly urge you to support these measures to ensure that business that have been hardest hit and without definite reopening guidelines can stay in business. These businesses are still required to pay rent, maintain insurance and pay for upkeep without any assurances they will reopen this year

I also urge you to support the SAVE OUR STAGES ACT led by Senators John Cornyn and Amy Klobuchar ( S.4258 ). These measures would establish grant funds for businesses that have had a virtual 100% shut down.

Both these measures listed above have bipartisan support and would go far in helping to stabilize those industries hardest hit by this crisis. By keeping these businesses afloat you would also insure that the benefits would trickle down to other ancillary businesses.

As we all battle this virus together we look to our elected officials to be leaders and to consider the well being of all Americans.

Thank you for your support, attention and action.

Respectfully

— ——————————————————————-

We ask our brothers and sisters of all unions for their support of these two Acts.

In Solidarity,

G. Anthony Phillips, President

Napa Solano Central Labor Council

president@napasolanoclc.org

Register for our celebration here!

Napa Solano Central Labor Council Labor Day Pledge Sheet

NSCLC newsletter – issue 4 by Jennifer Hamilton

NSCLC newsletter – issue 3 by Jennifer Hamilton

NSCLC newsletter – issue 2 by Jennifer Hamilton