California: Aug. 3, 2001
Garment worker Apolinar Aguilar was shot and killed on Aug. 26 in Los Angeles in front of K & C Apparel, an eveningwear manufacturer where he was employed for 10 years; police held employees inside of the building at 714 S. Los Angeles St. while they conducted a search, later determining that the killer was no longer in the building; at press time, no suspect had been detained and no motive had been established...Gov. Davis scaled back a proposed $5 million increase earmarked for enforcement of labor laws to $2 million as part of the governor’s $103.3 billion budget; the budget for labor law enforcement is now $154 million...The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shut down jewelry manufacturing in a building in downtown Los Angeles, citing the possible presence of dangerous pollutants that could endanger workers, customers and visitors to the area; area business owners say they are worried that the move will pave the way for the EPA to order more closures in the area, which is the second largest jewelry-manufacturing center in the country...Santa Monica became the first U.S. city to adopt a living wage law; the new law, set to take effect July 2002, raises the minimum wage for businesses with revenue of $5 million or more to $12.25 per hour; the minimum wage for high-revenue businesses that offer certain healthcare benefits will be $10.50; the current minimum wage in California is $6.25 per hour; the new law affects businesses in two sections of the city: the Coastal Zone, an area roughly between Lincoln Boulevard and the beach, and the Extended Downtown Core;more information about the new law can be found at the city’s Web site [http://pen.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/cm].
