San Francisco, CA
Unpermitted street vending still happening in SF’s Mission District despite 90-day ban
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Mission Street 90-day vending ban went into effect on Monday, meaning street vendors with or without permits are not allowed to sell on the sidewalks.
Yet permitted vendors are already reporting that the fencing operations the city is trying to get rid of with the ban is continuing.
It’s been 24 hours since the 90-day street ban on San Francisco’s Mission Street went into effect. According to Rodrigo Lopez – one of the vendors in the area – what you see on Mission Street will depend on the time of day.
“There was a lot of activity, people selling and buying and inspectors on the side doing nothing,” said Lopez.
Last week, when street vending was permitted, Rodrigo Lopez was selling on 24th Street. Now, he is documenting what’s happening in the area.
“We feel really disappointed,” said Lopez and added, “Street vendors are not selling right here right now, but all the illegal vendors are out on the street. We are demanding more action from the city.”
MORE: SF health dept. launches campaign against unpermitted food vendors citing ‘unsanitary conditions’
At 8:40 a.m., Rodrigo captured video of people pulling merchandise out of suitcases and selling on the sidewalks.
When we showed up several hours later, 24th Street was clean. No vendors in sight and public works inspectors began to show up with SFPD.
Turns out when Rodrigo shot the videos — it was before inspectors began their patrol.
“On weekdays we are out there from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. We are looking to see if we can extend that a little bit. That is dependent on resources and on weekends we are there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” said Rachel Gordon, director of policy and communications for the San Francisco Dept. of Public Works.
Luz Pena: “Outside of those hours, people can go out there and continue vending?”
Rachel Gordon: “So what the city is going to do is really monitor this and see if it’s working during those hours.”
MORE: Video shows San Francisco city worker knocking over hot dog vendor’s cart
An investigation is now underway into a San Francisco Public Works employee caught on video knocking over a hot dog vendor’s cart.
San Francisco Public Works said inspectors have been attacked by unpermitted vendors. For months, they’ve been patrolling with SFPD officers.
“If they see someone who is selling any goods in the street on the Mission Street corridor, they are going out and telling them that they are not allowed to do that anymore. They have to pack up and leave. If they don’t leave and there is not compliance with that, they can issue something called a notice of violation. Those notices of violation carry fines of $100 to a $1000 depending on how many times people have been warned,” said Gordon.
Amin Ali owns Mi Pueblito Market on 24th Street. He is thankful for the change even if it’s not consistent.
Luz Pena: “Have you noticed a difference?”
Amin Ali: “Yes the difference is that it’s better. People can walk. Clean.”
Several BART plazas are part of the ban. In the past, they have been fencing operation hotspots.
I-TEAM EXCLUSIVE: Fencing operation video shows what happens after car break-ins
We’re getting a firsthand look at a fencing operation for stolen goods, showing what happens after all car break-ins we’ve seen across the Bay Area.
On the phone, Lieutenant White with BART police confirmed they are now adding extra resources to the area.
Vendors like Rodrigo say it’s not fair that unpermitted vendors get to set up shop when vendors are not around.
“It’s like they show up for a few minutes and then they walk away. The people start selling the stuff and police show up, come out and people take everything, pack everything. They wait for police to walk away and they start selling again,” said Lopez.
Luz Pena: “What is your message to the city?
Rodrigo Lopez: “The message to the city is to do their job.”
Rodrigo Lopez is setting up his shop inside one of the locations designated by the city for permitted street vendors. The storefront is located on 2137 Mission Street.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco hotel workers approve new contract, ending 3-month strike
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco Hilton hotel workers who have been on strike for the past three months voted Tuesday to approve a new union contract.
The approval by Unite Here Local 2 in San Francisco settles the last of three hotel strikes in San Francisco this year, union officials said.
The strikes at Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton hotels throughout the city began in the fall. Marriott workers reached agreements on Thursday, with Hyatt doing the same on Friday.
San Francisco Hyatt Hotel union workers unanimously approve new contract
The Hilton agreement is the same as those ratified by striking Hyatt and Marriott workers last week, according to Ted Waechter, spokesperson for the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The agreement applies to about 900 workers, 650 of which have been on strike for over three months, according to Waechter. The hotels include the Hilton San Francisco Union Square and about 250 workers at Hilton’s Parc 55 hotel, who had been prepared to go on strike.
All the deals with hotels include keeping the workers’ health plan, wage increases, and protections against understaffing and workload increases.
Many of the 2,500 hotel workers had been striking for about 93 days, picketing daily in Union Square, which is the site of a Hilton and the nearby Grand Hyatt on Stockton Street.
SF Hyatt Hotel union workers on strike to vote on ratifying tentative agreement for new contract
“These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up,” said Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years. “We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Hilton media representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie on Tuesday issued a statement welcoming an end to the strike, saying it came just in time for the holiday season and allows workers to return to work for key events such as the JP Morgan Health Care Conference and NBA All-Star Game.
Unite Here Local 2 represents about 15,000 hotel, airport and food service workers in San Francisco and San Mateo counties and represented the striking hotel workers.
Copyright 2024 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, re-transmission or reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. Is prohibited.
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Giants Gold Glove Catcher Projected For Huge Season
The San Francisco Giants have made some huge offseason moves already and hope they aren’t done just yet, but as is the case for every team that doesn’t win the World Series, the most important development will have to come from within.
One player who took a huge step from 2023 to 2024 and will try to improve even further in 2025 is Giants catcher Patrick Bailey. After a beyond solid rookie season in 2023 in which he finished in the top-ten for the National League Rookie of the Year, Bailey won a Gold Glove in 2024.
While the offensive output was similar to his rookie season and not anything to write home about, there’s confidence the bat will come along for the 25-year-old.
In an article naming breakout stars in 2024 who are due for a huge season in 2025, Bailey was one of the first names mentioned by Will Leitch of MLB.com.
“Bailey led all players in Statcast’s fielding run value metric (plus-22), and FanGraphs, which factors pitch framing into its WAR calculation, had Bailey third among catchers with 4.3 WAR,” Leitch wrote. “At age 25, Bailey already has won as many Gold Gloves as Posey — now his team’s president of baseball operations — did over his whole career.”
Leitch pointed out that Bailey has established himself to be San Francisco’s catcher of the future, something that seems undeniable at this point. If the former first-round pick can develop his bat to the point where he is hitting at least close to the same rate as he was raking in the minor leagues, he will have a chance to become one of the best catchers in baseball.
Through 218 games over his first two seasons in MLB, Bailey has posted a batting average of .234, an OPS of .640, slugged .348, and has hit 15 home runs and 94 RBIs. Certainly not numbers that will blow you away at the plate, but his defense has more than made up for it and allowed the Giants to be patient with his bat.
In 193 minor league games since being drafted No. 13 overall in 2020, Bailey hit .251 across all levels and had an OPS of .779. He also showed an encouraging level of power with 25 home runs, but has struggled to replicate that in the big leagues thus far.
Having already established himself to be one of the best in the game on defense, Bailey will have a chance in 2025 to enter the upper echelon of catchers across the game if he can have the breakout season he appears poised to.
San Francisco, CA
Christmas gifts arrive early for children at San Francisco hospital
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