Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced on Wednesday, 4/22, that the city will be pushing back the effective date for the ban on single-use plastic bags from July 2, 2020, to January 1, 2021. Kenney said that due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic the initial date is unrealistic as the city has not had the time to implement the law while focusing on the crisis. The law was signed in December 2019. It affects all single use plastic bags made available at retail locations for carry-out items. By February 1, 2021, retail locations must have signage at points-of-sale notifying customers of the changes. By April 2, 2021, enforcement will begin. Warnings will be given to retail locations that are still providing plastic bags. Fines will start on July 1, 2021. There are some exceptions including dry cleaners, bags sold in packages for use as garbage bags, etc., and bags used to package perishable items within a store like meat, produce, and baked goods. Paper bags that are not made of at least 40% recycled material are also included in the ban.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is encouraging Pennsylvanians to take advantage of voting by mail to cast their primary election ballots in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID19. Pennsylvania's primary has already been moved from April 28 to June 2 because of the pandemic. In the 2016 presidential primary, 84,000 absentee ballots were cast, but you had to have an acceptable reason to receive a ballot. However, as of last fall, new legislation allows you to request a mail-in ballot for any reason or no reason for that matter. So far, more than 462,000 voters have applied for a mail-in ballot and more than 139,000 have applied for an absentee ballot. Your completed mail-in ballot application must be received by your county office by 5 pm on May 26. Your completed and returned mail-in ballot must be received by 8 pm on June 2. Wolf's administration will be launching an awareness campaign to remind voters that they can utilize the mail-in voting system to avoid going to the polls. You may see it online, social media, radio, and television. So far Wolf has backed off from the idea of having an election entirely vote-by-mail and is still planning on have polls be open in June.
Transport Workers Union Local 234 is planning to take a "job action" on Thursday, 4/23, if SEPTA does not meet its safety demands. TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown said. "We will come to work but we will take a job action so brothers and sisters, be prepared, put your personal feeling aside." He said that they "will choose life over death." (see list of demands below) SEPTA said in a statement, "These are challenging issues, and we are committed to continuing a dialogue with TWU Local 234 and all other unions representing SEPTA employees. With the progress we've made together to date, we would expect SEPTA employees will continue to deliver service that is connecting residents to essential jobs, hospitals, grocery stores and other life-sustaining services." 190 SEPTA employees have tested positive for coronavirus and four have died. A SEPTA union leader told riders to "find another way to work" on Thursday. SEPTA itself warned of possible "significant service disruptions."
UPDATE: TWU Local 234 will NOT call for a job action on Thursday, 4/23.
the health and safety of our customers and employees. We will continue working closely with our workforce and union leaders to provide the safest possible environment for essential travel during the COVID-19 crisis. For more info visit https://t.co/b7tFZzUvePpic.twitter.com/erxGMHnFUJ
Sports
Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw has retired from coaching Notre Dame women's basketball. The Philadelphia-area native graduated from Saint Joseph's. She coached Archbishop Carroll, was an assistant at Saint Joseph's, and the head coach at Lehigh before arriving at Notre Dame in 1987. She lead the Fighting Irish to 9 Final Fours, 7 Finals, and 2 NCAA Championships. Her coaching record is 936–292 (.762).
by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA | responded: 04/22 5:23 pm
TWU LOCAL 234'S CORONAVIRUS SAFETY DEMANDS
1. Require temperature screening for all employees upon entering the premises.  Anyone testing 100.4 degrees or higher to be sent home with pay.
2. Establish transparency in contact tracing for anyone exposed to individuals who show symptoms (i.e. fever, cough, or shortness of breath) or test positive for the virus.
3. Enforce public health distancing guidelines by scheduling maintenance employees to four days on and three days off, at full pay.
4. Conduct daily air quality testing on all vehicles prior to being placed in revenue service.
5. To ensure required social distancing, limit to fifteen the number of riders permitted to board SEPTA vehicles and reduce the headway on routes where necessary to accommodate rider demand.
6. Quarantine employees with pay who suffer from underlying medical conditions that can lead to death if they contract the virus.
7. All deaths of workers as a result of the coronavirus should be deemed to have suffered a work-related injury, entitling their eligible heirs to workers’ compensation benefits.Â
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8. SEPTA should pay the families of all workers who die as a result of the coronavirus the death benefit provided for under Section 802 of the labor agreement.
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