Daily Business Report: February 13, 2024
California’s fast food workers gain new,
first-of-its-kind union to represent them
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde | CalMatters
California’s fast food workers have a new union to advocate for higher pay and safer working conditions, organizers announced Friday.
Thousands of workers statewide will be able to join the California Fast Food Workers Union, an organization that will likely represent a small share of workers but advocate for all fast food employees in the state.
The organization doesn’t have the same collective bargaining power of traditional unions, but it will be affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, a traditional union that represents workers in various industries and for more than a decade has fought to raise pay at fast food restaurants. Recently it helped secure a $20-an-hour minimum wage for all fast food workers in California.
Workers who join will pay $20 monthly in membership dues.
Top Photo: Crowd participation at the California Fast Food Workers Union membership launch in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jules Hotz for CalMatters)
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Kratos secures $877 million rocket services contract
San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., a company specializing in defense and national security technology, has been awarded a significant contract for its Space & Missile Defense Systems unit. The deal, which could reach a maximum value of $877 million, will support the Sounding Rocket Program-4 with suborbital launch services.
The contract spans nine years and includes cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price arrangements. It will facilitate the Rocket Systems Launch Program’s suborbital missions, with work to be performed at various contractor facilities and government launch sites tailored to each mission’s needs. The contract is expected to conclude by Nov. 15, 2029.
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Construction begins on SDSU Imperial Valley
Sciences and Engineering Laboratories
With ceremonial shovels in hand, San Diego State University leaders, joined by elected officials and community partners, ushered in a new chapter in SDSU Imperial Valley history with the official groundbreaking of the SDSU Imperial Valley Sciences and Engineering Laboratories in Brawley.
The project is a result of $80 million in state funding from Gov. Gavin Newsom and university investments to expand sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities, tying into regional plans for major economic development as California’s “Lithium Valley.” The facility is set to open in fall 2025.
The Sciences and Engineering Laboratories will house a STEM Innovation Hub for students and faculty to collaborate, while also incorporating a design that speaks to the culture and identity of the surrounding Valley community.
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Kyoto Prize Symposium to honor three global visionaries
By Matt Nagel | UC San Diego
The University of California San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University will co-host the 23rd annual Kyoto Prize Symposium on March 13 and 14. The events highlight the achievements of the 2023 (38th) annual laureates of the Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest honor for global visionaries who have made scientific and cultural advancements that benefit humankind.
The 2023 Kyoto Prize Laureates are Elliott H. Lieb for Basic Sciences, the late Ryuzo Yanagimachi for Advanced Technology and Nalini Malani for Arts and Philosophy. Each laureate will be featured in free public lectures. Online registration is now open for the Kyoto Prize Symposium’s laureate presentations.
Additionally, a black-tie fundraising gala to support the Kyoto Prize scholarships will be held on March 13 at San Diego La Jolla Marriott. Visit this website to purchase tickets.
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Students panic after new financial aid application blocks them
By Mikhail Zinshteyn | CalMatters
A technical glitch is blocking students who are U.S. citizens — but whose parents aren’t — from completing their federal financial aid applications, and the problem is causing panic in California. For many of these college applicants, it’s a crisis not only preventing them from applying for federal grants and loans, but also from applying for free tuition at the University of California and California State University or partial tuition waivers at private colleges in the state.
The deadline for that state aid is April 2 for new students, a date set by California law that only the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom can change. “It makes me feel worried,” said Ashley Estrada, a high school senior at Diego Rivera Learning Complex in south Los Angeles. Estrada is a citizen while both her parents are undocumented. She has a high GPA and aspires to attend UC Berkeley, UCLA, Dartmouth or another elite campus.
World Trade Center San Diego unveils MetroConnect VII cohort
World Trade Center San Diego announced the 15 companies named to MetroConnect VII. WTCSD’s flagship export accelerator program MetroConnect helps local, small- and mid-sized businesses build resilience by facilitating increased sales in global markets. From strategic and health technology to consumer goods, the multi-industry cohort will have access to a suite of resources to support expansion into international markets, including up to $30,000 in grant funding.
PLNU, Padres celebrate opening of biomechanics lab
With the opening of the state-of-the-art biomechanics lab, student athletes at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) and athletes in the Padres system will gain access to insightful information to improve performance, minimize injury and prolong their sports careers. Graduate students at PLNU’s College of Health Science will facilitate these outcomes by using the technology in the lab to track, record, and analyze each player’s movements.
Entos Pharmaceuticals expands into new Carlsbad manufacturing facility
Growing its regional presence, Canada-based Entos Pharmaceuticals is set to move into a new 32,000-square-foot facility in Carlsbad with a focus on lipid formulation production, and mRNA and plasmid DNA manufacturing. This new facility is expected to employ up to 50 San Diegans in addition to those at Entos’ two research and developmen sites in Torrey Pines.
San Diego Football Club leases office space in Little Italy
San Diego Football Club, Major League Soccer’s newest franchise, has leased 15,000 square feet of office space for a corporate headquarters at the high-end 2100 Kettner building in Little Italy. San Diego’s Major League soccer team, which officially became the league’s 30th franchise in mid-May, is co-owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan tribe. It will begin play in February 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
Red Door Interactive wins gold in ‘Best Crisis Communications’ category
Red Door Interactive, a fiercely independent, nationally renowned marketing agency, announced it won US Agency Awards’ “Best Crisis Communications category for its Fever Campaign, in partnership with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). The agency partnered with CHOC amid the winter season rise of pediatric viral outbreaks, leading to overcrowded emergency rooms. Th Fever Campaign supported parents with proper fever protocol for their children.
Price transparency startup Turquoise Health picks up $30 million Series B funding
Price transparency data startup Turquoise Health clinched $30 million in fresh funding to build out its capabilities. Regulators continue to step up price transparency requirements for providers and payers and that’s driving demand for Turquoise Health’s services and offerings. Using Turquoise Health’s website, consumers can search for shoppable health care services and also can research providers to view services and quality of care.
San Diego City College to host accrediting commission visit
San Diego City College will be hosting a site visit from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Peer Review Team on Feb. 28 and 29. The visit is a crucial component of San Diego City College’s comprehensive evaluation process with ACCJC, which occurs every seven years. Accreditation by the ACCJC signifies San Diego City College’s commitment to continuous quality improvement in areas such as student learning, student achievement, and the closure of equity gaps.
Luminosity to bring back July 4 Drone Light Show
Luminosity hopes to bring back the Fourth of July Drone Light Show in Ocean Beach for a return engagement in 2024, following the inaugural event’s success in 2023. Organized by Luminosity, last year’s 20-minute drone spectacle over Ocean Beach Elementary School marked the first community-sponsored drone show in the City of San Diego. Luminosity and its steering committee joined a year ago with Peninsula Alliance, a nonprofit, which provided access to donation platforms and banking and accounting services.
City to decide on development permit for the Inn at Sunset Cliffs
The City of San Diego’s Development Services Department staff announced that it was scheduled to make a decision to approve, conditionally approve, modify or deny an Emergency Site Development Permit application within Environmentally Sensitive Lands for a secant pile wall to protect the southern wing of the Inn at Sunset Cliffs. The purpose of the wall will be to stabilize the southernly 50 feet of the property at the 0.54-acre site at 1370 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
Discover Pacific Beach announces 2024 event schedule
Discover Pacific Beach, the community’s business improvement district, has released its event schedule for 2024. Mark your calendars for the following key dates: Casino Night Gala on Thursday, April 11, Coast of PB Restaurant Walk on Wednesday, May 15, Heart of PB Restaurant Walk on Wednesday, Sept. 18, BeachFest on Saturday, Oct. 5, Christmas on Crystal Pier on Saturday, Dec. 7, PB Holiday Parade on Saturday, Dec. 14.
