#tim cook salary cut

[sariknowledge]

Know About The Apple CEO Tim Cook Salary | Gadzet Dekho

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been one of the highest paid CEOs in the world for many years now. His salary, however, has seen a drastic cut in 2020 due to the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This article will delve into the details of Tim Cook salary and how it has changed over time. We will also explore what factors have contributed to this change and what it means for Apple's future. Finally, we will discuss how other tech companies have reacted to similar circumstances and what lessons can be learned from them.

[thatofabeavers]

uuuh cooking headcanons, because no one can decide so I'm deciding for myself

-

Dick: can cook. But like... simple shit, that can get you by. He can use the microwave, cook eggs, boil pasta- anything like that, made in simple steps, he can do. But something like cake or lasagna? Not at all, he'd burn the building down. He lived with the titans and had an apartment, on a shit salary, like. There was no way he was affording takeout every night. He can cook.

Bruce: can cook! Kind of. He can... put things together. Like sandwiches and toast and cereal and salad. But that is it. Your boy was not cooking properly, not when he had Alfred doin it for him and he had a batsuit to put on.

Jason: Probably the best cook out of everyone- can bake complex foods like lasagna! Nevermind helping alfred out in the kitchen- though that def helped, but he spent most of his life away from the bat, and does it as a hobby (in the games i think?)

Tim: yeees? He's bad at it. Serviceable. He'd burn toast just because he forgot he put it in the toaster and push the thing down again. He'd never had anyone to show him to cook, so he probably always just took snacks, takeout, or things that could fill him without burning the house down. His food experiments are more like how Nilered does it, and he doesn't really have the energy to spend on getting good at it.

Damian: Can NOT cook, he is like 12, raised in a cult where the only thing that judged your worth is fighting, currently being raised by Bruce and fed by Alfred. He'd use an entire sword to cut tomatoes.

Cass: can't cook for similar reasons Damian can't. She'd get too eager, I think, and put in a bunch of stuff that only go good separately.

Duke: Can follow instructions! He's at Dick levels of cooking but can do complicated stuff as long as there's a guide.

Steph: eeeeeh- she's a takeout queen who just gets everyone else to cook for her. She CAN cook, she just never wants to.

Barbara: I FInally figured it out!!

yeah she can cook! Courtesy of Gordon, it was a bondin thing, when they both had time. Losing her ability to walk made cooking- really, really hard, for a time, before she could get a more accessible apartment, as she couldn't reach a lot of ingredients and spices or navigate her kitchen. But it's better, now, with the extra space and relocated items. When she's being obsessive over her work as Oracle, she just orders takeout, though.

Alfred: Yeah (godly implications)

[serve-update]

Eric Yuan Net Worth: In The Midst Of Layoffs, Zoom Ceo Eric Yuan Cuts His Own Pay By 98%!

Eric S Yuan is a Chinese-American business magnate and engineer who founded and serves as Zoom Video Communications' CEO and founder. He also holds a 22% stake in the company. he is 52 years old, born on February 20th, 1970 in Taian, China.

Eric Yuan Net Worth

Eric Yuan has a net worth of $25 billion and is a Chinese-American businessman and entrepreneur. Eric made a lot of money when he started and ran Zoom Video Communications. Must read this article Kim Pegula Net Worth. Eric owns 19% of Zoom as of this writing. In June 2019, when the company went public, his share was worth $3 billion. After Coronavirus, a year later, his wealth had grown to $14.6 billion. https://twitter.com/Forbes/status/1322946220294328321

Amid Layoffs, Zoom Ceo Eric Yuan Cuts His Pay By 98%.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan emailed staff on Tuesday that he would slash his salary by 98% and not take a bonus after the company announced 1,300 layoffs. "As the CEO and founder of Zoom, I am responsible for these mistakes and our actions today," Yuan informed employees. "I want to show accountability in words and actions," he said. The pandemic and work-from-home culture boosted Zoom's expansion. Yuan launched the 2011 California-based startup. In October 2020, the stock reached $559. Check also Les Brown Net Worth. Like many companies that surged during the crisis, it had a difficult landing—its stock is currently trading at roughly $80 (it went up around 10% post-layoff announcement). Yuan told colleagues that the epidemic rollercoaster prompted the cuts. He said Zoom grew 3x in 24 months to meet demand and enable innovation. "We didn't spend enough time analyzing our teams or assessing if we were developing sustainably, towards the top priorities," he said.

Eric Yuan Net Worth Zoom announced massive layoffs. Amazon, Google, and Meta have fired thousands of workers in the past four months. Bloomberg reported Yuan's $301,731 base compensation last year. His pay will drop to $10,000. The filing stated that other executives will take 20% pay cuts and forgo bonuses for the ensuing year. Check also Tommy Lee Net Worth. In the U.S., laid-off "Zoomies" will receive "up to" 16 weeks of wages and healthcare. Tech CEOs with higher base incomes have taken salary cuts. Per CNBC, Tim Cook's pay dropped 40% to $43 million. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon lowered his by 29% to $25 million. https://youtu.be/_V0Ke4biypQ If you liked this article, follow our website, serveupdate.com, and don’t forget to follow our social media handles. Read the full article

[toprealestatebuzz]

Apple sales fell by the most in 4 years

At the end of 2022, Apple sales went down because people had less money to spend because the cost of living was going up.

In the three months before December, sales at the company that makes the iPhone were 5% lower than they were at the same time in 2021.

It was the biggest drop since 2019 and worse than anyone had expected.

Many businesses are warning of a sharp slowdown in the economy, especially in the tech sector, which grew quickly during the pandemic.

Tim Cook, who is in charge of running Apple, said that the company is in a “challenging environment.”

He said that the drop in sales was caused by a lack of supplies because of Covid-19 in China, where its phones are made, and a strong dollar, as well as a weaker economy in general because of rising prices, the war in Ukraine, and the effects of the pandemic that are still being felt.

Apple said that its sales dropped everywhere and that most of its products were affected.

Sales of Apple’s popular iPhones dropped by more than 8%, and sales of Apple’s Mac computers dropped by 29%.

The company’s profits fell 13% to $30 billion (£24 billion).

Roger McNamee, who started Elevation Partners, said on the BBC show “Today” that Apple’s biggest problem was its supply chain in China.

Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, said that Apple and many other electronics companies were having trouble getting people to upgrade because of “what is seen as incremental improvements on previous models.”

He said, “Even more so now that everyone is trying to save money.”

According to the market research firm Canalys, the number of smartphones shipped worldwide fell by 12% in 2016.

Executives at Apple said that their services business, which includes Apple Pay and Apple News, would continue to be a growth driver. In addition, they said that more than 2 billion Apple devices are now in use worldwide.

Other big tech companies also told their investors they were under great pressure.

Amazon needs help to get its online business up and running again. In the last three months of 2022, sales at Amazon’s online stores were down 2% compared to the same time last year.

Overall, Amazon’s sales for the three months were up 9% to $149.2 billion. This was helped by the fact that its business in cloud computing grew faster than expected.

But its profits went from $14.3 billion a year ago to almost nothing. Brian Olsavsky, the company’s chief financial officer, told investors that this change was likely to continue in the coming months.

Google and YouTube are both owned by Alphabet, which is a company. But in the three months before December, sales were only up 1% from the same time in 2021. Because the economy is unstable, companies have cut back on advertising, which is their main source of income.

The CEO of Apple will take a massive 40% pay cut

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, will make more than 40% less this year than he did last year.

The technology giant says that Mr. Cook asked for the pay cut after shareholders were critical of him.

The compensation committee at Apple set his “target compensation” for the year 2023 at $49 million (£45.1 million).

Last year, the shares of the company that makes the iPhone dropped sharply because of problems in the supply chain and a slowdown in the world economy.

With this change, Mr. Cook’s base salary will stay at $3 million a year and get a bonus of up to $6 million.

The most important difference in his pay is how he will get company shares.

In 2022, the company gave him $75 million worth of shares, of which half were tied to how well Apple did on the stock market.

This year, his stock award goal has been lowered to $40 million. Three-quarters of that amount will depend on how well his shares do.

Mr. Cook was supposed to make $84 million by 2022, but he made $99.4 million last year. This number includes the $630,600 he paid for security and the $712,500 he paid to use a private jet.

Last year, a top group that advises investors told Apple shareholders to vote against Mr. Cook’s pay package.

In a letter to investors, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) said there are “significant concerns” about the “design and size” of the package.

The ISS said Mr. Cook made 1,447 times as much as the average Apple employee.

Mr. Cook became CEO of Apple in August 2011, just a few weeks before co-founder Steve Jobs died.

Apple was the first company to have a market value of $3tn under Mr. Cook’s leadership. During a tough year for the tech industry, the company’s value fell to about $2.1tn...Read More

Read Also: Apple investors will audit its labor practices

Source: Real Estate Today

[famoustimesofficial]

Corporations Cut CEO Pay to Balance Employee Needs

In the context of the recent market downturn, company management is taking a new approach to executive compensation. In a trend that may be just beginning, some of the nation’s best-known and most highly compensated CEOs are taking a pay cut.

Top executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman and Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, have suffered pay cuts.

The move comes after a difficult year for the stock market, with 2022 being the SandP 500’s worst year since 2008.

As companies prepare for potential economic disruption, more and more companies are also reducing their permanent workforces. Cuts in executive compensation reflect a broader push by companies to balance the needs of their employees and stakeholders.

Salary cuts are also a response to increasing social and shareholder pressure on companies to demonstrate greater corporate responsibility and accountability.

The tendency to lower CEO compensation suggests that businesses are responding to these calls for accountability seriously and are looking for ways to show their dedication to good corporate governance.

It remains to be seen if the trend of cutting CEO salaries will continue or if it will become more widespread within companies.

Still, recent moves by corporate boards mark a shift towards greater responsibility and accountability in executive compensation.

Following the company’s 3,200 employee layoffs, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon had his pay reduced by almost 30%.

Google President Sundar Pichai also promised “very significant” pay cuts after the company announced it would cut 12,000 jobs. This trend highlights the tough economic times and the need for top executives to share in the pain. Source: https://famoustimes.com/corporations-cut-ceo-pay-to-balance-employee-needs/

[aliciacrossofficial]

Responding to Public Pressure: The Trend towards More Accountable CEOs Compensation

Corporate boards are adopting new approaches to executive compensation in the wake of the recent market downturn. The trend may be just beginning, but some of the country’s most prominent and highly paid CEOs are seeing pay cuts.

Tim Cook of Apple, James Gorman of Morgan Stanley, and David Solomon of Goldman Sachs are just a few of the notable executives who have had their pay reduced.

The move follows a difficult year for the stock market, with 2022 being the worst year for the S&P 500 since 2008.

As companies prepare for potential economic disruption, more and more companies are also reducing their permanent workforces. Cuts in executive compensation reflect a broader push by companies to balance the needs of their employees and stakeholders.

The pay cuts are also a response to the growing pressure from the public and shareholders on businesses to show more accountability and corporate responsibility.

The trend toward lower CEO salaries suggests that companies are taking these demands for accountability seriously and are looking for ways to demonstrate their commitment to responsible corporate governance.

It remains to be seen if the trend of cutting CEO salaries will continue or if it will become more widespread within companies.

However, recent corporate board actions show a shift towards greater accountability and responsibility in executive compensation.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon had to cut salaries by nearly 30% after the company laid off 3,200 employees.

Google President Sundar Pichai also promised “very significant” pay cuts after the company announced it would cut 12,000 jobs. This trend highlights the tough economic times and the need for top executives to share in the pain.

Read also: Million Dollar Bars: A Quick and Easy Dessert Recipe That Will Impress Your Guests

CEOs Beyond Overpaid

Although CEO pay cuts have recently made the news, these executives continue to rank among the highest-paid people in the world.

Apple’s Tim Cook is a prime example, as despite a 40% reduction in his target pay package, he still took home $49 million in total compensation.

Research from Equilar shows that the median CEO pay among the 500 largest public companies by revenue rose 18.9% to $14.2 million in fiscal 2021, with tech CEO pay rising the most at 42.1% to $19.1 million.

However, some experts, such as Nell Minow, Vice Chair of ValueEdge Advisors, argue that CEO pay remains excessive, even after the recent cuts. “They are still overpaid. Let me be super clear about that,” Minow stated.

While CEO pay cuts may be a new trend, executives still receive significant compensation compared to the average worker. Whether these cuts will become a permanent trend remains to be seen, but for now, the world’s top CEOs are still earning more than most people can dream of.

New Trend on Compensation

Amid a challenging economic environment, corporate boards are cutting the pay of some leading CEOs in a new trend that is gaining momentum. 

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, and David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, are among the top executives who have seen their pay reduced.

The pay cuts are a response to the dreadful performance of the stock market in 2022 and the need for corporations to brace for a potential recession by laying off workers. This move is seen as a show of solidarity, with CEOs sharing the pain of the rest of the company.

Nell Minow, Vice Chair of ValueEdge Advisors, which advises institutional investors on corporate governance, is relieved that some boards are finally imposing pay cuts on CEOs. She believes that this is the way pay is supposed to work, as traditionally, CEO pay has been all upside with no downside. 

CEOs would often receive all the credit and money for good times but then blame external factors for the downside. The trend of reducing CEO pay is a positive step towards making CEOs more responsible.

Despite the pay cuts, these top executives are still earning significant amounts of money and stock awards. 

According to the latest research from Equilar, the median CEO among the 500 largest public companies by revenue made $14.2 million in fiscal 2021, an increase of 18.9% from the previous year. 

Tech CEOs have received the largest pay hikes, with the median CEO pay surging by 42.1% in 2021 to $19.1 million...Read More

Read also: 10 Christmas movies you need to watch this holiday

Source: Celebrity News

[usreporter]

CEOs Share the Pain as Corporate Boards Take a New Approach to Pay

Following the recent market decline, corporate boards are implementing a novel strategy for executive compensation. Some of the most well-known and well-paid CEOs in the country are seeing their pay cut, a trend that may only be just beginning.

Top executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman and Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon, have suffered pay cuts.

The move follows a difficult year for the stock market, with 2022 being the worst year for the S&P 500 since 2008.

An increasing number of businesses are cutting jobs among their rank-and-file employees as they get ready for potential economic turmoil. The reductions in executive compensation are part of a larger trend in which businesses are attempting to balance the needs of their stakeholders and employees.

Salary cuts are also a response to increasing social and shareholder pressure on companies to demonstrate greater corporate responsibility and accountability.

The trend toward lower CEO salaries suggests that companies are taking these demands for accountability seriously and are looking for ways to demonstrate their commitment to responsible corporate governance.

It is unclear whether the trend of CEO pay cuts will continue or if it will spread to more corporations.

Still, recent moves by corporate boards mark a shift towards greater responsibility and accountability in executive compensation.

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon had to cut salaries by nearly 30% after the company laid off 3,200 employees.

Following the announcement of 12,000 job cuts by the company, Google CEO Sundar Pichai also promised a “very significant” pay cut. The difficult economic climate is highlighted by this trend, and top executives must shoulder some of the burden.

CEOs Overpaid

CEO pay cuts make the headlines, but the fact remains that these executives are still among the highest paid in the world.

Apple’s Tim Cook is a prime example, as despite a 40% reduction in his target pay package, he still took home $49 million in total compensation.

Research from Equilar shows that the median CEO pay among the 500 largest public companies by revenue rose 18.9% to $14.2 million in fiscal 2021, with tech CEO pay rising the most at 42.1% to $19.1 million.

However, some experts, such as Nell Minow, Vice Chair of ValueEdge Advisors, argue that CEO pay remains excessive, even after the recent cuts. “They are still overpaid. Let me be super clear about that,” Minow stated.

While CEO pay cuts may be a new trend, executives still receive significant compensation compared to the average worker. Whether these cuts will become a permanent trend remains to be seen, but for now, the world’s top CEOs are still earning more than most people can dream of.

Read also: The Impact of Zoom Firings: Navigating Layoffs in a Remote Work Environment

Pay of Execs

Amid a challenging economic environment, corporate boards are cutting the pay of some leading CEOs in a new trend that is gaining momentum. 

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, James Gorman, CEO of Morgan Stanley, and David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, are among the top executives who have seen their pay reduced.

The pay cuts are a response to the dreadful performance of the stock market in 2022 and the need for corporations to brace for a potential recession by laying off workers. This move is seen as a show of solidarity, with CEOs sharing the pain of the rest of the company.

Nell Minow, Vice Chair of ValueEdge Advisors, which advises institutional investors on corporate governance, is relieved that some boards are finally imposing pay cuts on CEOs. She believes that this is the way pay is supposed to work, as traditionally, CEO pay has been all upside with no downside. 

CEOs would often receive all the credit and money for good times but then blame external factors for the downside. The trend of reducing CEO pay is a positive step towards making CEOs more responsible.

Despite the pay cuts, these top executives are still earning significant amounts of money and stock awards. 

According to the latest research from Equilar, the median CEO among the 500 largest public companies by revenue made $14.2 million in fiscal 2021, an increase of 18.9% from the previous year. 

Tech CEOs have received the largest pay hikes, with the median CEO pay surging by 42.1% in 2021 to $19.1 million...Read More

Read also: Payment Methods that You Can Trust

Source: Us Reporter

[skillstopallmedia]

under pressure from shareholders, Tim Cook agrees to cut his salary in half

under pressure from shareholders, Tim Cook agrees to cut his salary in half

Between 2020 and 2022, the salary of Tim Cook increased by more than 800%, a situation that makes shareholders cringe. To avoid any conflict, the CEO ofApple recommended lowering his salary. Following a favorable vote by the compensation committee, the company announced a 50% reduction compared to 2021. With a salary of $49 million, the billionaire should be able to survive. Tim Cook anticipated…

[latestupdates2022]

Apple CEO Tim Cook takes $35 million pay cut in 2023

Apple CEO Tim Cook takes $35 million pay cut in 2023

Apple CEO Tim Cook takes $35 million pay cut in 2023 Apple released its proxy filing at the 2023 annual meeting of shareholders and the 113-page report reveals that CEO Tim Cook is taking a pay cut in 2023. This amounts to $35 million – the executive will earn $49 million, up from $84 million last year. year. His base salary of $3 million and annual cash incentive of $6 million remain unchanged,…

[new-haryanvi-ragni]

Tim Cook's pay cut: Apple CEO slashes his own salary by 40% for this year

Tim Cook’s pay cut: Apple CEO slashes his own salary by 40% for this year

Mr.Cook’s 2023 target total compensation is $49 million, a reduction of over 40% from his 2022 target total compensation, as per Apple’s regulatory filing.  source https://zeenews.india.com/companies/tim-cooks-pay-cut-apple-ceo-slashes-his-own-salary-by-40-for-this-year-2561389.html

[iwritethat]

Dick Grayson: Fine Cuisine

Summary: Fluff

• Dick is unprepared for a family meal but your offer your fine expertise and have the whole family asking questions about you.

Warnings: Mature language

A/N: Hello lovlies! I’ve missed you all so much, I hope this helps a bit and there’s so much more I could add onto this so please enjoy and lemme know how you all are~

>>>>—————————>

It started with a family dinner.

As many curious situations do in retrospect, but with a family of vigilantes whose relationship ties have frayed, intermingled and been resewn makes for more interesting get-togethers compared to most.

One thing they could all agree on though? Dick Grayson cannot cook.

"I can't believe that, they just assume it's going to end in a takeout?" Came your amused voice as you placed a coffee on your kitchen island that Dick was currently seated - or rather slumped at.

"It's because the last two times I've hosted something like this, takeout has saved my ass." The ravenette embarrassingly clarifies, voice trailing off toward the end and did his best to avoid looking at you.

Dick Grayson was technically a neighbour, albeit living a few floors below your more lavish (and expensive) apartment suite. After moving into the complex on the same day, you quickly excavated the common ground to build a solid foundation for friendship - as such, meet-ups like these became a regular thing, switching apartments each time.

"Then, I'll help you out." You proudly confirmed, gesturing to your grand kitchen which was the sole reason you’d brought the place - one of the many things Dick envied about your luxurious living area compared to the standardised version of his own, though on an Officers salary he couldn’t afford something like this.

"Ah (Y/n) no, I can't let you do that!” Came his instant reply, hands waving defensively as he adamantaly brainstormed another excuse. “Plus you'll be working that night."

"True, but that doesn't mean I can't set you up beforehand. We'll start tomorrow, I'll teach you a recipe."

———

As previously planned, Dick turned up at your door rather nervously even though he’d been around you many times - not once had he demonstrated a serious negative flaw to his character in order to impress you, but cooking was one of them and you were about to witness chaos that’d likely dispel any romantic inclination he hoped you held for him.

“Ready?”

“No.”

With a playful laugh, you rolled your eyes and pulled the male into your kitchen noting how he was likely tired from his shift at Blüdhavens Police Department earlier that afternoon so a good meal should do wonders. Maybe it’d give him a better nights sleep too? The acrobat never seemed to obtain many of those for some unknown reason, apparently it’s ‘too noisy’ in the city.

“Oh and you can host in my apartment, it’s bigger and I’ll have all the equipment you need. You already have a spare key anyway.”

“You’re really amazing, I don’t deserve you - y’know that?” There were deeper feelings involved in that seemily offhanded thank you, ones relating to his role as Nightwing and his past mistakes which all remained a hated secret from you.

It started well, Dick following along with ease and you concluded that he picked things up fast with how observant he was which sped up the process. The main course he’d nailed with your guidance and so, you decided to move onto dessert.

“Now we add cocoa powder to th-“ You’d froze, mouth open out of surprise with the substances dusting your lips, cheek and part of your left collar bone - the offender in question mirroring your expression, albeit holding back his laughter due to his colossal misjudgement.

“I - I didn’t think it’d go everywhere when I ripped the packet open...”

“You don’t ever rip the packet, you tear it gently!” Came your dangerously mischievous correction, licking the sweet substance from your lips before flicking the currently non-chocolate brownie covered spoon at him with flecks landing on the side of his face.

“Oh, it’s on!”

This ensued an all out war, the two of you ducking and dodging oncoming attacks as you danced around the kitchen island with varying results of accuracy until Dick decided to slide over the marble surface and capture you in his arms.

His embrace faltered slightly as your back hit the island during your feeble attempt to get away, finding yourself trapped between him and the cool surface too enthralled in the carefree antics to notice the proximity. A beat of silence passed once the atmosphere had settled, Dick releasing a breathy chuckle with his grip around your waist loosening slightly as you looked up with a victorious smirk - he took the opportunity to lean forward slightly as if testing the waters and careful to note any kind of reaction you replied with.

However, there was a lack of trust as all is fair in love and war, hence your devious reasoning to close the gap some more and with the softness of his warm breath dancing on your lips you swiftly leaned past his whilst dragging your tongue across his cheek. Dick pulled back instantly, a mix of disgust and offence in his eyes as you spoke.

“Needs more sugar.”

“I’m sweet enough as it is thank you, you’d know that if you’d have just kissed me instead of betraying me like that!” Dick wittily snapped back, admiring the melodious laughter that escaped you at his response.

“I’m sure you do, speaking of - these brownies should last until the dinner so you won’t have to make them again on the day alright? I’ll get everything ready so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“I guess you’d taste pretty sweet too.” Though referencing your kind nature, you couldn’t help but lightly punch him in the shoulder.

———

Regardless of Dicks wistful prayers, the deadline had finally arrived and his family would be sporadically arriving in a matter of hours - so help him.

"All the ingredients are on the counter - do not use anything else - and I've detailed the instructions on the whiteboard in case you forget anything." You pointed to each item as you spoke, donning a jacket before barely making it past the kitchen doorframe due to your neighbours dramatically desperate pleas.

"Can't you just stay? And do it with me?"

"I have to go to work." You laughed at his antics, the man looking like a lost puppy amidst your vast collection of kitchen utensils.

"Work will survive without you, c'mon you wouldn't lose out on much - I'll even pay for the trouble."

That, truly caused you to hesitate with a look of sheer bemusement, a mischievous glint dancing in your irises that mocked his claim almost as much as your sardonic tone.

"If you truly knew my job and paycheck then you'd take that back.” With that, you were quick to flip to a more cheerful voice as you waved goodbye to a pouting Grayson. “Anyway, you'll be fine and tell me how it went once I get back~"

"Wait (Y/n) h-"

The slam of the front door echoed your departure leaving a Dick feeling more lost than ever, the kitchen seemingly quadrupling in size now.

Bruce arrived first along with Damian, Cass, Duke and Alfred. Then there was Tim who’d apparently travelled from Titans tower and finally Jason who’d sauntered in fashionably late as predicted but only by 5 minutes. Each baffled by the sudden change of location which only intensified when the host brought out plates of home cooked dinner.

"..."

"This... this isn't take out..."

"No, it's actual food.” Dick confirmed almost offended and words laced with a hint of underlying sarcasm. “That I made myself."

"Okay, so uh - is it edible then?" Jason quipped back, smirking at his elder brother in a smug manner that only he could achieve.

"Would you just eat it? I went through a lot of stress and effort for this."

Dick encouraging everyone as he sat down, the action only bemusing the members of his family more as they complied to his wishes with varying degrees of hesitance from each of them. Damian trusted Dick the most, but he patiently waited for his father to finish his mouthful before even touching his own dish.

"Wow, this is incredible, the flavour and everything - Dick what happened to you?!" Duke enthusiastically mocked and continued to devour the meal with a sense of radiance which contrasted to Cassandras pure silence as she savoured every tasteful mouthful.

"Grayson, there is no way you are solely responsible for this cuisine." Damian suspiciously raised a brow at the older hero, tentatively laying his cutlery elegantly on the now clear plate.

"Thank you, and maybe I had some assistance from my neighbour."

“Thank you for dinner Dick, it was surprisingly delicious and please give our thanks to your mysterious friend too.” Bruce knowingly added, proud of his protégés accomplishments - though minor in comparison to Alfreds glowing exterior.

“I told you there was hope Master Bruce.”

"Bro, they left a whole list of instructions so you wouldn't mess up and hey, call if you need anything. Sounds like a plan -" Jason, who had waited until everyone was finished explored your kitchen in hopes of finding some evidence as to who their saviour was.

"Jason no! They're working!"

"It‘s an emergency, you’ve been replaced by a clone with adequate cooking skills!” Tim wittily added once leaning against the kitchen doorframe to observe the scene with Damian inspecting the whiteboard before questioning it’s purpose.

“Why leave this if they couldn't answer then?"

"That's the point, she will answer and I don't want to disturb her right now. They've done enough for me already." Dick painfully sighed, strategically slapping Jason’s phone into the air and catching it with his other hand in one swift motion much to the irritation of the latter.

"Hold up - she?" Duke cut in now, holding his hands out for emphasis and subtlety fishing for elaboration.

"Are you dating...?” Jason hummed, taking a moment to analyse Dicks reaction prior to cementing his assumption. “No, but you want to, right?"

“We are not -“

“You want to date someone?” Cass innocently inquired now walking in with a pile of plates, Bruce and Alfred following in afterwards with clean up of their own.

“I mean I -“

“I’ve seen enough of your crushes to know you have one, you’re already flustered by thinking about them romantically.” Bruce effortlessly deducted, Alfred nodding in agreement whilst commencing the washing up.

“You can’t just call me out like that Bats, after everything with been through too.” Dick feigned betrayal, a hand on his heart whilst Bruce shook his head.

“Oh yeah, how long did he wait for Starfire and Barbara though?” Tim jokingly nudged Jason who chuckled at the small dig, though charismatic and charming - when real feelings were involved, Dick Grayson wasn’t one to straightforwardly act on them.

“Real mature guys.”

“I think you should tell her.” Was the sincere voice of reason, Cassandras kind smile enough to silence the devilish remarks of his brothers who now shrugged in defeat.

“We could help...”

———

Miraculously, you'd attained reservations at the most eloquent restaurant in Gotham, located in the more luxurious district of the wealthy. As a result, it served only the finest gourmet cuisine and had waiting lists longer than any other, so much so that even Bruce Wayne had yet to successfully book a place at the establishment.

You had given him the news when he’d recounted the events of his family dinner (skipping over certain discussions) and how they were grateful for your generosity.

Now, you'd asked Dick for how many he'd like seated at the table so you could finalise the arrangements - he knew you worked there, meaning staff privileges were likely applied in this situation but he was still left speechless.

Gawking at the skyrocketing prices, Dick now understood how much missing one day of work would seriously cost you - he definitely couldn't have afforded your time that night after all.

"So, you say you're paying for this?"

With a painstaking hum of agreement, the eldest nodded with a hint of concern detected on his features, fortunately Bruce had come prepared with his own credit card (just in case). Although his family could be provoking and frivolous toward one another, they were also respectful in situations like these and wouldn't run the bill up too high like certain members would if Bruce had been footing the bill. Dick had a charismatic bond with all of them in that sense.

Meanwhile, you handled everything in your kitchen of organised chaos as the orders came pouring in, including that of Dicks table who you had yet to formerly greet.

"This is cereal..." The head waiter meant it more of a question than a statement, looking to you with upmost uncertainty due to the simplicity of the dish compared to those on your signature menu.

Did they even stock Lucky Charms with the ingredients? The answer was no, you’d intentionally bought them purely for this very day and scenario.

"I know, I know - please serve it to my neighbour on Table 12, he'll get it." You humourously assured the man who seemed to have more to say but didn’t wish to argue with higher authority.

"Ah, Chef..." Your sous chef called moments later, overlooking the scene with mild skeptism before realising the nature of your scheme.

"Hm?"

"You do realise he is currently seated with Mr Bruce Wayne, don't you?" Upon processing that unprecedented information you immediately bolted - hot on the trail of the waiter with a weak promise in your wake.

"What?! I thought he'd bring his friends along not his- oh god, I just sent them cereal- shit, I'll be right back!"

With strategy and precision, you carefully intercepted the tray only seconds before it’d be placed in front of the empty seat of Dick Grayson - the man in question probably taking a bathroom break.

"Aha, pardon me, this was an incorrect order on my part, please forgive the interruption." You bowed with an apology, disappearing in hopes the remainder of the party hadn’t the time to fully decipher the mistake.

Of course, unbeknownst to you, this was a table full of detectives who constantly observed even the most trivial of details.

"Was that... cereal?"

The night followed on as planned, yourself wrapped up in cooking and supervising throughout the night with the only interruption coming from the waiting staff informing you that Table 12 would like to meet the Chef. Such a gesture was commonplace for you, customers regarded as strangers being much less intimidating than your neighbours family - you couldn’t comprehend why, it’s not like you were dating him or anything but their auras just radiated strength.

"Good evening, I'm glad to hear you -" Arriving at the table, you weren’t given the chance to finish before Dick had stood to greet you with a warm smile gently brushing your upper arm once deciding against hugging you out of habit.

"Hey, (Y/n). You didn’t come over this morning, everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine Dick I just had to readjust a menu." You waved his worries off with a grateful nod, hands on your hips in accomplishment as you expected to resume natural conversation with him.

"Okay okay, compliments to you, the food was immaculate - but how do you know our brother?" A youthful male bearing a white streak through his hair cut in, genuine sincerity in his tone when offering his praise before incredulously gesturing to Dick.

"He's my neighbour."

"I - he's a what now?" Duke shook his head in disbelief, looking between you both rather unconvinced.

"Are you kidding me Grayson?!" Tim was next, the most exasperated out of the whole table as he pinched the bridge of his nose whilst Dick quizzically scanned each of his company for insight.

"What...?"

"You got cooking lessons from one of the top Chefs in the whole damn country, you're friends with her, and you didn't even know who she was?!" The slimly built youth exclaimed, apparently knowledgeable in regards to the culinary world and had read of your famous reputation.

“(Y/n) (L/n) owns this restaurant Dick. Also, thank for the other week, the recipe was lovely.” Bruce politely added, nodding to you with a smile.

“You didn’t say that, you only said you worked here.” Dick turned to you now, in a feeble attempt to justify his lack of acknowledgment to your renowned status.

“Well, I do. In my defence you never asked, I mean my apartment and kitchen are rather fancy - that didn’t come on minimum wage.” You replied a matter-of-factly with an air of confidence to your voice.

"Are we forgetting that this is also the chef who was going to serve Richard cereal?" At the remark from Duke, a heated flush adorned your skin due to the embarrassment of being caught - the whole table breaking into collective chuckles.

"You were? - Wow that's such a dick move!" Dick was openly laughing at your failed attempt at humour, lightly nudging your side as you pushed him away in playful defence.

"Shut up! I didn't realise you were with your family, or else I wouldn't have done it."

Jason immediately waved that claim off, cheekily smirking at you as he spoke. “Oh no, I'm so glad you did, honestly it's the main reason I like you right now."

“That and you spared us the horror of Graysons cooking.” Damian conviently inputted, conniving grin sent to his favourite brother.

“You’re welcome, ah I apologise but I should get back to work so please excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you all.” Taking a calculating glance over the expanse of exquisite tables and order exchanges you thought it best to return to your duties with a gracious smile and started toward the kitchen.

“Can I drop by tonight, I won’t be able to afford any thank you gifts after this but I’ll bring you a coffee?” Dick cheerily inquired, causing you to spin on your heel with a shy laugh and confirmation of his proposal.

“Don’t worry, this is my treat. You guys don’t have to pay for anything so enjoy the rest of your evening.” With that you were once again swept up into the busy atmosphere beyond the kitchen doors.

The table remained quiet for a few moments, Dick sitting down and looking to them almost as if searching for their impressions of you only to be met with bemused, impressed and mischievous gazes.

Not for you, oh no - these were shamelessly directed at a now enamoured Dick Grayson.

“Please marry her.”

[berniesrevolution]

JACOBIN MAGAZINE

Apple, Google, and Microsoft are the champions of teaching tech in schools. For many, they are saving education. Apple cuts prices on their hardware for dot-edu email owners to make their products available to students. Google competes by selling cheap Chromebooks and provides a suite of education services to improve teamwork and collaboration. Microsoft has countless programs to empower classrooms with new technologies, such as teaching with Hololens.

These companies have catchy slogans for their programs like “expanding learning for everyone” and “empower every student on the planet to achieve more.” But we shouldn’t be fooled. These companies position themselves as good corporate citizens by empowering students with tech skills and accelerating STEM education; their motives, however, aren’t pure.

While it may seem like these companies are competing in the education market simply to broaden their consumer base and give back a little, their collective strategy is much more concerning. Tech oligarchs are pushing skills like coding in education to train their own future labor force — and pay them low wages.

It makes sense that these companies are playing the long game on skills and wages. Labor is among their most expensive costs, with tech worker salaries running to the low six figures at Facebook and Google. But with few workers possessing the skills to do these jobs, a competitive salary is the only way that tech companies can compete for talent today.

There is no reason tech workers should expect disproportionately high salaries to be permanent, however. Execs are already doing what they can to suppress wages. The shorter-term strategies are clear. Tech companies collude via anti-poaching schemes to keep wages down. They use non-compete disclosures to push wages down by forbidding workers to get jobs from competitors. They also take advantage of the H-1B visa, hiring immigrant workers for cheaper than their American counterparts.

But we should also note their long-term strategy. Under the charitable guise of providing tech education for all, tech giants are doing whatever they can to increase the labor supply of technically skilled workers so that they can cut tech workers’ wages.

STEM Education and the Rise of the For-Profit Sector

In 1967, then–California governor Ronald Reagan criticized a liberal arts education, declaring that there were “certain intellectual luxuries that perhaps we could do without.” In other words, the reason to go to college was simply to get a job. As part of his broader argument to cut funding for public education, he added that the state should not be subsidizing intellectual curiosity.

Obama offered a new iteration of this idea in his last years as president. Having wooed Silicon Valley execs for financial support during his campaign, he announced his plan for STEM education as a cure to America’s economic woes. His goal was to “provide opportunities to learn computer science for all students.” At the 2015 White House Science Fair, Obama announced a $90 million “Let Everyone Dream” campaign to expand STEM opportunities to marginalized students.

But despite Obama’s push for STEM and some recent across-the-board increases, state spending on higher education remains historically low — nearly $9 billion below pre-financial crisis levels a decade earlier. This is good news for the for-profit sector. The combined demand for STEM education and lack of state funding for education leaves a gap in the market that big tech companies are eager to fill.

Google has developed their own computer science programs for educators. Microsoft is spending $75 millionto increase access to computer science education over three years starting in 2016. Investments in education technology rose to a historical level of $9.5 billion in 2018.

The push for STEM has continued under Trump. Working with Ivanka Trump, tech execs from Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Salesforce agreed to collectively spend $300 million toward computer science education to prepare more students for tech jobs of the future. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke with Donald Trump shortly after he assumed office, advocating coding classes as a requirement in public schools.

To further the cause, Code.org, backed by CEOs from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Infosys, campaigns on an apparent “skill gap” in the US. The idea is that there aren’t enough coders to fill all the programming jobs out there. They suggest that there are over five hundred thousand unfilled programming positions in the country.

(Continue Reading)

[argumate]

@zexreborn:

But they’re going after the same leadership talent, right? So the quality of leadership won’t go down, because rally everyone is bidding up the price of a few superstars as positional goods, not absolute goods. Industry should welcome a CEO pay cap like they would welcome any other price ceiling for any other worker. If everyone cooperates on a price ceiling for a positional good the end result is everyone is as well off as before, and with more money.

This works well in the other arena where small differences in elite performance can mean huge differences in return. If a salary cap works for Lebron James, why shouldn’t it work for Tim Cook?

Tim Cook’s career tragically cut short when he sprains his ankle jogging.

[easyfoodnetwork]

‘There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do at This Point’

Grocery stores have announced hiring sprees in response to increased demand due to concerns around novel coronavirus. | Mario Tama/Getty Images

Grocery, delivery, and other businesses in-demand during the coronavirus pandemic are on hiring sprees, but for laid-off restaurant workers, making the switch isn’t so simple

Angel de la Torre-Miranda has thrived on a career in restaurants. For almost 13 years, he has worked the line as a cook and a sous chef across the San Diego metro area, most recently preparing cheeseburgers and huli huli chicken at the Boardwalk Beach Club in Coronado. He loved the work, and it put food on the table for himself, his girlfriend, and his almost-two-year-old child.

But with the spread of COVID-19, the Boardwalk Beach Club temporarily shuttered in mid-March, and de la Torre-Miranda lost his job. To support his family, this past week he found himself on the other side of the service industry: driving around town for Postmates, delivering bags full of Carl’s Jr. and 7-Eleven orders. “If I don’t work, we don’t eat,” de la Torre-Miranda says, noting that he earned $40 in two-and-a-half hours. “It’s not rent money but it’s the most money I’ve seen in the last two weeks.”

In the middle of what some economists have predicted to be the eve of a recession, restaurants across the country have closed or limited their dining rooms, upsetting the livelihoods of possibly millions of workers. A number of employees are hobbling along with schedule cuts or reduced salaries, but thousands of others are without jobs.

Unemployment benefits and restaurant relief funds will help keep eligible workers financially afloat in the near future, as will the recently-passed $2 trillion stimulus package, which will give unemployed restaurant workers an additional cushion of $600 a week plus one-time stimulus checks of up to $1,200. But with fallout from the coronavirus almost certainly enduring for several months, and retailers hiring en masse to keep up with the spike in customers’ panic-stricken purchases, hospitality veterans are looking beyond bars and restaurants for their next paychecks.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do at this point,” says de la Torre-Miranda, who’s applied for positions at grocery stores and medical equipment facilities. “It’s incredibly stressful, because I know what I’m capable of doing in the kitchen.”

The shockwaves from COVID-19 have rippled across the restaurant industry. At least 26 states have banned or restricted dine-in service, and on March 26, the total number of hourly employees going into work at local food-and-drink businesses had dropped by 64 percent compared to the median attendance on the same weekdays in January, according to data from scheduling and time tracking tool Homebase.

But for retail and delivery, business is soaring: shelves where milk, eggs, and seltzer are regularly stocked feature gaping holes; lines at grocery stores sometimes stretch out the door, with customers attempting to maintain the recommended six feet of separation; Instacart app downloads grew by more than 200 percent between February 14 and March 15.

To meet the sudden influx of customer demand, a slew of grocery stores and retailers like Trader Joe’s and Amazon have announced hiring sprees, with some companies making direct efforts to aid restaurant workers. CVS Health, which plans to add over 50,000 workers, is working with the hospitality group Estefan Enterprises in Florida to match up to 300 of its employees with temporary jobs until its hotels and restaurants reopen, a deal facilitated by personal connections between the organizations. Kroger, which has hired more than 23,500 new employees and plans to bring on an additional 20,000, has partnered with the Thunderdome Restaurant Group and Frisch’s to place restaurant workers with jobs in its plants, warehouses, and grocery stores.

Kimberly Yorio, a spokesperson for the grocery chains Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s, says that with daily demand surging exponentially, the companies began a hiring campaign to onboard over 100 full-time and part-time workers, some temporary, at their locations throughout the Northeast. The jobs range from retrieving grocery carts and working the cash registers, to slicing cold cuts at the deli counter. “The largest number of hospitality workers are being displaced right now,” Yorio says. “The grocery industry, on the flip side, has an urgent need to employ people quickly who have skills that are absolutely relevant, and the knowledge of food for all hospitality works is super helpful.”

Echoing other retailers who are recruiting short-term help for the pandemic, job postings on Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s suggest the duration of temporary COVID-19 hires could last a couple of months. However, Yorio notes the possibility for extensions and long-term employment opportunities based on the needs of customers and workers.

But despite the hiring sprees, work isn’t guaranteed for new jobseekers. These days, recently laid-off restaurant workers looking to get a toe in as a grocery bagger or in a warehouse position are potentially competing with millions of newly unemployed. Mariah R.*, a former server-bartender at a Stoney River steakhouse and grill location in Atlanta, Georgia says that after being let go from the restaurant due to the pandemic and applying for several retail positions, she has already been rejected for four different positions at Target. De la Torre-Miranda, who has prior warehouse experience, says that after hearing about companies’ hirings waves, he applied to Walmart, Costco, Target, and Amazon, along with several grocery stores, with few leads as of last week.

But some restaurant workers don’t consider switching to retail a viable option at all. Tim Oliver, who is currently working around eight hours a week as a cook at the taco bar Garage in Binghamton, New York — down from the usual 45 — is holding out for as long as he can before applying for a position at Walmart. His skills and personality, embraced in restaurants, he says, might not be so welcomed in retail. “Everybody’s drawn there for one reason — to make some food for people and they’re happy about it,” he says about working in a kitchen. “To go from the high-pressure job of cooking to stocking shelves, I’m gonna go nuts.”

Jobs like delivering meals or ringing up groceries also put workers on the front lines of the pandemic, sometimes with little protection. George F. *, a career server who lives in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood, says that after being hired for an overnight stocker position at a grocery store, he learned on his first day that several of his new coworkers weren’t sharing his precautionary health measures like wearing a handkerchief or mask and gloves, and that the company wasn’t spraying down the store with cleaning products.

“Offices and break rooms are extremely small with multiple people close together,” he says of his new workplace, adding that it’s a problem “for people to not be using gloves or face masks in those situations.” Still, the former server considers himself lucky to have the job: He now has unionized healthcare and secured employment in an industry vital during the pandemic.

With the sudden jump in the labor market supply, some hospitality workers have been exiting the food and retail worlds altogether, at least temporarily. For over two years, Shawn Ryder poured beer at the beloved local hockey bar Lord Stanley’s and the Annex in DeKalb, Illinois. But when Governor J.B. Pritzker mandated that bars and restaurants across the state shutter to dampen the spread of COVID-19, a Lord Stanley’s regular threw Ryder a lifeline and messaged him about a job opportunity at the plant where he worked.

Instead of chatting with regulars about Blackhawks scores, this past week, the former bartender was learning how to operate heavy machinery to drill holes into plastics and metals as a computer numerically controlled operator. “It was kind of like when I left Ohio and went to California,” Ryder says. “The culture shock — it’s a totally different type of work, a different pace, different way of thinking.”

The total take home pay is roughly $200 less at Ryder’s new job (an amount he used to make in tips), and he hasn’t fully adjusted to the early-hour schedule. But he considers himself lucky to be gainfully employed, unlike many of his former colleagues. “There are definitely worse jobs out there,” he says.

De la Torre-Miranda, the San Diego chef, is hoping for similar fortunes. With another child on the way, the chef estimates that he’s applied to over 50 jobs online, often without reading the job descriptions. Two retail or warehouse jobs plus Postmates delivery work would be ideal for sustaining his family financially, he says.

Like other former restaurant workers, de la Torre-Miranda knows the pandemic will eventually subside, and people will leave their homes to eat out again. But whether he will be back in the kitchen to fire up their entrees when that day comes is a question he doesn’t have an answer to. “I love working with food,” de la Torre-Miranda says. “But it’s so unstable as it is, so when we have something like this happening, and this is the fallout — I don’t know.”

*To safeguard their livelihoods, Eater guaranteed anonymity to any source who requested it. Matthew Sedacca is a writer living in Brooklyn.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2xzsXNV https://ift.tt/2UuzmCR

Grocery stores have announced hiring sprees in response to increased demand due to concerns around novel coronavirus. | Mario Tama/Getty Images

Grocery, delivery, and other businesses in-demand during the coronavirus pandemic are on hiring sprees, but for laid-off restaurant workers, making the switch isn’t so simple

Angel de la Torre-Miranda has thrived on a career in restaurants. For almost 13 years, he has worked the line as a cook and a sous chef across the San Diego metro area, most recently preparing cheeseburgers and huli huli chicken at the Boardwalk Beach Club in Coronado. He loved the work, and it put food on the table for himself, his girlfriend, and his almost-two-year-old child.

But with the spread of COVID-19, the Boardwalk Beach Club temporarily shuttered in mid-March, and de la Torre-Miranda lost his job. To support his family, this past week he found himself on the other side of the service industry: driving around town for Postmates, delivering bags full of Carl’s Jr. and 7-Eleven orders. “If I don’t work, we don’t eat,” de la Torre-Miranda says, noting that he earned $40 in two-and-a-half hours. “It’s not rent money but it’s the most money I’ve seen in the last two weeks.”

In the middle of what some economists have predicted to be the eve of a recession, restaurants across the country have closed or limited their dining rooms, upsetting the livelihoods of possibly millions of workers. A number of employees are hobbling along with schedule cuts or reduced salaries, but thousands of others are without jobs.

Unemployment benefits and restaurant relief funds will help keep eligible workers financially afloat in the near future, as will the recently-passed $2 trillion stimulus package, which will give unemployed restaurant workers an additional cushion of $600 a week plus one-time stimulus checks of up to $1,200. But with fallout from the coronavirus almost certainly enduring for several months, and retailers hiring en masse to keep up with the spike in customers’ panic-stricken purchases, hospitality veterans are looking beyond bars and restaurants for their next paychecks.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do at this point,” says de la Torre-Miranda, who’s applied for positions at grocery stores and medical equipment facilities. “It’s incredibly stressful, because I know what I’m capable of doing in the kitchen.”

The shockwaves from COVID-19 have rippled across the restaurant industry. At least 26 states have banned or restricted dine-in service, and on March 26, the total number of hourly employees going into work at local food-and-drink businesses had dropped by 64 percent compared to the median attendance on the same weekdays in January, according to data from scheduling and time tracking tool Homebase.

But for retail and delivery, business is soaring: shelves where milk, eggs, and seltzer are regularly stocked feature gaping holes; lines at grocery stores sometimes stretch out the door, with customers attempting to maintain the recommended six feet of separation; Instacart app downloads grew by more than 200 percent between February 14 and March 15.

To meet the sudden influx of customer demand, a slew of grocery stores and retailers like Trader Joe’s and Amazon have announced hiring sprees, with some companies making direct efforts to aid restaurant workers. CVS Health, which plans to add over 50,000 workers, is working with the hospitality group Estefan Enterprises in Florida to match up to 300 of its employees with temporary jobs until its hotels and restaurants reopen, a deal facilitated by personal connections between the organizations. Kroger, which has hired more than 23,500 new employees and plans to bring on an additional 20,000, has partnered with the Thunderdome Restaurant Group and Frisch’s to place restaurant workers with jobs in its plants, warehouses, and grocery stores.

Kimberly Yorio, a spokesperson for the grocery chains Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s, says that with daily demand surging exponentially, the companies began a hiring campaign to onboard over 100 full-time and part-time workers, some temporary, at their locations throughout the Northeast. The jobs range from retrieving grocery carts and working the cash registers, to slicing cold cuts at the deli counter. “The largest number of hospitality workers are being displaced right now,” Yorio says. “The grocery industry, on the flip side, has an urgent need to employ people quickly who have skills that are absolutely relevant, and the knowledge of food for all hospitality works is super helpful.”

Echoing other retailers who are recruiting short-term help for the pandemic, job postings on Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s suggest the duration of temporary COVID-19 hires could last a couple of months. However, Yorio notes the possibility for extensions and long-term employment opportunities based on the needs of customers and workers.

But despite the hiring sprees, work isn’t guaranteed for new jobseekers. These days, recently laid-off restaurant workers looking to get a toe in as a grocery bagger or in a warehouse position are potentially competing with millions of newly unemployed. Mariah R.*, a former server-bartender at a Stoney River steakhouse and grill location in Atlanta, Georgia says that after being let go from the restaurant due to the pandemic and applying for several retail positions, she has already been rejected for four different positions at Target. De la Torre-Miranda, who has prior warehouse experience, says that after hearing about companies’ hirings waves, he applied to Walmart, Costco, Target, and Amazon, along with several grocery stores, with few leads as of last week.

But some restaurant workers don’t consider switching to retail a viable option at all. Tim Oliver, who is currently working around eight hours a week as a cook at the taco bar Garage in Binghamton, New York — down from the usual 45 — is holding out for as long as he can before applying for a position at Walmart. His skills and personality, embraced in restaurants, he says, might not be so welcomed in retail. “Everybody’s drawn there for one reason — to make some food for people and they’re happy about it,” he says about working in a kitchen. “To go from the high-pressure job of cooking to stocking shelves, I’m gonna go nuts.”

Jobs like delivering meals or ringing up groceries also put workers on the front lines of the pandemic, sometimes with little protection. George F. *, a career server who lives in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood, says that after being hired for an overnight stocker position at a grocery store, he learned on his first day that several of his new coworkers weren’t sharing his precautionary health measures like wearing a handkerchief or mask and gloves, and that the company wasn’t spraying down the store with cleaning products.

“Offices and break rooms are extremely small with multiple people close together,” he says of his new workplace, adding that it’s a problem “for people to not be using gloves or face masks in those situations.” Still, the former server considers himself lucky to have the job: He now has unionized healthcare and secured employment in an industry vital during the pandemic.

With the sudden jump in the labor market supply, some hospitality workers have been exiting the food and retail worlds altogether, at least temporarily. For over two years, Shawn Ryder poured beer at the beloved local hockey bar Lord Stanley’s and the Annex in DeKalb, Illinois. But when Governor J.B. Pritzker mandated that bars and restaurants across the state shutter to dampen the spread of COVID-19, a Lord Stanley’s regular threw Ryder a lifeline and messaged him about a job opportunity at the plant where he worked.

Instead of chatting with regulars about Blackhawks scores, this past week, the former bartender was learning how to operate heavy machinery to drill holes into plastics and metals as a computer numerically controlled operator. “It was kind of like when I left Ohio and went to California,” Ryder says. “The culture shock — it’s a totally different type of work, a different pace, different way of thinking.”

The total take home pay is roughly $200 less at Ryder’s new job (an amount he used to make in tips), and he hasn’t fully adjusted to the early-hour schedule. But he considers himself lucky to be gainfully employed, unlike many of his former colleagues. “There are definitely worse jobs out there,” he says.

De la Torre-Miranda, the San Diego chef, is hoping for similar fortunes. With another child on the way, the chef estimates that he’s applied to over 50 jobs online, often without reading the job descriptions. Two retail or warehouse jobs plus Postmates delivery work would be ideal for sustaining his family financially, he says.

Like other former restaurant workers, de la Torre-Miranda knows the pandemic will eventually subside, and people will leave their homes to eat out again. But whether he will be back in the kitchen to fire up their entrees when that day comes is a question he doesn’t have an answer to. “I love working with food,” de la Torre-Miranda says. “But it’s so unstable as it is, so when we have something like this happening, and this is the fallout — I don’t know.”

*To safeguard their livelihoods, Eater guaranteed anonymity to any source who requested it. Matthew Sedacca is a writer living in Brooklyn.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2xzsXNV via Blogger https://ift.tt/2UxSct2

[motherboardasyoung-blog]

Opening Remarks

The Essence of Apple

-courtesy of

Brad Stone and Peter Burrows

... though this is currently being written with a Mac

The only thing certain is that the Apple of the future - whether in a year or a decade - will look a lot different from the reliable engine of innovation and profits that investors and customers know so well...

Most analysts are unreservedly enthusiastic about the talents of Tim Cook,

who is widely viewed as Apple’s next chief

executive

if and

when Jobs permanently steps aside. Cook, 50, is an operations genius, adept at cutting costs while delivering complex products on time and coping with staggering growth targets...

During Jobs’ previous two absences, Cook steadied the corporate ship so capably that in 2010 he was rewarded with $59 million in salary and stock...

[junker-town]

It doesn’t have to be a disaster if the Knicks strike out on the top free agents

New York wants to hit a home run. But there’s nothing wrong with running up the score by getting on base.

The Knicks didn't get fancy with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They didn’t have enough assets to package it in an Anthony Davis trade, and they didn’t try to haul in multiple picks by trading down in a three-man draft. Instead, New York selected R.J. Barrett, the consensus No. 1-ranked freshman entering the college basketball season, before he committed to the Duke Blue Devils and a year alongside the show-stopping Zion Williamson.

Now, New York is tasked with building around Barrett, a lefty, athletic scorer giving James Harden-type vibes. They may be forced to veer from the original plan to do so, depending on where the stars align this offseason.

Plan A for the Knicks is to pair Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in New York City, turning a 17-win team into a title contender over the course of one summer. SNY’s Ian Begley is reporting New York is still in the mix, though it has also been reported both are headed to Brooklyn.

One thing is certain: New York needs to have a Plan B in case Irving, Durant, and Kawhi Leonard turn them down. It won’t be the end of the world if the Knicks miss on the cream of the crop. If they play this right, it actually could be a blessing in disguise.

New York hasn’t successfully built around their own draft picks this century. Their draft record prior to the Kristaps Porzingis pick is laughable, and with their next first-round pick, they took Frank Ntilikina eighth-overall.

The last Knicks draft pick to sign a multi-year contract with New York after his rookie deal was Charlie Ward, who was drafted in 1994. Seriously. https://t.co/lbYuK5XASc

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 31, 2019

But this is a new era, spearheaded by Scott Perry, Steve Mills and David Fizdale. New York has a chance to build something sustainable for years to come.

And it starts by not mucking up what they have this summer.

They have a decent foundation to do so

Plan B might stand for “Barrett,” but this won’t be just his show alone, either.

New York’s roster features a few gems. Mitchell Robinson is The Blockness Monster, the future of the franchise’s center position after a standout rookie campaign. The Knicks also selected Kevin Knox ninth-overall last summer. Knox flashed a few bright spots in his rookie season and has the physical tools to become a legitimate three-and-D threat in this league.

New York also turned lemons into limoncello by trading Kristaps Porzingis — out for the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL — Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee for Dennis Smith Jr., De’Andre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first-round picks, one unprotected in 2021 and the other top-10 protected in 2023. Not a bad haul at all for a promising, but injured player who didn’t want to be in New York anymore.

Smith Jr. is now part of New York’s potential rebuild. So is Allonzo Trier, a gem who went undrafted before showing nice promise in New York; and Damyean Dotson, whom New York developed into a knockdown (36.8 percent) three-point shooter in his second year. There’s also Ntilikina, the last lottery pick of the Phil Jackson era, whom Perry and Mills reportedly dangled for a second-round pick in trade discussions on draft day to no avail.

If none of Durant, Irving, or Kawhi Leonard choose the Knicks, New York has to figure out which pieces fit into its long-term puzzle. But what they shouldn’t do is make the same mistake as teams did in 2016. That summer, there was $568 million total in cap space. Teams like Charlotte and Miami are still hamstrung by the contracts they doled out.

There could be as much as $474 million in total cap space this summer, but New York must learn from the mistakes of summers past. Begley reports they’ve done just that and plan to pursue short-term deals to maintain cap flexibility. That means the Knicks could look into one-year balloon deals — like Los Angeles’ with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Philadelphia’s with J.J. Redick — at key positions. They could also look to absorb a heavy expiring contract into their cap space, so long as the other team provides draft assets as a thank-you.

New York made the mistake of settling for mid-tier players in the past. They signed and got the most out of Amar’e Stoudemire, but his knees only held up for so long. They gave Tim Hardaway Jr. so much money in 2017 that, he said, “Man that’s crazy,” immediately after signing the contract. A year into his new salary, Hardaway said, “It’s not my fault. They came to me.”

The Knicks can’t do that again. It can’t be front office’s fault ever again.

What do the Knicks need, anyway?

If you ask the ESPN broadcast team on the night of the NBA Draft, New York’s needs were summed with one word: Everything.

I’m still not over the audacity of this @espn ... pic.twitter.com/31yfZoM8SQ

— Melissa (@MelissaSulewski) June 21, 2019

That’s not necessarily true. Yes, the Knicks need help across the board, but they have a little bit more on this roster than they’re given credit for, especially on the wing.

A glaring hole: power forward

New York has no starting power forward, unless the plan is to put the 6’9,” 215-pound Knox there. That can work eventually, but not so soon, especially not full-time.

Should none of the top three targets come, a one-year, $20 million deal for an impact player makes all the sense in the world for a stop gap in their frontcourt. Maybe that’s the kind of contract Julius Randle would sign after turning down his $9.1 million player option in New Orleans to become an unrestricted free agent.

Randle, technically, is the best power forward on the market. He’s an aggressive, athletic finisher who has turned himself into a decent three-point threat. He’s a player who pushes the ball in transition and finds teammates to the tune of three assists per game last season. The Knicks could end up being a team that has to run to win games. Randle could be a great fit, so long as he continues to work on his three-pointer.

After Randle, the next best available player at the position is Nikola Mirotic, an aggressive shooter who left the shooting in the regular season. Mirotic shot just 29 percent from three in the playoffs, including a dismal 6-of-31 three-point performance in Milwaukee’s Eastern Conference Finals series against Toronto. Ouch. Still, Mirotic never stopped shooting, which means one thing: he has confidence. David Fizdale can work with that. He can’t work, however, with bad energy on the defensive end.

The established players at the position, like Indiana’s Thaddeus Young and Boston’s Marcus Morris, will want to play for a contender — and contenders have money. New York could give money to Brooklyn’s DeMarre Carroll as an alternative to taking a pay cut to join a playoff team. He was an invaluable piece to the Nets’ development into a playoff team last season. Philadelphia’s Mike Scott hasn’t been paid more than $4.3 million in a season yet. Minnesota’s Taj Gibson is from Brooklyn and is a tough defender who now has a three-point shot. Begley also reports the team has interest in signing Washington’s Bobby Portis, who has become a 40 percent three-point shooter, but Portis reportedly is looking for a contract in the $16 million per season ballpark.

The Knicks could also address this position via trade. One idea: absorbing Marvin Williams’ one remaining year worth $15 million to provide Charlotte some cap relief, so long as they’re willing to attach a draft asset, like second-round picks, in the trade.

Bench depth

OK. So maybe the Knicks do need everything. It’s all good. With the money they have, New York should be able to fill all its needs.

A backup center

The easy win here is bringing DeAndre Jordan back. The Knicks should offer him a one-year deal with the understanding that they want to bring him back for years to come, but want to maintain cap flexibility to improve the roster in future summers.

But if Jordan does not want to return on those terms, there are other big men who can play the backup role to Mitchell Robinson:

Ed Davis played a similar role in Brooklyn backing up Jarrett Allen. He was considered a culture setter, and the Nets sorely missed him in their playoff series against Joel Embiid’s Sixers

The Knicks could also do something like go grab Boban Marjanovic, who could be separated from Tobias Harris depending on what the Sixers do in free agency. Fans make Madison Square Garden the best arena in the world, and Boban would immediately become the fan favorite

My personal favorite? Anthony Tolliver. He hit three or more threes 10 times for the Timberwolves last season and has always been a valuable defender. If he doesn’t sign with a contender, he’d be a key addition for New York, both on the court and in the locker room

Recent reports also suggest the Knicks could have interest in DeMarcus Cousins if they fall short of signing their top target free agents. A season with the Knicks could help re-establish his value, so long as it doesn’t take away from Mitchell Robinson’s development.

Backup point guard

Trier is coming off the bench as a scorer, but New York needs a veteran point guard as a facilitator to initiate the offense. Indiana’s Cory Joseph immediately rings a bell, so long as a playoff team with cap space doesn’t come knocking first. Detroit’s Ish Smith could be another choice. The Pistons were night and day when he was out with injury versus when he was on the floor.

Two fun options: A) Bring Seth Curry to Madison Square Garden and let him cook in place of his brother; B) Bring Jeremy Lin back for nostalgia’s sake.

Backup scoring wing

If Barrett is poised to be the team’s primary scorer, New York will need another wing who can score off the bench. Terrence Ross is coming off the hottest season of his career in Orlando, but it remains to be seen if teams will commit long-term money. The Knicks could sign him to a one-year deal in the $18-20 million range. He made $10.5 million last season with the Magic.

New York could offer a lesser but similar contract to Jeremy Lamb, who grew as a scorer alongside Kemba Walker in Charlotte. Again, his role would be to come off the bench and score to give Barrett a break when needed.

Another option: take a chance on Alec Burks, who — just like Rodney Hood — put up decent scoring numbers over an extended period of time in Utah, but didn’t pan out after his trade to Sacramento.

Backup 3-and-D wing

The best in this category will sign as role players on contending teams. Caldwell-Pope could thrive off the bench as a disruptor on the defensive end. Two other sleeper options could be Corey Brewer, who has played this role forever, and James Ennis, who can stretch the floor and defend a few positions in spurts.

Some elder statesmen

You can’t have a young team without veteran wisdom. It’s a recipe for disaster, as we’ve seen across the league over the years.

Thus, it makes all the sense in the world for New York to recruit Vince Carter. He played a key role in the speedy maturation of both the Kings and the Hawks in recent years. Begley also named him as a player the Knicks should sign. (I didn’t steal your idea, Ian! Great minds think alike.)

Another thoughtful addition to the locker room could be Pau Gasol, a sure-fire future Hall of Famer who is past his prime, but may still be able to contribute on the court. Gasol is recovering from foot surgery and may very well look to sign with a contender. But he is a two-time NBA champion and a six-time NBA All-Star. When he speaks, young players should know to listen.

One more powerful addition to New York’s locker room: Zach Randolph, who also played a role in helping the young Sacramento Kings mature. He has a relationship with Fizdale from the final years of the Grit ‘N Grind Grizzlies era. Randolph is battle-tested and a former All-Star. He commands respect, and the young Knicks will give it to him.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to what the Knicks should do this summer. The only thing they unequivocally should not do is make the same mistake other franchises did in 2016 by spending big-time money on small-time free agents. The same mistake the Knicks have made in seasons past.

New York has more cap space than any other team. Scott Perry, Steve Mills and David Fizdale will have to spend it wisely. If the Knicks strike out on Durant and Irving, they still have a bright future ahead. As long as they stay the course and remain as patient as they’ve preached, New York could finally give Knicks fans what they want: a home-grown contender, built from the mud.