Put Californians to Work

Workers in California are among the most highly skilled and productive of any state in the nation. Yet, hundreds of thousands of workers are jobless—devastating families and further dragging down the struggling California economy. Job creation is a number one priority right now to put the unemployed to work and jump-start the economy. That means spurring growth in the private sector and, in the midst of massive budget cuts, protecting jobs in the public sector.

At the same time, millions of dollars in state and federal funding is creating jobs out-of-state and abroad. Every time the State contracts with companies that employ workers outside the state or buys materials or products made overseas, we are losing an opportunity to create jobs right here in California. The state can help spur the economy and create jobs by changing it’s purchasing and contracting policy and prioritizing economic recovery and job creation with each contract.

• Bid preference to hire California workers (SB 967 – Correa/DeSaulnier). The State of California is a major purchaser of goods and services. We must focus our purchasing power as an investment – an investment in good jobs for Californians. We must enact a bid preference for state contractors that hire California workers. This bill would provide a 5% bid preference to state contractors who hire 90% California workers on the contract.
• Buy America resolution (SCR 49 – DeSaulnier). It would be a shame for billions of dollars of federal and state stimulus and bonds funds to only help other states’ and countries’ economies. This resolution encourages Californians to Buy America and Buy California to help the economic recovery here at home and across the nation. It’s time we started spending our resources on goods and services made by American workers.
• Build high-speed rail and other transit cars in California (AB 1830 – Galgiani). California voters have approved a multi-billion bond to build a high-speed rail line from Sacramento to San Diego. This project will create hundreds of thousands of good construction and operations jobs for California workers. But that’s just the start. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to manufacture and assemble the high speed rail cars we will use in California. This bill would require the High Speed Rail Authority to do everything possible to build the high speed rail cars in California.