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Issues and Legislation
Times are bleak for California’s working families. We’re losing 50,000 jobs a month, spiking California’s unemployment to a post-World War II record. For those who still have a job, wages have failed to keep up with the cost of living. Budget cuts, furloughs, and foreclosures have unhinged our state’s once stable middle class. Food banks and shelters now overflow with families who can no longer make ends meet. Our social safety net has shredded and no longer supports the most vulnerable among us.
The perfect storm of job loss, slashed wages, massive cuts in state spending and skyrocketing health care costs threatens to drown any chance of an economic recovery. In construction, our members are seeing unemployment rates of up to 30 percent. Tens of thousands of school employees have lost their jobs. State workers are suffering from a 15 percent wage cut due to furloughs and are working without a contract. Public and private sector workers are being paid less to do more, facing additional layoffs, wage and benefit reductions and the constant fear of losing their jobs. The only way for California to emerge from this deep, dark recession is to invest in the creation of good jobs with decent pay and benefits.
Labor's 2010 Legislative Agenda focuses on attracting good jobs to the state, putting Californians to work, repairing the state safety net, promoting corporate transparency and accountability, protecting workers rights and implementing a Middle Class Bill of Rights. Read the complete 2010 Legislative Agenda.
Force for Progress 2011 Legislative Scorecard: State Assembly
Find out how each Assemblymember voted on Labor's issues in committee and on the floor in 2011, and view each legislator's lifetime score, which factors in Labor's bills from all previous years in office.
Force for Progress 2011 Legislative Scorecard: State Senate
Find out how each Senator voted on Labor's issues in committee and on the floor in 2011, and view each legislator's lifetime score, which factors in Labor's bills from all previous years in office.
2012-13 State Budget
[Read the complete Budget at: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/ ]
Governor Brown’s 2012-13 budget presents the stark reality that additional revenue is necessary to stave off devastating cuts to education and public safety programs.
‘Force for Progress’ Legislative Scorecards
See how your legislator measures up! View Labor's annual voting records for California state legislators.
2011-12 State Budget
[For a PDF version of this document, please click here]
On June 30, Governor Brown signed a budget that closes the state’s $26.6 billion deficit.
Young Workers, Know Your Rights!
With so many people unemployed today, it’s getting much harder for anyone to find work. For younger workers – especially those who have to help pay the bills or support themselves ‐ it’s even more difficult to find a good‐paying job. Worse yet, many employers often take advantage of young workers by failing to pay them their hard‐earned wages.
This fact sheet answers the common questions that come up for young workers to help them stand up for their rights under California law to be paid the minimum wage and overtime pay. We hope the fact sheet is shared with friends, co‐workers, parents and teachers to help educate young workers about their hard‐fought workplace rights and to build a stronger young workers’ rights movement.
Standing Together for a Fair Budget
Contact you assemblymember and senator to stop the cuts and vote to maintain existing revenues.
2011 Legislative Agenda
2011 marks a new beginning as we restore California with jobs, justice, and prosperity. This year, we are determined to seize the opportunity to get our members, and all Californians, back to work. Our top priority is creating good jobs. We will crack down on the underground economy to protect the most vulnerable and level the playing field for responsible employers. We will expand and protect collective bargaining. We will hold the big banks and Wall Street accountable and push for reasonable regulations to protect consumers and restore fairness to our economy.