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Key Issues
2012 Primary Endorsements
The California Labor Federation and local labor councils have announced Labor's endorsements for local, state and federal races and ballot measures for the June primary election.
May 2012 Budget Revise
Governor Brown’s May Revise of the 2012-13 budget presents the stark reality that the deficit has increased and additional revenue is critical to stave off devastating cuts to education and public safety programs. In January 2012, the state faced a budget shortfall of $9.2 billion. The May Revision estimates a shortfall that has increased to $15.7 billion as a result of reduced revenue collections and prevention of some cuts by the courts and the federal government.
Legislative White Papers
The California Labor Federation has produced a series of White Papers on pressing policy issues impacting union members and the middle class in 2012. Topics include Job Creation, Contingent Work, the Health Benefit Exchange, Unemployment Insurance and Workers' Compensation.
2012 Legislative Agenda
Labor's 2012 Legislative Agenda focuses on seven key issues: building high-speed rail in California, stopping corporate wage thieves, cutting waste, fraud and abuse in enterprise zone tax giveaways, ensuring corporate fair share for workers' health care, restoring benefits to injured workers, ending discrimination against the unemployed, and stopping foreclosures on families in loan modification.
Build High-Speed Rail in California
The high-speed rail line will bring immediate economic stimulus and long-term economic growth. It will result in thousands of good new jobs in construction and operations, attract businesses to California, and benefit the environment. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity.
Stop Corporate Wage Thieves
Companies that follow state laws shouldn’t have to compete with those that cheat their employees. Today, companies are increasingly using third party labor contractors, like staffing and temporary agencies, to avoid responsibility for wages, hours, and working conditions. We must close loopholes that allow employers to shift and shirk their responsibilities to their workers.
Cut Waste, Fraud and Abuse in Enterprise Zone Tax Giveaways
Every year, the state spends over $500 million on the ineffective enterprise zone tax giveaway program. This program has been proven to create no new jobs. In fact, companies can get these tax credits even if they lay off existing workers to relocate where labor is cheaper. That’s an outrageous use of taxpayer funds and it must be stopped.
Corporate Fair Share for Worker Health Care
With the implementation of health care reform, there are major corporations that pay no tax dollars yet expect taxpayers to subsidize the cost of employees’ health care. We need transparency to figure out which companies aren’t paying their fair share by dumping their workers into the taxpayer subsidized Health Care Exchange.