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Issues and Legislation
The past several years have been devastating to California’s working families. First came the housing crisis, caused by banking deregulation and widespread abusive lending practices. Families were steered into high-cost, high-risk mortgages by brokers and lenders who got kickbacks for pushing these subprime loans. While millions lost their homes, almost all California homeowners watched their home values plummet and their economic security dissolve.
Then the jobs crisis hit. The Wall Street meltdown triggered a deep national recession and broughtus the worst economic period since the Great Depression. California’s unemployment rate steadily climbed to one of the highest in the nation. Industries like construction were particularly hard hit, leaving skilled workers from every trade out of work. For laid-off workers, there were simply no jobs and little hope.
As our economy stalled, workers suffered most. Those who kept jobs saw wage cuts and hiring freezes, meaning more work for less money and little job security. Workers desperate to keep their jobs were more reluctant to report abuses, allowing the underground economy to swell. Public employees have faced takeaways ranging from pay cuts and furloughs to Vallejo’s use of bankruptcy to break union contracts. While big banks got taxpayer bailouts, all workers got was the tab.
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. Click here to download the complete 2011 Legislative Agenda.
2012-13 State Budget
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. [Read the complete Budget at: http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/ ]
‘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
On June 30, Governor Brown signed a budget that closes the state’s $26.6 billion deficit. [For a PDF version of this document, please click here]
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.
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.
2011 State Budget
After years of budget gimmicks, temporary solutions and one-time fixes, California still faces a structural budget deficit estimated between $17.2 billion and $21.5 billion per year through 2014-15. Governor Brown spares Californians from an all-cuts budget and has proposed $26.4 billion in budget solutions that balances cuts and revenue.
Shutting Down Enterprise Zones
How do we know if Enterprise Zones are effective? At hearing after hearing, proponents of the Zones trot out small business owners to testify about the benefits of the program. But the state cannot afford to make decisions about multi-million dollar programs based on anecdotes. The question is not if the program is meeting the needs of business, but if it is meeting the needs of Californians.
Almost all reliable, independent research shows that the Enterprise Zone program has failed overall. A summary of the literature on the subject clearly document that the program is ineffective and flawed. Below are some of the most recent and important academic research on Enterprise Zones.