Almost

–

food chefs and cashiers. caretakers housekeepers. Hospital staff. School bus drivers. custodians. State workers.

Workers from all industries are demanding higher pay and benefits to keep up with rising costs

S

of life in California. They are backed by a wave of Democrat-led legislation making its way through the Capitol, converging with ballots and funding

requestsdemands

from Gov. Gavin Newsom to create a worker

‘

right moment that seems unique even for one of the most unionized

–

friendly states in the nation.

The calls come as support staff at Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second

–

The largest school district walked out of classrooms on strike and state workers gathered outside the Capitol in Sacramento this week.

“We used to be able to afford to eat out, but even fast food is expensive…we would donate to the food banks and now we find ourselves going to those same food banks to get things for ourselves,” Tammy Rodriguez, an employee

in front of

the Department of Motor Vehicles and a member of SEIU

Local

1,000, said on the Capitol steps Monday ahead of contract negotiations with the state. “As state officials, we should be able to afford everyday things.”

Earlier this month, domestic workers such as nannies and housekeepers stood on that same push step for the passage of a bill from

stands

Senator Mara Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) who would provide them with the occupational safety protections afforded by most other workers in the state.

“I actually had a miscarriage because of the level of dangerous conditions I experienced,” said Mirna Arana, a member of the California Domestic Workers Coalition, in Spanish through a translator, describing the cleaning as

tenth 10

houses a day at the peak of their workload. “No other employee should experience what I went through.”

Tia Orr, executive director of Service Employees International Union California, said

That

while the state has “always been the tip of the spear” when it comes to workers’ rights, ongoing pandemic frustrations of those deemed essential, combined with inflationary pressures, have provided special momentum.

bills

already

introduced this year includes a $25 minimum wage mandate for healthcare workers; a proposal to more than double paid sick time; and new rules for fast

–

food franchisees regarding wages and hours. Meanwhile, a ballot measure next year will ask voters if they support raising the statewide minimum wage to $18 an hour, which, if passed, would make it

the highest in the country.

“We are moving forward with an aggressive agenda that we believe is groundbreaking and hope to shift the balance of power toward the worker,” said Orr, who represents 700,000 service workers. “People are tired of corporate power. And it takes more than just pay:

T

They want a clear, strong voice and a seat at the table.”

California’s already deep income inequality worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as the state’s rich got richer and the poor got poorer. According to a report from the Public Policy Institute of California released this month, income is often not enough to meet the state’s basic needs.

Families in the state’s wealthiest income bracket earn 11 times as much as families at the bottom, at $291,000 versus $26,000, respectively, according to the report.

i

In 1980, that gap was smaller:

T

the highest earning families

7

seven times as much as the low incomes then. Today’s gap reflects

a

63% income growth for the richest over the past 40 years and just 7% growth for the poorest, according to the report.

This widening gap has sparked outrage from below

–

deserving workers who want to hold their wealthier employers accountable, said Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Labor Center.

“We have seen a huge surge in labor organization and protest,” he said, pointing to a historic strike by University of California workers launched in November that lasted for weeks and led to wage increases. “During the pandemic, we had such a contradiction where people were celebrated as essential workers on the front lines, but they earned poverty wages. This is a moment in time when workers are really showing their discontent.”

There could be more strikes ahead. The Writers Guild of America is negotiating with Hollywood studios and California State University employees are demanding higher pay and benefits.

Other bills introduced this year include a proposal to allow home care providers who care for the elderly or disabled in California to negotiate wages and benefits with the state, much as Newsom allowed childcare providers to do in 2021.

An account of

stands

Senator Lola Smallwood

–

Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a former union organizer, wants to protect workers who report labor violations, including complaints of wage theft or unequal pay, from being fired or harassed.

investments

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in workers now prevents higher costs to the state in the long run as the public safety net must make up for the gaps left by employers, she said.

“Work no longer does what it used to do, which is to support families and communities, so we do that work as policymakers and our state budget is overwhelmed because we have a business model that doesn’t meet basic needs,” Smallwood

–

Cuevas said.

The California Chamber of Commerce has labeled many worker-oriented bills as “job killers,” warning that they could have unintended and costly consequences for employers and stunt growth and employment in the state.

California is

already

home to some of the strongest workers’ rights laws in the country, and Jennifer Barrera, president and

chef

of the

C

Hamber, is concerned about the performance

more laws in the workplace, especially with general regulations for different types of industries.

“California has long been recognized as the state with the most protective and strict employment requirements of anywhere in the country,” Barrera said. “For the most part, we’re not necessarily against the underlying policies. It’s really about how they’re implemented. How do you make sure this all works in the workplace without the potential threat of a devastating lawsuit that could kick you out of business?”

Stands

Senator Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) said California employers will struggle to compete with a once

–

raising the minimum wage. Instead, lawmakers should focus on policies that lower the cost of living.

He pointed to Republican

–

supported proposals to reduce energy and gas costs that have been rejected due to regulatory and other concerns.

“You have to pay higher wages because people can’t afford to live here. Food costs are rising, rent is exploding. Ultimately, wages don’t solve the problem, you have to lower the cost of living,” said Dahle, who was released last year. lost their bid for governor.”If we can lower their electric bill, it’s like they’re making five dollars an hour.”

Dahle doubted any labor-backed bills in the Democrat will be scrutinized

IC –

majority legislature.

“Let’s face it, the unions in this building, there’s no question about that, they’re powerful,” he said.

Influential union organizations poured millions into legislative races last year to help union-friendly candidates. SEIU helped its candidates of choice by pumping nearly $4 million into eight independent expenses alone.

Newsom has been kind to workers, signing into law the first Labor Day bill that created a council to set new standards for rapid

–

food working conditions and wages. That plan is now on hold

if after

restaurant and corporate trade groups

successfully

gathered enough signatures to get a measure on next year’s ballot asking voters to reverse it.

He also signed a law making it easier for farm workers to join a union.

But he could put the brakes on, as he has warned of large, sustained investment amid an expected budget deficit. He has previously clashed with unions, including the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, a formidable political player representing plumbers, electricians, ironworkers and construction workers. He disappointed the mighty California Nurses Assn. when he backed off on promises of single-payer health care.

Joe Sanberg, a Los Angeles investor and anti-overty activist who spearheaded the 2024 minimum wage ballot measure, is less optimistic about worker success

‘

entitlement bills, especially when it comes to wages.

It was necessary to bring the minimum wage directly to voters, said Sanberg, who was considering a presidential nomination in 2020 and said he is “undecided” about whether to run for governor in 2026.

“Anyone who trusts Gavin Newsom to support higher wages is a fool

hard,” he said. ‘Why isn’t it done yet? What’s in the way?”