When corporations violate the law by calling some workers “independent contractors” instead of recognizing them as employees, those workers are denied a host of fundamental protections like a minimum wage, overtime pay, unemployment insurance and workers’ comp. Without these protections, working people are living on the edge. Every single day. That’s why the California Supreme […]
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Honor a Promise Made to California’s Garment Workers
Garment workers form the backbone of L.A.’s manufacturing sector. But tens of thousands of garment workers are routinely underpaid—or not paid at all—for work performed. Wage theft is rampant across L.A.’s low-wage industries: Angelenos lose $26.2 million dollars a week in unpaid wages. But more than four in five workers who win their wage theft […]
Read MoreLabor and the LGBTQ+ Community
As corporations kick off their Pride month marketing strategy by selling rainbow items to improve their profit margins while largely ignoring the concerns of LGBTQ+ community, it is imperative that we understand the true meaning of pride. June was chosen as the LGBTQ+ Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end […]
Read MoreWhat’s the Trump Scorecard on Workers’ Right? A Big, Fat “F”
Donald Trump has been a disaster of a president in many ways. Women’s rights. Foreign affairs. Corruption. Scandal. We could go on and on. But how’s he doing on workers’ rights? Remember, he talked a big game about being pro-worker. Just like everything else, Trump was all talk when it came to protecting workers. As […]
Read MoreCalifornia Labor Commends Assembly on Passing AB 5, Moving Workers a Step Closer to Justice
Millions of workers are living a life of insecurity because corporations refuse to abide by the law and offer the basic protections that come with being recognized as an employee. With today’s passage of AB 5 in the state Assembly, these workers are one step closer to the justice on the job they deserve. We […]
Read MoreTaking a Stand for Public Education
Social movements are rarely fully formed. It takes a while for the percolating to reach full boil. But that is what is happening with the struggle for public education. We saw it last year as teachers in one Republican controlled state after another, states where there are little to no collective bargaining rights for public […]
Read MoreCalifornia Labor Movement Urges Action to End Forced Arbitration with AB 51
California is the nation’s leader when it comes to protecting the fundamental rights of workers. Over the decades, with strong support from the labor movement, legislators have passed landmark legislation from paid family leave to anti-sexual harassment laws to measures that boost wages and promote safe workplaces. But all those laws are in jeopardy. According […]
Read MoreSupport Striking Uber/Lyft Drivers on May 8!
In a new op-ed for CalMatters, California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski tells the story of Karim Bayumi, a rideshare driver from Anaheim who will strike with thousands of other drivers on May 8 in California and around the globe. Pulaski: Like so many California families, Karim Bayumi of Anaheim, his wife and two […]
Read MoreLabor Urges Legislature to pass AB 1611, Protect Patients, Workers from Surprise ER Bills
In April of last year, 24-year-old Nina Dang broke her arm as the result of a bicycle crash in San Francisco. She was taken by ambulance to Zuckerberg General Hospital. She received treatment and was later released to recuperate at home. Pretty routine, right? Unfortunately, the story of Nina’s mishap on her bike didn’t end […]
Read MoreCalifornia Labor Urges Legislature to Rein in Out-of-Control High-Interest Lenders by Passing AB 539
Most working people experience extreme financial hardship at one time or another. It’s the sad reality of an economy that prioritizes wealth-hording by the super rich over the basic needs of everyday people. Compounding the problem of so many of us living paycheck-to-paycheck is the largely unregulated market for high-interest loans. These modern-day loan sharks […]
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