September 17, 2020
Contact: Steve Smith 510-326-4644
ssmith@calaborfed.org

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive-Secretary Treasurer Art Pulaski

Since the pandemic began, the California labor movement has strongly advocated for the most robust worker protection policies in the country. Today’s signing of a package of bills to bolster worker protections as the COVID-19 crisis continues shows our commitment as a state to policies that put the health and safety of workers first.

We applaud Gov. Newsom’s leadership in protecting workers from Day One of this crisis. While more work must be done in 2021 to strengthen protections to ensure essential workers putting their lives at risk return home safely to their families after each shift, today the governor gave a much-needed boost to all workers across the state.

By prioritizing issues like expanded paid sick leave, requiring companies to report COVID-19 exposure at the worksite, and a workers’ compensation presumption, California is tackling the challenges workers face in the pandemic with a holistic, comprehensive approach. We look forward to working with the legislature and governor in the coming months to strengthen protections for workers who are putting everything on the line to keep us safe and provide our families with the basic necessities to help all of us weather this terrible pandemic.

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