Governor's Administration Uses Fake “News” Video on Lunch Breaks

Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski

 

WHAT: Assemblymember Paul Koretz, Labor & Employment Committee Chair, will
            join workers and representatives of working families to discuss a
            disturbing new development regarding the Schwarzenegger
            Administration’s proposed meal and rest period regulation. The
            Administration produced a video news release promoting the Governor’s
            changes before the first public hearing on the regulations had even
            begun.

WHEN: Monday, February 28, 2005
            10:00 AM

WHERE: State Capitol, Room 317
              Sacramento

WHO: Assemblyman Paul Koretz
           Angie Wei, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
           Barry Broad, representing numerous labor organizations
           Workers who have been denied meal or rest breaks (including farm
           workers and restaurant workers)

BACKGROUND: Regulatory changes announced by Governor Schwarzenegger will weaken the guaranteed right to breaks and meal periods for California workers. In December Governor Schwarzenegger submitted the changes as emergency regulations. Due to public outcry, he was forced to withdraw them and resubmit them as standard regulations. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is mandated to accept public inquiry and hold public hearings. The last hearing and deadline for public comments is March 2, 2005.

One of the Governor’s changes reduced the amount of time that employers can be held liable for refusing to provide breaks (from three years down to one year), which means that Wal-Mart and other corporations would get out of suits they are currently facing for denying meal and rest breaks to workers.

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