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2024 Labor Victories in Effect Now & Legislative Report

The Inland Empire Labor Council would like to thank all the local unions traveled to the capital and joined other unions, worker centers, and Central Labor Councils across the state in this collective effort. Our collective effort brought us collective gains, showing that when we fight, we win. This year, we are excited for all the rewards that we will be reaping and how that will set up future workforce generations for the better.

As our legislative landscape is coming to a change of leadership, we know that it is important to not only protect our hard-earned rights but to continue to fight for what is owed to us, justice, safety, dignity, and respect for the working class. In this report you will find: Senate and Assembly bills that were signed onto law, AI bills, and additional sponsored bills. We share this in hopes that it will compel you to see what rights we need to hold close and protect as well as what we need to continue pushing for in the steep fight ahead.

Signed Senate Bills

SB 399 – Ban on Captive Audience meetings
Protects workers who exercise their right to not participate in captive audience meetings.
Co-Sponsored by Teamsters, SEIU, UFCW
SB 1303 – Public works
Regulates for-profit labor compliance programs by increasing accountability of entities that monitor and enforce prevailing wage laws.
Co-Sponsored by Operating Engineers
SB 1321 – Employment Training Panel
Prioritizes joint labor-management training programs at the Employment Training Panel.
Co-Sponsored by SMART Union

Signed Assembly Bills

SB 938 – Education finance: classified and certificated staff salaries
Requires a salary survey for education workers and reports on progress to raising wages, with intent to ultimately raise wages for classified and certificated school workers.
Co-Sponsored by CFT
AB 2288 – Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004
Adds injunctive relief and incentives for employers who come into compliance into the PAGA enforcement structure.
AB 2561 – Local public employees: vacant positions
Requires local agencies to hold public hearings to develop plans to reduce staff vacancies, when vacancy rate exceeds 10% for a bargaining unit in a six-month period.
Co-Sponsored by AFSCME and SEIU
AB 2602 – Contracts against public policy: personal or professional services: digital replicas
Gives performers greater control over the use of their digital likeness by prohibiting contracts between parties and performers that use their voice or likeness in place of in-person work, unless represented by union or legal counsel. Applies same requirements to the training of artificial intelligence systems.
Co-Sponsored by SAG-AFTRA
AB 2738 – Labor Code: alternative enforcement: occupational safety
Strengthens local public labor law enforcement, allowing for labor law enforcement agencies to ensure that health and safety requirements at live, public venue events are followed.
Co-Sponsored by IATSE

Key Sponsored Bills to regulate AI that were vetoed or held in Legislature

AB 2286 – Vehicles: autonomous vehicles
Would have required a human safety operator on autonomous big rig trucks. This bill had significant bipartisan support and passed off the Assembly Floor on a vote of 63-4 but was vetoed for a second time.
Co-Sponsored with the Teamsters
SB 1220 – Public benefits contracts: phone operator jobs
Would have prevented call centers that provide public benefits services to outsource jobs to AI. Vetoed by the Governor.
Co-Sponsored with SEIU
SB 1446 – Grocery retail store and retail drug establishment employees: self-service checkout and consequential workplace technology
Would have added regulations to self-checkout in grocery stores to prevent job loss and promote safety for workers and customers. This bill was sent to Assembly Rules and held there.
Co-Sponsored by UFCW

Additional Sponsored Bills that did not get to the Governor’s Desk

AB 2404 – State and local public employees: labor relations: strikes
Would have protected the right of public sector workers to stand in solidarity and not cross a picket line of other union members. Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Co-sponsored by UAW and Teamsters
AB 2489 – Local agencies: contracts for special services and temporary help
Would have required private contractors that perform work for local government agencies to meet the same certification, licensure, and performance metrics and deliverables as public sector workers. Held in Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Co-Sponsored with AFSCME and SEIU
AB 2557 – Local agencies: contracts for special services and temporary help: performance reports
Would have increased transparency and accountability when local governments contract out for services. Held in Senate Appropriations Committee.
Co-Sponsored with AFSCME and SEIU
SB 915 – Local government: autonomous vehicle service
Would have allowed regulation by local governments over commercial driverless vehicles in their jurisdictions. Held in Assembly Transportation Committee.
Co-Sponsored with Teamsters, California Professional Firefighters and ATU
ACA 14: University of California: basic state labor standards.
Would have given UC employees the right to be covered by basic state labor standards, including equal pay, minimum wage, overtime pay, and more. Died in Senate Elections Committee.
Co-Sponsored with AFSCME 3299
SB 1116 – Unemployment insurance: trade disputes: eligibility for benefitsautonomous vehicle service
Would have made striking workers eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits after two continuous weeks striking. Died in the Assembly Insurance Committee.
Co-Sponsored with California IATSE Council, CWA, Entertainment Union Coalition, SAG-AFTRA, SMART – Transportation Division, Teamsters, UFCW, UNITE HERE, and WGAW)