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Reflections from Policy Director, Caleb Ragan
In the face of a political landscape that poses many challenges to our members – from the federal administration’s efforts to strip fundamental union rights to corporations increased efforts to surveil, automate and disenfranchise workers – our members converged on the State Capitol to meet with our state representatives and ask – which side are you on?
Our brothers and sisters with Amazon Teamsters spoke in these meetings about their lived experiences organizing under Amazon in this new era of AI and automation, from ankle bracelets that track their every move to AI cameras with no human oversight that measure their efficiency. SB 7, AB 1221 and AB 1331 would put guardrails on use of digital surveillance in the workplace and ban these highly invasive technologies.
They also advocated for AB 288 – which would protect our fundamental right to organize and collectively bargain by ensuring a state process for processing grievances in the face of a National Labor Relations Board weakened by the current Federal Administration.
Advocacy Win: Senator Sabrina Cervantes and Assemblymembers Corey Jackson, Robert Garcia, James Ramos and Greg Wallis have all co-sponsored AB 288.
Our sister, Rosa Beltran, from United Domestic Workers (UDW) spoke about the need to bring collective bargaining for In Home Supportive Services to the state level to ensure parity in pay and benefits across the State, which would be addressed in AB 283.
Advocacy Win: Senator Sabrina Cervantes and Assemblymembers Corey Jackson and Robert Garcia, have all co-sponsored AB 283.
Ana Gaeta and Lissette Gallegos, our sisters with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local 1167, urged our legislators to support SB 442 which would ensure customers have access to a checkout staffed by a human.
Anthony Munana and Janet Fields with Communication Workers of America Local 9588 lobbied against a provision in AB 470 that would eliminate AT&T’s obligation to provide telephone services to every home and business in its service territory.
Stephanie Simpson, a researcher and lecturer at UC Riverside and our sister with UC-AFT, urged our legislators not to support Governor Newsom’s proposed budget cuts to the UC and CSU system.
Our visits included:
- Senator Sabrina Cervantes
- Senator Kelly Seyarto
- Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh
- Hector De Leon with Senator Eloise Reyes’ Office
- Assemblymember Robert Garcia (AD-50)
- Assemblymember Corey Jackson
- Assemblymember James Ramos
- Assemblymember Greg Wallis
- Assemblymember Tom Lackey
- Minnie Santillan with Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez
- Assemblymember Leticia Castillo
All of these bills are making their way through the legislative process and we will continue to advocate and keep the pressure on until Governor Newsom signs them all. We will continue to provide you with more opportunities to tell your story and lobby for our labor priorities.
