Attacks on Workers' Rights 

It’s important for the State Legislature and Governor to be active participants in dialogue with public and private employees across California to talk about how to protect good union jobs, ensure retirement security and make sure workers have dignity on the job. As union coverage has declined across America, and the voice of workers has correspondingly diminished, many of the key workplace standards past generations counted on have been eroded. From attacks on pensions to suppressing the right to collectively bargain, the assault on workers rights’ is a testament to the need for an increase in public affairs from our union brothers and sisters. 

Under the deceptive term of “Right-to-Work,” Assembly Members Matthew Harper and Melissa Melendez introduced AB 1174 which would have allowed workers to receive the benefits of union-backed contracts without having to pay for their representation. This bill mirrored attempts in other states by the corporate interests behind groups like the anti-labor American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to break the strength of unions by undermining worker solidarity. That is why they push Right-to-Work-for-Less legislation across the country. They want to undermine the middle class by breaking the power of workers to stand up for their rights and lowering wages and benefits for everyone across the board. Research reveals that states with misguided “Right-to-Work” legislation suffer from higher poverty rates, weaker education and healthcare systems and lower pensions for retirees. Since the 1930s, AFSCME has advocated for stronger collective bargaining rights in order to provide basic necessities for working class Americans. When unions can bargain on behalf of workers for higher wages and improved working conditions, workers can then afford better health insurance, pay for their children’s education and invest in their local economy. Thanks to the efforts of AFSCME and the labor community, AB 1174 was defeated in the Assembly Labor Committee on a 1-5 vote. Read about the damaging impacts Right to Work has had on workers in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin here.