On September 5, 2022, California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 257, titled the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, or the “FAST Recovery Act.” AB 257 establishes a Fast Food Council comprised of fast food employees, worker advocates, franchisors, franchisees, and government officials within the Department of Industrial Relations that would set industry-wide standards

Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 237 (AB 237), which prohibits California public employers from discontinuing employer contributions for health care or other medical coverage for employees who, during the duration of an authorized strike, fall below the minimum hours worked to qualify for employee health care coverage.

The bill expressly provides that it is an

In 2018, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 2455 (“AB 2455”), which required the Department of Social Services to provide labor organizations registered home care aids’ contact information to assist with organizing efforts of the home care workforce.

Two industry groups, the Home Care Association of America and the California Association for Health Service at

A controversial amendment to the California Home Care Services Protection Act (Home Care Act) requires the state Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide the names, phone numbers, and addresses of new or renewing registered home care aides (HCAs) to labor unions on request, unless the aides opt out.

The new law, which raises concerns

Unionized employers in the construction industry can potentially receive some well-needed relief from California’s Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (Labor Code Section 2698 et seq.), known as “PAGA,” in light of the Governor signing AB 1654. Unionized employers in California must review their collective bargaining agreements and evaluate whether they can take

The California Supreme Court, in Dynamex Operations v. Superior Court, held that for purposes of claims under the California Wage Orders “engage, suffer or permit to work” determines employee status, thus requiring a defendant who disputes that a worker is an employee (rather than an independent contractor) to prove (A) the worker is free

In a recent decision, Judge Philip S. Gutierrez of the United States District Court for the Central District of California clarified an available avenue for employers with collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) to combat the growing trend of wage and hour lawsuits in California. In granting defendant Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.’s (“Kiewit”) motion for summary judgment

In recent years, there has been an uptick in union organizing focusing on California charter schools.   Traditionally, education related labor groups focused on organizing large public school districts, but with over 1,200 charter schools in California, groups like the California Teachers Association have shifted gears to try to bring unions into charter schools. Such organizing

California Governor Jerry Brown just announced a compromise that would raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022 and head off competing union-backed ballot measures.  The proposal raises the current $10 minimum wage every January starting in 2017 until it reaches $15 in 2022.

Employers with fewer than 25 workers have an

The recent death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia will give public sector unions a short respite in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association et al., a case that was likely to limit public sector unions’ ability to require mandatory fees from public workers. Following last month’s oral arguments before the High Court, many legal analysts expected a 5-4 opinion in Friedrichs, striking down mandatory union fees for public workers. Now, it is possible that the lower court ruling upholding the fees will remain in place.
Continue Reading Public Sector Union Fees Continue to Hang in the Balance With Scalia’s Passing