On Thursday October 12th, Governor Brown signed into law legislation that UFCW advocated for as a key member of a unique coalition of civil rights, women groups, progressives, and labor organizations to protect immigrants (undocumented workers, DACA, and Dreamers) and to support women, especially the poor working Latina population who are experiencing significant stress and anxiety because of changing federal rules.
Signed supported legislation:
SB 54 – California Values Act (Senator DeLeon): Will ensure that no state or local resources are diverted to fuel any attempt by the federal government to carry out mass deportations at our schools, hospitals, and courthouses. UFCW was an early strong supporter of this effort, communicating our support during our executive board meeting held during our winter meeting at the University of California, at Irvine. Senator DeLeon personally expressed his appreciation to UFCW joining the coalition.
SB 63 – New Parent Leave Act (Senator Jackson): Provides 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected maternity and paternity leave for Californians who work for employers with 20 or more employees.
AB 557 – Housing Assistance for Domestic Violence Victims (Asm. Rubio): ensures temporary homelessness assistance for victims of domestic violence accessing CalWORKs services.
AB 273 – Expanding Eligibility for Working Parents (Asm. Aguiar-Curry): allows parents in English as a second language (ESL) and general education diploma (GED) classes to qualify for childcare assistance.