2015-2016 UFCW Western States Council Legislative Priorities
AB 357 (David Chiu)– Fair Scheduling Act
This law would mandate that all large retail establishments, those with 500 or more employees in the state of California, would have to provide 2 weeks notification of schedule.
Most workers in the retail and restaurant industry have little to no notice of their upcoming schedule. This makes it harder for people to plan their lives, whether it is getting childcare, needing a second job or going to school. If this law were to pass it would provide for some stability in workers’ lives. Find out more at: www.schedulefairness.com
AB 359 (Lorena Gonzalez) – Grocery Worker Retention
This bill, upon a change in control of a grocery store, would require an incumbent grocery store owner to prepare a list of eligible grocery workers for a successor grocery employer, and would require the new grocery employer to hire from this list during a 90-day transition period.
Over 41% of grocery stores in the state of California are now owned and operated by private equity firms. This has caused a lot of instability amongst the 400,000 grocery workers in this state. This law would allow those workers to have some stability in any transition to a new employer
AB 266 (Rob Bonta – Ken Cooley – Reggie Jones-Sawyer) – Medical Cannabis Regulation
This bill would establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the medical cannabis industry. The law would create a new regulatory agency that would coordinate oversight of all aspects of the cannabis industry. This law would regulate: labeling, THC levels, pesticide use, mold content, packaging and processing, as well as labor conditions.
UFCW is the ONLY union in the cannabis industry. Currently UFCW represents over 1,000 workers in this industry in California. As Californians begin to accept the legitimacy of this business, UFCW as the only union of cannabis workers must also be at the forefront of establishing standards for workers.
SB 2 (Mark Leno) – Minimum Wage Increase
This bill would increase the minimum wage, on and after January 1, 2016, to not less than $11 per hour, and on and after July 1, 2017, to not less than $13 per hour. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2019, the annual automatic adjustment of the minimum wage to the rate of inflation. The adjustment would be calculated using the California Consumer Price Index, as specified.