Sacramento, CA – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council today celebrated Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature on a landmark worker protection law: AB 5 (Gonzalez). The bill upholds the California Supreme Court’s Dynamex decision, making it more difficult for employers to misclassify workers to deny them a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and other basic worker protections.
“UFCW members and leaders across the state are proud of our role in today’s monumental moment for California workers,” said President John Grant of UFCW 770. “Like every hard-fought victory in labor’s history, AB 5 is now law only because working people stood up to corporate power and demanded justice. We applaud the Governor, author Assemblymember Gonzalez, and the legislators who stood with us and for the value we share: that California must be a place where all workers can earn enough to support a family.”
“AB 5 means workers who’ve suffered from exploitation will now have a safety net when they get sick, will have recourse when they are harassed at work, and can access unemployment insurance if they are laid off,” said Jacques Loveall, President, UFCW Local 8-Golden State. “This legislation has made national headlines, and given more energy to our movement to hold corporations accountable. This victory shows the strength workers have when we stand together – a strength we will deploy to ensure AB 5 is enforced and that California realizes the promise that through hard work, all of our families can thrive.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2019
CONTACT: Jenna Thompson, 916.444.7280, [email protected]