Sacramento, CA – Today, as lawmakers return to Sacramento ready to finish a two-year legislative session, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Western States Council, released its 2025 California Legislative Scorecard, which evaluates how California legislators voted on issues important to UFCW members in the past legislative year. Bills that include hemp in California’s regulatory framework, revert the cannabis tax rate to keep legal businesses afloat, prohibit illegal cannabis businesess from advertising online, regulate the use of self-checkout machines, prohibit the practice of surveillance pricing and allow the California Public Employees Relation Board to enforce workers’ rights were among the key issues considered as UFCW evaluated California’s elected officials’ voting records in 2025.
Demonstrating the effectiveness of UFCW members in communicating their values and priorities to lawmakers, 69 legislators scored 100% on issues important to California’s workers. See each legislator’s scores here: ufcwwest.org/scorecard.
Amber Parrish, executive director, UFCW Western States Council, released the following statement:
“In 2025, UFCW members, the grocery workers, meat packers, cannabis workers, delivery drivers, pharmacists, and other workers in all of our communities, pushed for a legislative agenda that would protect jobs while also prioritizing the consumers and customers they serve, and we were able to enact legislation that will truly make a difference in the lives of UFCW members. Bills were passed this year that will ensure the cannabis industry protects consumers and workers by banning advertising of illicit cannabis online, reverting the cannabis excise tax rate to ensure legal businesses survive, and fulfilling a long-standing commitment to integrate hemp into the regulated cannabis supply chain.
“California’s 2025 legislative session took place in the shadow of a federal administration that has abdicated its duty to protect workers and consumers from being exploited by big corporations. California stepped up and ensured that workers and businesses can enforce their rights if the National Labor Relations Board fails to act or is declared unconstitutional.
“However, we did not achieve everything we set out to accomplish this year. Several critical bills aimed at ensuring the use of technology in our grocery and retail stores failed to overcome corporate opposition, leaving workers and customers at an ongoing disadvantage. Additionally, a bill addressing critical issues in our community pharmacies is at risk of corporate interference that could harm pharmacists and patients.
“Despite these setbacks, we remain committed to challenging systems that hold workers and their families back. There is still much work to be done to protect working families from anti-competitive corporate practices that exploit both workers and consumers, and the UFCW Western States Council is an essential force in that fight – in California and nationally.”
See how each legislator scored here: ufcwwest.org/scorecard.
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The United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council is the regional coordinating body of 11 UFCW local unions representing over 200,000 workers in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The Council is a part of the 1.3 million-member strong UFCW International Union. UFCW members stand together to improve the lives of workers, families, and communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2026
Contact: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, [email protected]