Legislators, unions and worker groups press for stronger safety, local-hire rules in LA wildfire recovery

Lawmakers convened a joint Senate and Assembly hearing to examine worker safety and labor equity in the recovery from the Jan. 7 Los Angeles wildfires, hearing testimony from firefighters, union leaders, worker centers and state agencies pressing for stronger enforcement, local-hire rules and funding for worker protections.

The hearing brought frontline testimony and agency updates. Derek Erwin, a firefighter and researcher with LA County Firefighters IFF Local 1014, told the committees that firefighting exposures are classified as carcinogenic and urged state funding for large longitudinal research on firefighter cancer risks. "We humbly ask your support in continuing to fund the California Firefighter Cancer Prevention and Research Program," Erwin said.

Why it matters: witnesses warned that fast-moving recovery money and federal contracting arrangements can leave local workers, day laborers and domestic workers sidelined or exposed to health risks. Panelists pressed for local‑hire requirements, enforceable community workforce agreements, mandatory training and visible enforcement by Cal/OSHA, the labor commissioner and contracting authorities so recovery spending creates local jobs without sacrificing health and safety.

Union and worker-center testimony Eddie Escota Alvarez, a council representative for the LA and Orange County Building Trades, said the cleanup and rebuild should require community workforce agreements (CWAs) that include local-hire and apprenticeship mandates. "If there's any type of public subsidy, may it be time or money to fast track these projects, make sure there's a community workforce agreement attached to it," Alvarez said. He added that unions have capacity locally and cited apprenticeship and placement statistics his organizations run.

Megan Ortiz, executive director of IDEPSCA, described day laborers and domestic workers caught in the Palisades and Malibu evacuations and warned that many workers rely on public transit and bilingual outreach. "We had to create materials to warn workers who we know work in those areas of the high winds and what was the risk," she said, urging funding for outreach programs such as the Domestic Worker Outreach Program and the California Workplace Outreach Program.

Sarah Flock of the California Labor Federation described risks that recovery work could deepen inequities if workers are not accounted for. "Disaster recovery really does present an opportunity ... but there is a risk that recovery is just going to deepen and worsen the inequities that already exist," she said, urging investments in firefighter cancer funds, recall and transfer rights and child-care supports.

Agency and enforcement updates Cal/OSHA Chief Deborah Lee described an outreach-and-enforcement strategy that included bilingual materials, community‑based organization partnerships and teams on the ground. Lee said Cal/OSHA had dedicated staff working in the field and a call center staffed by bilingual personnel. "Our approach is to provide compliance assistance by educating homeowners and employers on the hazards of wildfire smoke, debris and cleanup," she said, and to pursue enforcement when employers fail to abate hazards.

Cal/OSHA regional manager Hassan Adan said the agency had received complaints and is investigating incidents and accidents. He reported that Cal/OSHA staff had participated in community meetings and distributed materials at laundromats, hardware stores and workers' centers.

What witnesses asked the Legislature to do Witnesses urged the Legislature to: (1) require prequalification and local-hire standards on state-funded and expedited projects, (2) expand funding for outreach and bilingual education for nontraditional workforces, (3) ensure enforcement capacity at Cal/OSHA and labor enforcement agencies during long recoveries, and (4) use workforce grants to couple short-term subsidized jobs with apprenticeships and long-term pathways into construction careers.

Ending Committee members said they would follow up with agency requests for contractor lists, compliance data and more precise counts on the share of recovery dollars flowing to locally based firms. Several members urged the executive branch and federal partners to align procurement and oversight so state investments produce local jobs while protecting worker safety.