Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Worker Notice Rights topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill directing labor commissioner to provide annual worker-rights notice
Summary
SB 294 would require the Labor Commissioner nd employers to distribute an annually updated template informing employees of state and federal workplace rights; the committee advanced the bill after broad support from labor and advocacy groups.
The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee advanced SB 294 on a voice/roll call vote after proponents described the measure as a response to federal-level rollbacks of worker protections and to chronic enforcement gaps.
Chair Ortega presented the bill on behalf of Senator Reyes, saying the author is working with stakeholders to narrow a provision about workers' compensation notice and that changes had moved some previous opponents to neutral. The bill would ask the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Labor Commissioner ccount) to create a template employers could use annually to inform employees of state and federal rights, including information about workers' compensation and other protections.
Elmer Lizardi of the California Federation of Labor said SB 294 would educate workers and reduce the burden on overstretched enforcement agencies by encouraging workers to report violations. Jamille Hunt, a security worker and shop steward, described a workplace example where required OSHA information was posted incompletely and said annual notices would help workers know how to report hazards and other violations.
Multiple unions and worker-advocacy groups including SEIU, UFCW, Teamsters, Equal Rights Advocates and the California School Employees Association registered support. The California Restaurant Association registered opposition on behalf of some industry members. Committee members voted to advance the bill; the secretary recorded the motion "do pass and be re-referred to the committee on judiciary." The roll call in the transcript recorded Ortega, El Hawari, Kalra, Lee and Ward voting aye.
