Governor Signs Bill to Prioritize Quality Jobs for California's Infrastructure
Governor Gavin Newsom today signed SB 150, legislation that requires equity and quality jobs for multi-billion dollar federal infrastructure projects planned for California. Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a joint author of the bill, led the effort to include equitable hiring programs in a package of infrastructure bills that will provide career-track job opportunities for California’s working families.
“Creating equitable job programs are essential for California’s working families, who have already been overwhelmed by the pandemic and are now facing a recessionary climate,” said Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that nearly 90% of Black Americans comprise those who are unemployed in the U.S., with California reflecting similar unemployment disparities. So it was absolutely vital that we ensured SB 150 prioritizes equitable hiring for Black workers as well as other workers of color from marginalized communities.”
During the bill signing, the Governor was flanked by SB 150 joint authors Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), and Assemblymember Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley). SB 150 will enhance California’s training pipeline, community benefits and good jobs standards for federal projects that will improve California’s infrastructure and decrease the state’s reliance on fossil fuels.
SB 150 is part of a greater infrastructure streamlining package initiated by Governor Newsom to address climate change and modernize California’s transportation system. SB 150 will embed workforce and community benefit incentives into state and federal infrastructure programs, including the federal Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act. These federal programs, signed into law by the Biden-Harris Administration, will collectively invest approximately $752 billion into roads, bridges and rail systems. The investments will also improve public access to clean drinking water and affordable high-speed internet, and they will support sustainable green industry and semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing.
“We’re grateful for the signing of SB 150 and how it will bring promising job opportunities for Black workers and other workers of color,” said Elda Solomon, Policy Manager for the Southern California Black Worker Hub, one of the coalition partners of SB 150. “But this is just the beginning for the work ahead for SB 150. We have to make sure that California leverages this bill to truly invest in good jobs for our hardest hit communities.”
“We applaud Senators Durazo, Smallwood-Cuevas, Gonzalez, and Cortese, and Assemblymember Rivas for working tirelessly to ensure the massive federal spending packages are used to benefit California workers and communities. As we build a clean energy future, SB 150 takes an important step in helping workers and communities build real partnerships with Clean Tech companies to create high quality, middle class careers within the green economy,” said Madeline Janis, Co-Executive Director of Jobs to Move America, another SB 150 coalition partner. “For too long we have allowed companies to line their pockets with public tax dollars while creating low paying and low quality jobs. Now is the time to work together to achieve a green economy that works for all Californians.”
The bill’s requirements for community benefits in Project Labor Agreements on larger projects will bring local hiring provisions and construction career programs into infrastructure project contract negotiations as well as such practices as the hiring of veterans, youth, women and the formerly incarcerated.
Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas represents the 28th Senate District, which includes the communities of South Los Angeles, Culver City, West Los Angeles, Century City and Downtown Los Angeles. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas spent more than two decades serving as a labor organizer, civil rights activist and community advocate before her election to the State Senate. She resides in the View Park community of Los Angeles with her family.
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