Aug 13 at 10 AM: 100+ Labor, Racial Equity Activists to Join Sen. Smallwood-Cuevas, Sen. Durazo & Asm. Ortega at Capitol to Call on Governor to Sign SB 1340 to Ease Job Crisis Impacting Disadvantaged Communities of Color
What:
About 100 labor and racial equity activists will join Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Senator María Elena Durazo and Assemblymember Liz Ortega at the State Capitol West Steps tomorrow, Tuesday, August 13 for a 10 am press conference to call on Governor Newsom to sign and fund SB 1340 to help ease the state’s job crisis primarily impacting Californians from underserved communities of color. SB 1340 would require equitable hiring compliance for the $180 billion in federal dollars coming to California to fund the state’s green infrastructure projects over the next decade. The bill would establish local “disadvantaged worker” demographics across California and require state-funded contractors on large-scale infrastructure projects to prioritize hiring workers who need these jobs the most.
When:
Tomorrow – Tuesday, August 13, 2024
10:00 am to 10:45 am
Where:
California State Capitol
West Steps
Live Stream Link: https://sd28.senate.ca.gov/
Who:
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, Chair of Senate Labor, Public Employment & Retirement Committee
Senator María Elena Durazo, Chair of Senate Local Government Committee
Assemblymember Liz Ortega, Chair of Assembly Labor & Employment Committee
Labor and Racial Equity Activists and Workers representing the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, California Coalition for Worker Power, Inland Empire Black Worker Center, LA Black Worker Center, SEIU, and Southern California Black Worker Hub.
More Info:
Hiring compliance programs are not only moral obligations of the state, they are legal requirements. California has enacted a number of laws aimed at promoting fair employment practices and preventing discrimination. Furthermore, it was intended by the Biden-Harris Administration that their federal green infrastructure dollars be used by states to help employ workers from disadvantaged communities.
Although California is in a budget deficit year, SB 1340 will be a low-cost bill to implement. It’s a small investment that will pay big dividends given it will create jobs that would take thousands of people out of poverty, ultimately saving the state money, with their tax-paying jobs reinvested back into the state. However, SB 1340 is yet to be signed and funded by the Governor – despite being passed by the State Senate and Assembly Labor Committee. This rally and press event would raise greater public awareness about the need for such a transformative bill that would create a better future for workers and their families from our state’s most disadvantaged communities.
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