SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Monday OK'd exemptions to about two-dozen more professions from a landmark labor law designed to treat more people like employees instead of contractors. Among other things, the legislation would end what critics had said were unworkable limits on services provided by freelance still photographers, photojournalists,...
Walters: New State Budget a Windfall for Unions
The state budget package Democratic legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom just enacted is sprinkled with billions of dollars in extra goodies for their most important political constituency, labor unions. Take, for example, Senate Bill 90, the budget’s omnibus education measure. It would allocate $3.1 billion to reduce mandatory payments that...
Walters: A New Front in Battle Over Gig Workers
One of the most contentious – and potentially far-reaching – bills of the current legislative session is Assembly Bill 5, which would draw a legal line between the definitions of employees and contractors. AB 5, carried by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a San Diego Democrat, is an outgrowth of a state...
Breaking News: Water Allocation for Friant Contractors Doubles to 60%
The recent storms have delivered good news for Valley growers. The Bureau of Reclamation today provided an initial allocation to some Central Valley Project contractors and increased the allocation to Friant Division contractors for the 2018 contract year. Friant Division Class 1 water allocation has been increased to 60% — up...