SACRAMENTO — The California Senate has passed a bill that would give new wage and benefit protections to workers at so-called gig economy companies like Uber and Lyft. The 29-11 vote late Tuesday sends the bill back to the state Assembly for final approval over strident Republican opposition. Democratic Gov....
California Lawmakers Eye Bills on Vaccines, Guns, Housing
SACRAMENTO — California state lawmakers have just two weeks remaining in their session to sort through hundreds of bills, some addressing volatile topics such as vaccinating children and shootings by police. The session that began in January will end Sept. 13 after lawmakers pile bills on the desk of freshman...
Walters: California Unions Win in Politics But Lose Members
One of the more curious anomalies about California is that while labor unions’ political power has increased to virtual hegemony, especially in the last decade, union membership has declined just as sharply. On Labor Day 2019, one can only wonder whether both trends will continue and if so, what the...
Walters: What Are the Limits on a 'Gig Economy?'
The term “gig economy” entered the popular lexicon a few years ago, referring to new industries that rely on technology and non-employee workers, such as the Uber and Lyft rides-on-call services. In fact, however, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Californians work as “independent contractors,” ranging from emergency room...