Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a controversial executive order Wednesday triggering applause from labor and fears from employers that it will bury them in sky-high workers' compensation costs. “We want to keep workers healthy and we want to keep them safe,” Newsom said Wednesday at his daily briefing. “The worst thing...
Walters: Fraud Infects Disability System
Kenneth and Mandy Henderson have given a new dimension to marital togetherness. Two years ago, a disability claim filed by Mandy Henderson, a lieutenant in the Santa Clara County sheriff’s office, came under suspicion. She claimed to be in constant pain from injuries suffered on the job and had to...
Injuries at Fresno’s Amazon Warehouse Are Triple Industry Average
Amanda Caballero wishes she could go back to work at Amazon. She made $15 an hour at the Fresno fulfillment center — several dollars more than the state’s minimum wage — and received more than three months of paid maternity leave. Her generous health insurance package covered her husband and...
Will New California Labor Bill Affect WWE Wrestlers?
A new California bill that would reclassify many independent contractors as employees passed both legislative chambers and awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom's signature. While most of the media attention has been how this bill would affect "gig economy" workers like Uber and Lyft drivers, one California labor attorney thinks AB 5...
Assembly Votes to Tighten Rules on Independent Contractors
SACRAMENTO — California residents working for companies like Lyft and Uber would get the rights of employees entitled to a minimum wage and workers compensation under a law the state Assembly passed on Wednesday. The sweeping bill, which now goes to the Senate, carries new standards defining whether workers are...
Walters: Another Conflict Brewing Over Work Disability Costs
Gavin Newsom loves high-concept, almost edgy, approaches to governance – not unlike a younger Jerry Brown during his first governorship four decades ago. However, as Brown eventually learned and Newsom will discover if, as expected, he follows Brown into the Capitol’s corner office, much of governing is not pro-active and...