Posts tagged California
Cesar Chavez’s Other Crimes
March 23, 2026 // But long before this week's disturbing allegations came to light, Reason investigated a "network of nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations set up and run by Chavez and other UFW officials" that managed to pull in millions of taxpayer dollars while refusing virtually all requests for transparency and traditional accounting. The 1979 cover story "Who's Bankrolling the UFW?" stood apart from the widespread canonization of Cesar Chavez as a secular saint whose supporters "fought tearfully through…crowds for a chance to shake his hand or just touch him on the shoulder."
Opinion: The Morning Routine That Just Vanished: Lunches Unpacked, Coffee Gone Cold and Kids With Nowhere to Go
March 22, 2026 // California teacher unions, with access to significant taxpayer-funded dues, implemented a coordinated strategy to maximize their bargaining power. They instructed teachers across multiple districts to walk out of classrooms simultaneously as part of a deliberate effort known as “We Can’t Wait.” This wasn’t spontaneous; it was the culmination of a strategy to coordinate actions for maximum leverage, leading to synchronized strikes across the state. According to the California Teachers Association, local educator unions intentionally synchronized the expiration dates of contracts in dozens of districts. The aim was to allow multiple districts to negotiate on the same core issues at the same time.
Opinion: The Left Hid César Chávez’s Rapes And Turned Him Into A Saint
March 20, 2026 // So why is a street in Austin named after César Chávez? Why did his statue watch me as I walked to class? The answer is clear: ethnic tokenism. It was fitting for Bill Clinton to award him a Presidential Medal of Freedom and for Joe Biden to display his bust in the Oval Office. Chávez represents the Hispanic worker the political Left wishes we all were: obedient to a union boss and beholden to collectivist ideology. The UFW announced it will not be celebrating César Chávez Day this year amid the allegations. The idol all Hispanics were once expected to adore is finally falling from his pedestal. My hope is that we do not replace him with another.
Opinion: California’s Kitchen Nightmare: Union Demands Rise as Enrollment Falls
March 20, 2026 // Even though public school enrollment has fallen sharply since the pandemic, most California districts have continued adding staff. Now teachers unions are pressing districts to commit to more expensive labor contracts, even as the funding they receive remains tied to the number of students they serve. Earlier this month, teachers in two Sacramento-area school districts walked off the job after contract negotiations stalled, bringing the number of teacher strikes in California to six this school year. And more may be on the way. Unions in Los Angeles and Berkeley have already authorized strikes if negotiations fail. These strikes are not isolated incidents. They are part of a coordinated statewide pressure campaign by the California Teachers Association (CTA) called “We Can’t Wait,”
LAUSD teachers union says it will go on strike April 14 if no contract is reached
March 19, 2026 // The district has offered about an 8% raise plus a bonus. The district says it's also proposed reducing class sizes but warns the cost of a larger deal could strain its budget long-term. Teachers have been working without a contract since last year. Even though they just reached a new deal less than three years ago, the 30,000-plus members of the teachers union say it's not enough.
Cesar Chavez allegations prompt UFW to skip Cesar Chavez Day events
March 18, 2026 // The United Farm Workers union on Tuesday acknowledged allegations against co-founder Chavez, calling reports involving possible abuse of young women or minors "crushing." "Some of the reports are family issues, and not our story to tell or our place to comment on. Far more troubling are allegations involving abuse of young women or minors. Allegations that very young women or girls may have been victimized are crushing," the union stated. In response to the allegations, the UFW noted that it would not be taking part in any of the upcoming Cesar Chavez Day activities.
California Teachers Association president denies organization ordered coordinated strikes | California Politics 360
March 17, 2026 // "CTA doesn't line up contracts," said CTA President David Goldberg, stating local unions coordinated the effort that was then supported by the statewide group, not mandated. "It's the result of the conditions in which educators are working under decades of disinvestment." Goldberg noted that teachers statewide are asking for better pay and more resources for students. He said school districts in the Sacramento area, such as Twin Rivers and Natomas, are "hoarding millions." But school districts are not cash cows or revenue generators. Several school districts impacted are struggling financially, and they rely on state tax dollars. California has been grappling with back-to-back-to-back state budget deficits that are expected to persist over the next several years.
How CA state worker unions have fared since landmark SCOTUS decision reshaped membership
March 17, 2026 // According to eight years of data obtained from the State Controller’s Office on the number of dues-paying state workers, some unions have slowly bled members since the Janus decision. For other bargaining units, the membership level has dropped 20% over that period. Labor groups representing peace officers and prison staff, however, hardly saw a change pre- and post-Janus. And still other units have increased the percentage of workers who pay monthly membership dues, the data revealed. Nearly 10 years before the Janus decision, the public’s approval of unions hit a historic low. In 2009, Americans’ approval ratings dipped below 50% for the first and only time since the public opinion polling company Gallup began assessing ratings of labor unions in 1936. In the years since, the public’s opinion of labor unions has improved substantially. Last year, 68% of Americans reported approval of unions.
Commentary: The Federal Government Just Moved to Restore the Owner-Operator Model – Here Is What Actually Changed, What Did Not, and What You Still Need to Watch
March 16, 2026 // Three times in five years. That is how many times the federal standard governing whether an owner-operator is legally classified as an independent contractor or an employee has fundamentally shifted under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 2021 Trump rule. The 2024 Biden rule. And now, on February 27, 2026, the Department of Labor’s formal proposal to rescind the 2024 rule and return to something close to the 2021 framework. Each time this pendulum swings, the trucking industry produces a wave of celebration or alarm depending on which direction it moved. The industry’s reaction to this latest move has been heavily celebratory — and not without reason. But if you are running a small fleet or operating as an owner-operator, the celebration needs to come with a clear-eyed understanding of what this rule change actually does, what it does not do, and where the real risk to your business model still sits.