Posts tagged Gavin Newsom
Newsom administration, SEIU Local 1000 failed to reach new contract, union says
July 1, 2026 // SEIU Local 1000, which covers nine bargaining units and represents nearly 100,000 workers, is the only union negotiating a new contract with the state this year. In the absence of a deal between SEIU Local 1000 and the state, the union’s existing contract conditions remain in effect.
As Newsom’s return-to-office mandate is just one week away, state workers and unions continue pushback
June 29, 2026 // Governor's order requiring most employees in the office four days a week takes effect July 1 amid concerns over costs, staffing and workplace readiness
California state workers union warns of mass exodus with Newsom’s return to office order
June 22, 2026 // From an economic perspective, the return-to-office mandate could benefit local businesses, according to Robert Heidt, president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber. “There is a lot of value in bringing people back to the office. The ebb and flow. The next generation of workforce. There is a value in experiencing by observation. Even me as the CEO, if I wasn't here every day, there are things I wouldn't notice or pick up or see in the office,” Heidt said. “I can't imagine that we can sustain an acceptable level of business and commerce with everyone remote. It just doesn't make sense,” he added.
Union Behind California Billionaire’s Tax Offers to Drop It in Favor of Smaller Tax
June 21, 2026 // Newsom batted down the offer via a spokeswoman, who said the governor “has been clear that he is strongly opposed to a California-only wealth tax.” “This poorly designed state-only measure will defund teachers, schools, clinics, and public safety,” Newsom’s spokeswoman said. “Changing the tax rate doesn’t change this measure’s fundamental flaws that harm working Californians.”
Gavin Newsom’s race to block a billionaire tax
June 13, 2026 // The growing coalition is tightening pressure on SEIU-UHW President Dave Regan, whose wealth-tax crusade has roiled California politics for months, to pull the measure. The message to Regan is blunt: Back down now, or risk going into a costly ballot fight increasingly alone. “Dave Regan is seeing very plainly what he’ll be up against if he goes through with this,” said a consultant working to defeat the measure who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive dynamics. The union downplayed the mounting pushback, arguing it was not representative of the groups’ members.
Commentary: Two huge California unions clash over money, political clout this election season
June 12, 2026 // This year’s race for governor is one arena for that rivalry. Service Employees International Union, the parent of SEIU-UHW, is backing former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the leading Democrat. The CTA has supported billionaire Tom Steyer, who has repeatedly pledged to pursue one of the teachers’ holy grails, removing Prop. 13’s property tax limits on commercial property, which would generate more money for schools. The two unions also are at odds over details in the state budget, such as financing preschool programs. The state Senate’s version of the budget would shift preschool support into the Prop. 98 segment of the budget, thus freeing up money that could go to health care. CTA sees that as a raid on school funds.
Goldwater Institute: Embracing the Future: Say No to Driver-in Mandates
June 4, 2026 // If an autonomous truck cannot operate safely, it should not be on the road. But if it can operate safely without a human driver, requiring one anyway does not improve safety. It simply raises costs, slows deployment, and forces consumers to pay more. The United States has never prospered by forcing new technology to imitate the old system it improves upon. Policymakers should allow autonomous vehicles and trucking to develop under clear, evidence-based safety rules. They should not revive the logic of railroad featherbedding for the age of artificial intelligence. Autonomous vehicles should be judged by their safety and performance, not by whether they preserve the labor arrangements of the past. The future of freight should be faster, safer, and less expensive. Policymakers should let it arrive.
California Public Sector Union Threatens Environmental Lawsuit Over Gavin Newsom’s Return-to-Office Policy
May 31, 2026 // Unionized state workers say agencies need to study the additional emissions that would be caused by requiring employees to come into the office four days a week.
After AI layoffs, Newsom orders state government to find ways to ease the pain
May 23, 2026 // In February, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, members of the California Labor Federation and labor leaders in Democratic primary states pledged to pull support for a Newsom 2028 presidential campaign if he didn’t take steps to protect workers from artificial intelligence. Newsom’s veto of the predecessor of the No Robo Bosses Act was named as a reason for that pledge. In a statement shared with CalMatters, California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez said the executive order is welcome but not enough
Unions moan as California state workers ordered back into the office 4 days week
May 21, 2026 // Last year, Newsom faced push back from unions over Executive Order N-22-25 and it’s happening again. Unions like SEIU Local 1000 — which represents nearly 100,000 state workers, and CAPS UAW, representing 6,000 scientific workers for the state — have blasted the governor over the move. In a press release from SEIU Local 1000 — it wrote that “as the State refuses to bargain in good faith over changes to teleworking conditions, SEIU Local 1000 filed an Unfair Labor Practice Charge with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).” “SEIU Local 1000 remains committed to fighting for Telework that Works through bargaining, legislation, and statewide member organizing efforts.”