Our 2015 legislative agenda—a yearlong effort to make politics matter for our members and all Californians—was capped this week when Gov. Brown signed the Local 1000-supported Senate Bill 343 into law.
Titled “CDCR Librarians and Inmate Community College Incentives,” the new law adds Unit 3 librarians to the CDCR rehabilitation team and reflects their role in preparing prison inmates for successful parole. The bill also adds incentives for the completion of two- and four-year college degrees.
“We are celebrating another victory in our commitment to move and pass legislation that affects our members at work and in their communities,” said Yvonne R. Walker, Local 1000 president. “This success comes from the efforts of dedicated political volunteers who lobbied for important change and demonstrated the power of our membership at the Capitol.”
Lobbying and testifying for SB 343 and other bills, members representing worksites from across the state brought our issues to legislators through face-to-face conversations. Making these personal connections ensures that the people who make laws understand the real consequences of their decisions on the working people of California.
Two-year legislation
Local 1000 continues its efforts to push 4 additional bills through the legislature on a two-year cycle: AB 840 would stop the dangerous practice of mandatory overtime for nurses and nursing assistants, a key priority for the safety of our members. The other bills would clarify the state’s rehiring practices (AB 466), streamline the state’s adverse action policies (AB 769), and help employees at the Judicial Council win the right to vote for union representation (AB 874).