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ABOGACIA LEGISLATIVA

Una voz para los trabajadores y familias de bajos salarios en el capitolio estatal

Fue a fines de la década de 1970 y el comienzo de la escuela se pospuso continuamente para que los niños trabajadores agrícolas pudieran estar en los campos para la cosecha en lugar de estar en clase. Un grupo de defensores llevó al distrito escolar a los tribunales alegando que la práctica era ilegal. Ellos ganaron
 
Lo que sucedió después es la razón por la cual existe CRLAF: en lugar de cumplir con la ley, la junta escolar, compuesta por empresarios políticamente poderosos, cambió la ley para proteger sus intereses comerciales.
 
Desde ese momento nació CRLAF. Nuestros defensores representan a trabajadores agrícolas y trabajadores de bajos salarios en todo California.
 
Nuestros defensores legislativos participan en investigaciones orientadas a políticas y encuestas de campo de trabajadores agrícolas; llevar a cabo actividades de promoción legislativa y administrativa en las áreas de salario y hora, seguro de desempleo y derecho de los trabajadores agrícolas, tanto a nivel estatal como federal, y brinda capacitación, asistencia técnica y apoyo de defensa a los programas de servicios legales de California.

 

Los principales objetivos del proyecto son:

 

  • Ampliar las leyes laborales estatales que afectan los derechos de los trabajadores agrícolas y otros trabajadores de bajos salarios.

  • Para mejorar y reformar los esfuerzos estatales de aplicación de la ley laboral, particularmente en la economía sumergida

  • Asumir un papel de liderazgo al oponerse a los esfuerzos legislativos o reglamentarios para debilitar los derechos laborales nuevos o existentes que afectan a los trabajadores de bajos salarios, y especialmente a los trabajadores agrícolas y sus familias.

  • Para llevar a cabo investigaciones relacionadas con políticas públicas y legales, educación y esfuerzos de medios

  • Iniciar la capacitación de defensores, abogados y personal de agencias sobre las leyes laborales patrocinadas por la Fundación CRLA.

  • Para monitorear las admisiones de trabajadores invitados en California bajo el programa federal H-2A

  • Para participar en los esfuerzos nacionales de promoción en torno a los programas de trabajadores invitados y la legalización de los trabajadores agrícolas.

 

Las actividades no relacionadas con el cabildeo del proyecto son, y han sido durante muchos años, generosamente apoyadas por la Fundación Rosenberg.

 

 

El Proyecto de Derecho Laboral y Laboral está dirigido por el Director Adjunto y Director Legislativo de CRLAF, Mark Schacht. Un veterano de 25 años de Capitol Hill y Sacramento con una larga trayectoria de exitosa defensa legislativa y regulatoria en nombre de los trabajadores inmigrantes de bajos salarios, y en particular los trabajadores agrícolas.

email@markschacht.com o 510-812-5399

 

Un historial de éxitos

CRLAF patrocinó, copatrocinó o jugó un papel decisivo en la aprobación de los siguientes proyectos de ley, incluida la Ley General de Abogados Privados del Código Laboral (PAGA) .

 

Esta legislación histórica crea un derecho privado de acción para hacer cumplir las disposiciones de la ley laboral de California previamente reservadas para su aplicación únicamente por el estado. CRLAF escribió el primer borrador y copatrocinó el proyecto de ley original (SB 796) con la Federación Laboral de California, AFL-CIO. Los empleadores inmediatamente hicieron grandes esfuerzos para derogar por completo PAGA una vez que entró en vigencia. Este esfuerzo alimentó un estancamiento presupuestario que solo se resolvió después de extensas negociaciones que condujeron a la promulgación de un proyecto de ley posterior (SB 1809) que preservó el impulso de PAGA, al tiempo que requirió agotamiento administrativo antes de que se otorgara el derecho a demandar. [ Texto de Bill capitulado de SB 796 . Historia legislativa completa de SB 796 . Texto de Bill capitulado de SB 1809 . Historia legislativa completa de SB 1809. ]

Current Work

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Una vez que se publiquen entradas, las verás aquí.

2015

Combating Wage Theft -- AB970

CRLAF was the sponsor of AB 970 (Nazarian), which closed gaps in the Labor Commissioner’s legal authority that precluded her from issuing citations to employers for two increasingly common underground economy wage theft violations: illegal deductions made from workers’ wages for tools or equipment, and payment of sub-minimum wages below levels mandated by applicable local ‘living wage’ laws. Not only has AB 970 increased the likelihood that more workers victimized by unscrupulous employers will actually recover their stolen wages as a result of a Labor Commissioner workforce-wide investigation and citation process for these two violations, but AB 970 will also reduces state costs associated with the remedying of these violations through individual Berman hearings or civil lawsuits. [Chaptered Bill Text. Legislative History.]

2014

Preventing Sexual Harassment -- SB 1087

SB 1087 attacks a widespread culture of sexual harassment of farm worker women by FLCs and their supervisors through a combination of mandatory annual sexual harassment prevention training and testing of licensees; annual training of their supervisors; and by training of farm workers in how to prevent, identify and report sexual harassment. The bill also makes more than a dozen other needed changes to the state Farm Labor Contractor Act, including authorizing the Labor Commissioner to take adverse license actions against sexual predators. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

Penalties for Employers' Failure to Pay Wages on Time -- AB 1723

AB 1723 requires the Labor Commissioner, when she cites for a minimum wage violation, to also determine whether workers are owed ‘waiting time’ penalties for an employer’s failure to pay all wages when due. The bill has major financial implications for farm workers and other low wage workers, whose unpaid minimum wages are often far less than any applicable ‘waiting time’ penalties. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

Joint + Several Liability for Wage Theft --AB 1897

AB 1897 makes most California employers (including growers) jointly and severally liable for their labor contractors’ wage theft and worker’s compensation violations for the first time under California law. (CRLA Foundation has unsuccessfully pursued similar legislation in the past that would have applied only to growers and their FLCs.) AB 1897 was sponsored by the state Labor Federation, the Teamsters, and the UFCW. CRLA Foundation was a significant partner in testimony before key committees, and in lobbying for passage and a signature for the bill.  [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

2013

Successorship Liability for Wage Theft -- SB168

SB 168 dramatically revises successorship liability law to greatly strengthen legal protections for farm workers against Farm Labor Contractors’ wage theft, which is often committed as part of a fraudulent shutdown of their contracting business. [Chaptered Bill Text and complete Legislative History.]

Immediate Recovery of Unpaid Minimum Wages -- AB 442

AB 442 requires the Labor Commissioner, when she issues a citation for a minimum wage violation, to also recover liquidated damages for victimized workers in an amount equal to the total amount of their unpaid minimum wages. This is another bill which puts money directly in the pockets of aggrieved low wage workers victimized by wage theft. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

Mandated Heat Stress Recovery Period -- SB 435

SB 435 expands protections for California workers in five outside industries who request, but are denied, heat stress-related cool down ‘recovery periods’. SB 435 generally treats heat stress-related cool down recovery periods the same way daily rest periods are treated under the Labor Code: Employers in the five covered outside industries would be prohibited from requiring workers to perform any work during any heat stress recovery period and, if the employer failed to provide such a recovery period upon a worker’s request, the employer would have to pay the employee one additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate of compensation for each work day that a recovery period was not provided. Workers could pursue these claims either in court or in an administrative wage claim hearing. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

Criminal Penalties for Withholdings Theft with PAGA Enforcement -- SB 390

SB 390 creates new Labor Code criminal penalties on employers who deduct, and then steal, workers’ paycheck withholdings, and also creates for the first time in state law a state cause of action (under the PAGA, discussed below) to attack this kind of unscrupulous employer conduct. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

2012

License Requirement for Farm Labor Contractor, PAGA Enforcement Option -- AB 1675

AB 1675 imposes stiff civil penalties on persons who operate as a farm labor contractor without first securing an FLC license. Farm workers aggrieved by actions of an unlicensed farm labor contractor can collect penalties in a PAGA civil law suit, provided the State of California does not pursue the violation itself.[Chaptered Bill Text.]

Right to Employment Records Upon Request -- AB 2674

AB 1675 imposes stiff civil penalties on persons who operate as a farm labor contractor without first securing an FLC license. Farm workers aggrieved by actions of an unlicensed farm labor contractor can collect penalties in a PAGA civil law suit, provided the State of California does not pursue the violation itself.[ Chaptered Bill Text.AB 2674 requires employers, for the first time under California law, to provide current and former employees, or their representatives, with a copy of their employment-related personnel records, which are often a vital first step in determining the merits of a worker’s claim of retaliation. This bill was vetoed once before, and represents a victory for worker advocates ‘staying the course’ to get relief in this important area. [Chaptered Bill Text.]

Guidance in Defining "suffers injury" for Employer's Failure to Provide Itemized Pay Stubs -- SB 1255

SB 1255 resolved longstanding conflicts over whether a worker “suffers injury” when an employer fails to provide him or her with a complete and accurate itemized pay statement as required by state law. CRLAF negotiated a compromise with trial lawyers, unions, and business interests which provides the courts with a better roadmap in how to interpret employer violations of these critical worker protections in the future. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

2011

Itemized Wage Statements Required -- AB 243

AB 243  enacted over the strong opposition of California agriculture, requires farm labor contractors to provide their farm worker employees with an itemized wage statement which discloses all of the names and addresses of every entity (i.e., growers or other FLCs) to whom the farm worker was supplied during the pay period. [Chaptered Bill Text.]

Berman Hearings Available for Minimum Wage Violations -- AB 240

AB 240 requires the state labor commissioner to allow workers not paid the minimum wage to recovery minimum wage liquidated damages in a Berman administrative wage claim hearing, which parallels rights they have if they pursue such a claim in a civil action. This is a critical advance for low wage workers whose only avenue to redress wage theft is a Berman hearing (because their individual wage claim is too small to be taken by a private attorney or a legal services law firm). [Chaptered Bill Text.]

Omnibus Wage Theft Statute -- AB 469

AB 469 enacted an omnibus wage theft statute with many new Labor Code protections aimed particularly at vulnerable low wage immigrant workers laboring in the underground economy; CRLA Foundation wrote first draft and co-sponsored the bill with the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. [Chaptered Bill Text.]

Additional Noteworthy CRLAF Sponsored Legislation

Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) -- SB 796 and SB 1809

Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) This landmark legislation creates a private right of action to enforce California labor law provisions previously reserved for enforcement solely by the state. CRLA Foundation wrote the first draft and co-sponsored the original bill (SB 796) with the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. Employers immediately made strenuous efforts to completely repeal the PAGA once it took effect. This effort fueled a budget stalemate that was only resolved after extensive negotiations led to enactment of a subsequent bill (SB 1809) which preserved the thrust of PAGA, while requiring administrative exhaustion before a right to sue would vest. [Chaptered Bill Text of SB 796. Complete Legislative History of SB 796.  Chaptered Bill Text of SB 1809.  Complete Legislative History of SB 1809.]

PAGA

Financial Responsible Labor Contractor -- SB 179

The Financially Responsible Labor Contractor Act (SB 179) This groundbreaking statute, opposed by dozens of employer groups in the Legislature, makes entities liable when they knowingly entered into a financially insufficient contract for labor or services in five underground economy industries. CRLA Foundation wrote first draft and co-sponsored the bill with the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO. A prior version was vetoed. [Chaptered Bill Text. Complete Legislative History.]

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