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New year, new labor laws for Californians
After basking in 2023’s “hot labor summer,” which saw a high number of progressive bills passed and signed into law, labor unions and advocates noted a cooldown in 2024 as some ambitious efforts fizzled before the finish line.
Even so, a number of labor-friendly bills made it through last year, aimed at better protecting workers from anti-union intimidation, artificial intelligence and more. They took effect Jan. 1.
“Instead of breaking new ground, many of the changes represent expansions of existing protections, such as family leave and enforcement of workplace anti-discrimination laws,” my colleague Suhauna Hussain wrote over the weekend.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the key laws now on California’s books.
A striking Amazon worker talks to a delivery driver during a job action in August at a facility in South Gate.
(Zoë Cranfill / Los Angeles Times)
Senate Bill 399 prohibits employers from calling mandatory meetings designed for management “to communicate the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters,” including views on unions.
The new law is a check on what labor groups call “captive audience meetings,” which they say are meant to intimidate workers and chill efforts to form a union.
Under the new law, employees who refuse to attend such a meeting called by their employer must continue to be paid.
Senate Bill 988, dubbed the Freelance Worker Protection Act, aims to ensure independent contractors are paid in a timely manner. It requires a person or business that hires freelancers to provide written contracts for services if…