Assembly Standing Committee on Public Employment and Retirement

Regardless of whether you are participating in person or on the phone, we will be limited to two testimony to two primary witnesses on each side of the Bill, and each will have three minutes to speak. All others must only say their name, organization, and position, if any. For witnesses, after the author of a Bill presents the Bill, we will hear from primary witnesses in support first, then others in support in the room.

Then those who are on the phone line, after support testimony is taken, we will repeat the same order in the process for opposition testimony. The phone line that witnesses will call on is moderated except for primary witnesses, and there are time limits for testimony. If you say more than your name, organization, and position on the Bill, we will ask the moderator to move on to the next caller on the line. The call-in number for this hearing is 877-692-8957 again, the call-in for this hearing is 877-692-8957 and the access code is 1315444.

Again, the access code is 1315444. You'll find this phone number on the bottom of your TV screen or other viewing device. If you're calling in, please do so as the author of the Bill begins presenting the Bill, the operator on the line will give you instructions on how to be placed in the queue, depending on whether you support or oppose a Bill.

If you're calling in, please eliminate all background noise, such as muting your TV, live stream broadcast, other smart devices, or other noise to reduce interruption and sound distoration, distortion. If your main witness provided providing substantive testimony, you'll remain on a live line and will need to mute yourself until you're called on to speak. Otherwise, everyone watching and listening to this hearing will hear you and anything audible in the background. So that everyone is also aware.

This Committee accepts written testimony through the position letter portal on the Committee's website and encourages those who have any technical difficulties to use this option. The Assembly has experienced a number of disruptions to Committee and floor proceedings in the last few years. So that everyone is crystal clear, conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or impedes the orderly conduct of this hearing is prohibited. If you are disrupted, I will direct you to stop and give one warning.

If the disruption continues, I will ask that you be removed from participating in this hearing, regardless of you being on the phone or in person. If necessary, we may temporarily recess the hearing. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in advance. For this hearing. We have four items on the agenda that we'll work through in sign-in order. Before we begin, we need to establish a quorum. Secretary, please call the roll to establish a quorum.

[Roll call].

We have a quorum. We're going to start with file item number three, and I'll hand the gavel over to Assembly Member Haney.

Yeah. Sure. All right, so we have Assembly Woman Member Mckinnor here to present on AB 1677. Assembly Member, whenever you're ready.

Good morning, Member. I'm happy to present AB 1677 this morning. A bill sponsored by the California Association of Professional Scientists, CAPS is the collective bargaining unit for more than 4000 specially trained, highly educated state scientists who work throughout state government. These workers safeguard our wildlife and natural resources, ensure the safety of our food supply, and protect our air and water from toxic waste and pollution. But unfortunately, their salaries lag their counterparts doing similar work in the state and federal governments by up to 40%.

In some classifications, the contributions to high employee turnover and low morale and threatens the vital public health and environmental protection state scientists provide each day. AB 1677 is the first step to ensure that these workers are receiving a competitive wage. AB 1677 would require the University of California Berkeley Labor Center to evaluate the existing state scientist salary structure and provide recommendations, if appropriate, for alternative salary models for rank-and-file California state scientists currently covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

The UC Berkeley Labor Center will provide the report to the Director of Finance, the chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the chairperson of the appropriate Legislative Policy and Budget Committee. CAPS and CalHR will both be consulted in identifying the study's perimeters and objectives. This will allow CAPS and the state to enter into contract negotiations with a more informed understanding of what an appropriate starting point for employee salaries is. I'm joined today with my folks from California Association of Professional Scientists.

Thank you.

Thank you. Go ahead.

Mr. Chairman and Members, Pat Moran with Aaron Read & Associates representing the California Association of Professional Scientists. First, we'd like to thank Assemblymember Mckinnor for authoring the Bill. Her staff, who's done a fantastic job in helping us move the bill along in the thoughtful analysis prepared by Michael Bolden. With me today is Mia Roberts. She's a senior environmental scientist specialist and a CAPS board member to offer further testimony. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Pat. Like Pat said, my name is Mia Roberts, senior environmental scientist specialist, statewide training coordinator, and oil spill responder for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response. Thank you for considering this very important bill. As you've heard, AB 1677 is the first step to ensure that state scientists are valued equitably to their peers, both in and outside of state service.

It is well known and acutely felt by myself and by my scientific colleagues that our salaries lag behind those of our contemporaries that perform similar duties by nearly 40%. We attend the same meetings and provide the same value, expertise, and knowledge as our counterparts in both state government and other government sectors. And yet, we are apparently valued at approximately 40% less.

With increasingly frequent catastrophic events and issues prompted by 21st-century life, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple avian flu outbreaks, historic drought followed by historic rainfall, creation of toxic sites, and continual fires in California, it has become increasingly clear that scientific expertise is not only necessary but essential to safeguarding California's public health, food supply, and agriculture, wildlife, and environment. But at our current wages, we see a scientific exodus to higher-paying positions elsewhere.

I'm here today to give my and my colleagues ardent support for this bill, as it is a step in the right direction to help resolve this scientific dearth in California's state civil service, which will help us counteract the issues I just discussed for the future of California. AB 1677 will allow both CAPS and the state to enter into negotiations with a more informed understanding of the appropriate comparators in salary negotiations, which will lead to finding concrete solutions to our long-standing salary issues. Thank you.

Thank you to the witnesses. Are there any other witnesses in the room in support? Not seeing any other. Any on the phone. So, are there any witnesses in opposition? Not seeing any. Any questions or comments from committee members?

We have a second on the motion. Assembly Member, you may close.

I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Great.

Thank you, secretary.

The motion is due, passed, and rereferred to the committee on appropriations.

[Roll Call]

We have 5-1. That bill is out.

Great. Oh, we are? Okay.

All right, now, Assembly Member, we have Assembly Member Mckinnor to present on AB 1.

Thank you.

Second.

Motion and second.

Okay. And we're still waiting for the other authors, but we're going to proceed with AB 1. Assembly Member.

I would like to begin by committing to take amendments in the Assembly Appropriations Committee to clarify that bargaining units referenced in this Bill cannot be based upon political party registration. And I would like to thank my Republican and Democrat sisters and brothers for collaborating for their collaborative work on this Bill. Mr. Chair and Members, AB 1 will give nonsupervisorial legislative staff the choice to join a union and to collective bargain for wages, benefits, and workplace conditions. Members, our staff aren't looking for special treatment.

They're looking for the same dignity and respect afforded to all represented workers. Period. To the staff in our district offices, Capitol staff that honorably serve the people of California every day, know this. We see you and we respect you. And with AB 1, we're taking action to make sure that current and future legislative staff, regardless of their Member's political affiliation, are afforded a safe, equitable, and fair opportunity to build a noble career in public service.

It is hypocritical as legislators that we ask our employees to staff committees and write legislation that often expands collective bargaining rights for other workers in California. But we intentionally prohibit our own workers from that same right. The Legislature has failed to show the political will to respect its staff for long enough. Today is the opportunity for the Legislature to stand up for their own workers.

And I'm proud to stand here today with the Bipartisan Coalition of 41 co-authors from the Assembly and Senate supporting AB 1. As a former legislative staff, myself, and an original signer of the We Said Enough letter that sparked the MeToo movement, I know how challenging a place like the Legislature can be to work.

But if we are truly committed to recruiting and retaining the best staff possible, if we are truly committed to creating a safe and inclusive workplace, and if we're going to show our staff that we see them and respect them and respect their contribution to California's democracy, I respectfully request that you support AB 1 today. This measure has no opposition. The witnesses I have here today are Alma Muvesvi is a former staffer and Shubhangi Domokas for the California Labor Fed and former staffer. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Assemblymember. We'll go to your primary witnesses.

Thank you, Mr. Chair and Members for allowing me to testify today. My name is Alma Mushwashi and I'm formerly a legislative assistant and fellow in the Assembly. I'm going to be honest, even though I don't work in the Legislature anymore, I'm still nervous and scared to be here. So imagine how my former colleagues, who are still legislative employees, feel. But I'm testifying here on behalf of my former colleagues because I understand how important this is to legislative staff.

Without question, I can say that this building has introduced me to some of the smartest, most compassionate, hardest-working people I've ever met, and they deserve the right to unionize. The right to unionize goes beyond being in a bad office or having a bad experience in the workplace. Fundamentally, the right to unionize is about helping workers facilitate productive conversations with their employers without fear of retaliation.

The Legislature is a unique place, but like every other sector, it is also a workplace, and that comes with the same issues that workers in other sectors face, like long hours and low wages. In short, legislative staffers are not okay. They are tired, they are burnt out, and they feel like there is no way for them to advocate for themselves without fear of risking their jobs. And these feelings are even more pronounced for Black staffers and other staffers of color.

It is evidenced by the number of people who have had to reluctantly and unfortunately leave their positions in pursuit of jobs that can offer them the basic protections that legislative staff have been denied. Honestly, this is unsustainable and the Legislature is already being forced to grapple with how much talent has been lost because there isn't a way for legislative staff to exercise their right to collectively voice their concern.

This body not only understands why the right to unionize is so important, but it also prioritizes it and consistently votes to protect the right for workers across the state to unionize. It is time to expand that right to legislative staffers, too. Legislative staff are working overtime to help protect the right of the rights of other workers. Don't they deserve the same? Thank you.

Thank you. Next witness.

Good morning Mr. Chair and Members. My name is Mariela Frias and I am a fellow for this for Assembly Member Bonta and I am proud to be here today in support of AB 1. Members, I am not a legislative employee, but I am part of the future of legislative employee pipeline.

My participation in the Assembly Fellowship Program is helping me learn directly about the state Legislature and the critical role of staff in the Bill drafting process, staffing legislation, staffing policy committees, drafting talking points, meeting with constituents, building coalitions, and advising Members on the legislation that they will vote on.

And I have heard from current and former staff that have told me that their desire to serve in the noble profession meant that they had to accept jobs in the Legislature, paying wages so low that they qualified for CalFresh food assistance live in substandard housing or rely on financial support from their family just to pay their bills every month. While I am not yet in the legislative yet a legislative employee, I have learned this much since the beginning of my fellowship.

I should not have to choose between wanting to pursue a career in the state Legislature and making sure I am paid a fair and competitive wage, that I am respected in the workplace, and that I have a voice in building a safe and inclusive place to work. And Members, I do not have to choose thanks to the collective bargaining process authorized under AB 1, led by Assembly Member Mckinnor.

Under AB 1, all non-supervisorial staff in the Assembly and in the Senate will be given the choice to join a union and be able to collectively bargain for our wages, benefits, and workplace conditions. The result of passing AB 1 will be the Legislature's ability to better recruit and retain the best and brightest staff in California.

The result of passing AB 1 will be that I can begin my career worried less about knowing if I am going to be able to pay my rent on any given month and worry more about helping to get my boss's Bill out of a difficult Committee or off the Assembly floor. AB 1 is good for legislatures, good for the Legislature, and good for our legislative staff that dedicate themselves each and every day to improve the quality of life for everyone that calls California a home.

I respectfully request your Aye vote and thank you.

Mr. Chair and Members, Shubhangi Domokos for the California Labor Federation, proud to sponsor this legislation and here as a technical witness if you have any questions. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Thank you to all of the witnesses. We appreciate you. Are there other witnesses here in the room in support? Just name, position and organization, please.

Mr. Chair Members. Matt Broad, on behalf of the Teamsters, in strong support. Thank you.

Good morning, Mr. Chair Members. Janice O'Malley with the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees in support. And also on behalf of my colleague Christophe Mayer, former ledge staff here in the building. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members Jessica Hay with the California School Employees Association in support and on behalf of my colleague Cassie Mancini, former ledge staff, in support. Thank you.

Good morning. Shannon Swanson, former Assembly staff, in strong support. Thank you.

Alicia Benavides Lewis here as the former Chief of Staff to the Assembly, as a co-founder of We Said Enough, and also expressing support by the California Low-Income Consumers Coalition. Thank you.

Mr. Chair and Members Louis Costa with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers Transportation Division in support. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members Nicole Trujillo Rice on behalf of the California State Building Construction Trades Council representing nearly 500,000 men, women, and nonbinary individuals in the construction industry, proud to support this Bill.

Victoria Stewart, former legislative staff in support of the legislation. 10 years.

Good morning, Members. Luis Aleman, on behalf of the Orange County Labor Federation and our 250,000 Members, strongly support this Bill.

Good morning, Mr. Chair and Members. Gregory Kramer, former Senate and Assembly staff in support.

Chair and Members, Michelle Taran Wolfwork with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, in strong support. Thank you to the author.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Anthony Reyes, Assembly staff, in strong support. Thank you.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Jennifer Fearing, longtime Member of the Capitol community here in my personal capacity, in support. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair Members. Megan Subers, on behalf of the California Professional Firefighters, in support.

Sandra Barreiro, on behalf of SEIU California, in support.

Good morning. John Shaban, California Nurses, representing over 100,000 members. Strong support. Thank you.

Good morning. Tiava Morris, in my personal capacity, in strong support.

Good morning. Glenn Backes for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in support.

Good morning. Shadaya Hawari, future Assembly Member, in strong support.

Good morning. Daniel Shoorl with SEIU Local 1000, in strong support.

Good morning. Ted Toppin for the California Association of Professional Scientists, State Bargaining Unit 10, in full support.

Morning. Grace Doucette, Assembly staff, in support.

Good morning. Kendall Jack Gray, current Assembly fellow, in strong support.

Good morning. Terry Schanz, Chief of Staff, California State Assembly in strong support.

Good morning. Jessica Lawrence, current Assembly staff and former public school teacher, in strong support.

Good morning. Yesenia Jimenez, former Senate fellow and former Assembly staff, in strong support.

Great. Thank you so much. Now we'll go to the phones for others in support, just name organization, if any, and position on the Bill. Operator.

Ladies and gentlemen, yes. If you have support at this moment, press one, then zero on your telephone keypad. We will go to line seven, please go ahead. Line seven disconnected. We'll go to line 10, please go ahead.

This is Efrain Mercado on behalf of the California Teachers Association in strong support.

We will go to line 16, please go ahead.

Good morning. Alyssa Orozco, on behalf of Sierra Club California in support of AB 1. Thank you.

We will go to line 27, please go ahead.

Hi, this is Ahmanise Sanati. I'm calling on behalf of Westchester-Playa Democratic Club and we are in support.

We will go to line 44, please go ahead.

Good morning. This is Liz Kane, LAUSD educator and administrator and also President of the Westchester Playa Democratic Club, in strong support of this Bill. Thank you to the author.

We will now go to line number 50. Please go ahead.

Jumbo. This is Diamond Brandon, former district staffer of five years, in strong support.

We will now go to line 61. Please go ahead.

Hi, good morning, my name is Itzel Maganda Chavez, and I'm also calling in strong support of the former Assembly staff in San Diego. Thank you.

We will now go to line 52. Please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Marco and I'm a former Assembly staffer for the San Diego region as well. And I believe every Californian as well as these workers deserve a right to choose a union. So I respectfully request your support for AB 1.

We now go to line 60. Please go ahead.

Good morning, Members. Malik Bynum with United Domestic Workers AFSCME, Local 3930, calling in strong support. Thank you.

We now go to line 73. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Andrea Amavisca, former Senate staffer, in strong support.

We now go to line 29. Please go ahead.

Sandra Nakagawa, former Assembly and Senate Committee and personal staff for five years, calling in in strong support of 81.

We will now go to line 51. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Carrie Rogers, former Assembly staff, in support.

We will now go to line 22. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Reverend Eddie Anderson, near Pastor McCarty Church with L.A. Voices, California, in strong support.

We'll now go to line 53. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Brandon Stansell, current district staffer, in strong support.

We'll now go to line 76. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Sami Gallegos, former Assembly staff, calling in strong support for AB 1. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 24, please go ahead.

Greetings. Carolyn Fowler, I am local 1932, strong support.

We'll now go to line 54, please go ahead.

Good morning. Kevin Sabo, former legislative staffer, strong support for AB 1.

We'll now go to line 48. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Alejandro Carrillo, current district staffer, in strong support.

We'll now go to line 14, please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Corinne Castro, I'm with the Westchester-Playa Democratic Club, and I'm also calling in for strong support of this Bill. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 39, please go ahead.

Good morning, my name is Hayley Hutt, current district staffer, and I'm in very strong support of this Bill.

We'll now go to line 28, please go ahead.

Lizet Angulo, Management Business Services President, in support.

We'll now go to line 77, please go ahead.

Good morning, Members. Uriah Silvia, former legislative staffer, strong support for AB 1. Thank you.

We'll now go to line eight. Please go ahead.

This is Dallas Fowler, greetings. Director of Public Affairs for the California Coalition for Worker Power. I'm also representing the Los Angeles African American Women's Public Policy Institute, the Helping Empowered Individuals Reach Success PAC. All standing in strong support of AB 1. Thank you to the author.

And we'll now go to line 63, please go ahead.

Hello, this is Mary Gonzalez. I'm with the Westchester-Playa Democratic Club, and I fully support AB 1.

We'll now go to line 65, please go ahead.

Hi, this is Jasmine, current Senate staffer, and I'm in strong support of AB 1. Thank you.

We'll now go to 75, please go ahead.

Hi, this is Dana Alpert, senior assistant in the California State Assembly, in strong support of AB 1.

We'll now go to line 58, please go ahead.

Good morning, Members. Alice Montes, a former Assembly legislative staffer, in strong support. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 55. Please go ahead.

William Mitchell, district staffer in strong support.

We'll now go to line 19, please go ahead.

Good morning. Charlotte Bland, National Political Caucus, Greater Pasadena area, in support of AB 1. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 79, please go ahead.

Hi, Mary Virginia Watson, current Assembly staffer, in strong support. All workers deserve the right to organize.

We'll now go to line 45, please go ahead.

Good morning, Members. This is Katie Kation, a district office staffer, in strong support.

We'll now go to line 69. Please go ahead.

Hi, Laurel Brodzinsky calling in my personal capacity as former Assembly staff, in strong support.

We have quite a few others queuing up. Would you like to proceed?

Yes.

Okay, perfect. We'll go to line 31. Please go ahead.

Good morning. Diana Love, community advocate, in full support, and thank you to the author.

We'll go to line 68. Please go ahead.

Kim Angulo, former Assembly fellow, former staff, in strong support.

We'll now go to line 64, please go ahead.

Good morning. Reverend Zachary Hoover, Executive Director of L.A. Voice, representing 70 congregations across L.A. County, in support.

We'll now go to line 12, please go ahead.

Good morning, honorable Members. Hugo Rojas, school board Vice President, Centinela Valley Union High School District, in strong support of AB 1.

We'll now go to line 21, please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Michelle Chambers, former Assembly staffer and former elected official and totally support line AB 1. Thank you to the author.

We'll go to line 66. Please go ahead.

Hi, Ernesto Castillo, former State Senate staff and current Inglewood School Board member in full support. Thank you to the author.

We'll now go to line 62, please go ahead.

Hello, this is Kristine Casey, current Assembly staff, in support of AB 1. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 70. Please go ahead.

Hi, Zane Rice, partner of a legislative staff there and in strong support of AB one.

We'll now go to line 93. Please go ahead.

Good morning, Chair and Members. Anthony Di Martino, former Assembly staffer in strong support. Thank the author.

We'll now go to line 96, please go ahead.

Dominic Dursa, district staff, strong support.

We'll now go to line 94. Please go ahead.

Eliana Renfrey, daughter of legislative staff strongly support.

We'll now go to line 30. Please go ahead.

Hello, my name is Chef Basil Kembrew. I am the Chair of the Vet Caucus, but my title is for name identifications only. I'm in strong support and thank you to the sponsors.

We'll now go to line 42. Please go ahead.

My name is Susan Robinson. I'm calling from the Westchester-Playa Democratic Club and I offering strong support for AB 1.

We'll now go to line number 90. Please go ahead.

Good morning, Chair and Members. My name is Lesley Brizuela. I am a current policy analyst for the State Senate and I urge your support on this Bill. Thank you.

We'll now go to line 82. Please go ahead.

Good morning. This is Aubrey Rodriguez. I've been Assembly staff for the past eight years and I deserve a voice in my workplace. Thank you. Strong support.

And our last one is line 106. Please go ahead.

Good morning. My name is Dan Okenfuss. I'm a former legislative staffer in support.

And we have somebody else that just had queued up. We'll go to line number 111. Please go ahead.

Hi, my name is Amanda Mushoshi, sibling of former staffer. And I'm calling in strong support.

And we'll go to line seven. Please go ahead.

My name is Monica Madrid, former Assembly staffer, also currently bargaining with the International Association of Machinists Local 750, in strong support.

And we have no further participants in support at the moment.

Great, thank you. We will close the line and thank everyone who called in. Are there others in the room who are here in support?

Good morning. Bryan Ha with the California Faculty Association. We're in strong support. Thank you.

Robert Cruz, legislative staff, in support.

Audrey Detmer, current staffer, in support.

Stephanie Esparza, current leg staffer, in support.

Candice Riley, current leg staffer, in support.

Thank you so much. And we have Assembly Member Ortega.

Good morning, Chair and Members. I'm here to make a surprise appearance. Finished early in my other hearing room. Strong support of AB 1. As a former Executive Director of the Alameda Labor Council and as a state Assembly Member, I believe that workers have a right to organize. I believe every worker has a right to voice on the job, health benefits, good wages. And therefore, I wanted to come in here and make sure that all the support was given to the author of this Bill.

And our workers deserve the same things that we fight for every single day in our districts, for our constituents, because the workers in this capitol are the ones that are making it happen. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. All right. Are there any witnesses in opposition to the Bill? Not seeing any. Operator, are there any witnesses in opposition on the line?

At this moment if you are in opposition, press one, then zero on your telephone keypad.

We have nobody that is in opposition on the phone.

Great hearing and seeing no one in opposition. We had a motion and a second on the bill. I'll now open it up to the committee for questions and comments. Mr. Fong?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just wanted some clarifying of information. I know that you and the Vice Chair have had significant conversations on proposed amendments, especially when it comes to guaranteed representation and protections and not having any separation based on political affiliation.

I know that the conversations are still ongoing and that there are going to be amendments and appropriations, but can you shed some light in terms of, since I was not part of a lot of those conversations, what would be put into the bill and what those amendments would look like?

I don't have the amendments in front of me, but it really will say that this bargaining unit referenced in this bill cannot be based upon political party registration.

And so, there will be no difference between a republican staff and a democratic staff. The bargaining unit, when we start collective bargaining, it will be for all staffers, and that will be placed into the bill.

Okay. And then do you envision, or maybe does, this bill offer any recourse for any pay inequities based on political affiliation, or is that just a moot point?

Assembly Member, if I could answer your question. So, because under the amendments that the assemblywoman was referencing, PERB would not be able to use political affiliation as a factor in determining the bargain units. Therefore, once MOU was bargained for, it would apply equally to every single staffer. It would not differentiate. Therefore, that would also go to wages as well. Whatever was bargained in the contract.

And Assembly Member, they will have a - I'm sorry. A representative, like one of the staffers, will be a shop steward. They will have a shop steward on site. So whether you're Republican or Democrat, if you have a problem, you go to your shop steward, and then there's a procedure to make a complaint. So, yeah, there is a way to complain if you're not getting treated fairly.

Okay. I know-

For every staff.

I know there's a lot of moving parts right now, so I just want to make sure we only can vote for what's in front of us.

Correct.

And so as the amendments populate, I'm sure I won't speak about the Members, but I will certainly take a look at that. I just want to make sure, as we have this debate now, just to clarify those specific things as we move forward. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Other questions and comments, Mr. Lackey?

Ok, just to make sure that nothing has changed from the discussion we had yesterday, basically, 7 and 8 of the articulated items are still agreed to be adapted, right?

Absolutely.

Okay. Well, certainly, I would like to thank you for your attention to this issue and the productive dialogue that we've been able to have. I'm disappointed, obviously, that I didn't get everything we asked for because we believe that we put a lot of time and effort in, and we believe that what we were asking for was fair, but that's part of the negotiation. And I'm glad that through our dialogue that we can acknowledge that there is a real challenge of political discrimination in our institution.

Minority party staffers have been treated inequitably in this institution for many years, with unequal pay for the same titles, inability to participate in certain legislative-sanctioned caucuses, and equal access to committee consultants. But these amendments that we have agreed to will provide assurances that staff from all political affiliations can form collective bargaining units free from fear that they'll be excluded purely on the basis of their politics.

I hope to continue this relationship, and I'll tell you that I'm very excited to see that some barriers have been broken, and I think that it sets an example for optimistic relationships in the future. And the protections that I think that we're going to be able to provide for staff are long and coming, and I'll be happy to support the bill today with the trust that our conversations will continue to come to fruition. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

I just want to thank the author and those speaking in support today and everyone who came and spoke in support today because I know that can be a scary situation and position that people are putting themselves in. As someone who comes out of the labor movement 20 years into the labor movement, I also have been a unionized staffer in every single job that I've had. I've never had a nine-to-five job. I've worked till two in the morning sometimes because that's what the job demands.

I know that we have incredibly dedicated staff here who sacrifice a lot to do this work, and I have so much respect for folks who do that because I know that you can go across the street and get paid a lot more a lot of times. And while I'm not sure that we can compete with corporate lobbyists' salaries, we can do a lot better than we're doing right now.

But I think most importantly about this bill is that it's so critical for our staff to have advocates, to have people who have their back when they're in really difficult positions, which I know has a deep history here in this body. And I know a lot of people have sacrificed a lot to speak up, and they should have protections doing that. And that is exactly what a union will do.

And so our staff should absolutely have the right to choose a union, bargain a contract, and have the same rights that so many workers fight for around this state. I'm happy to support it. Happy to be a co-author and fight with you, sister.

Ms. Nguyen.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I want to thank the author for bringing this forward as well. I come from a line of work where every single labor law that came through my team and I, my leadership team and I would comb through it to make sure that we followed every single thing, which means nobody works more than 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. They get two breaks; they get their lunch.

And we followed it to the t. And it was to my surprise that that's not what we do here. And hearing so many current team members who work for Members and the Legislature here today on the phone. Former, but a lot of district staff as well, too, speaking out to talk about how they want this.

And what I've learned is that the district office staff work not just a typical nine to five Monday through Friday, but they're expected to also be in the evening, at evening events and weekend events, council meetings, county board of supervisor meetings, special district meetings, and we're not paying them that overtime. And while I understand the job requires that because we have to be out there in the community to serve our constituents, I didn't understand why that was something that we weren't taking a look at.

How do we ensure that they are being paid for those hours, that they have to sacrifice with their family at home? And then I saw the difference between the capitol office and the district office and why it wasn't aligned, and I'm in a really unique, special situation that I'm here locally, and so I'm able to combine my offices. But what I challenge everybody here as well is this is wonderful.

I think this is great coming from somebody who comes from a community that never speaks out and doesn't really fight for our community like I see here today, which makes me proud to see people from my community coming out to speak because it's not typical of us. But I also want to ensure that if this goes through, that we hold each other accountable. And that means Members and Chief of Staff, who I've heard are forcing people to work those extra hours in this building.

And so if we're all here to advocate and to fight for their living wages and their work conditions, then I want to make sure that we're holding all of us accountable and that we're not calling staff at 07:00 in the morning on a Saturday or at 09:00 at night and asking them where they're at, and they need to be at this event because that does happen.

And if you're here today and you're saying that that's not okay and you're not being treated fair, I'm going to hold you accountable to that because you can't call them and make them do something for you after hours, on a weekend, on a holiday and be here to say you were in support of this bill, you're in support of this piece of legislation. Because that's not okay to me.

That's not okay to me, coming from somebody who made sure that if I called anybody on a weekend for just five minutes, I owed them overtime. Right. And I think we need to make sure that as we put this together, we look at all of those pieces. We look at all of those pieces, and we make sure that we follow what we say we're going to do.

I do want to also say that there are a lot of missing pieces in this, and there are a lot of details that we need to put together. And I look forward to seeing how that all is drawn out. My team is very supportive of this, but they also have concerns as how it will negatively impact them if it would. And I know that I had folks in my office talk about in situations like this, it never goes down. It always goes up. Right.

But I don't want to say that if we're asking for more pay, which is always great because I know that we have folks that are making less than $20 an hour that work in this building, that have families, less than $20 an hour, that have a family at home they have to feed. That blows my mind, and it should to all of you as well, too. Right.

But I want to make sure that it doesn't in any way affect those that are already here, that have put their time and their effort in here, that while we continue to protect all the new folks that want to be here and the folks that are already here, that we're not robbing from one to pay the other.

And that's really important to me because a lot of folks have put in their time and have been really committed to all of us, to this building, to the community, and we want to make sure that they're not going to miss out on anything as well. It needs to be a fight and a fight for all. So thank you very much.

Thank you, Ms. Addis.

Well, first, I want to thank the author for bringing this forward and to the witnesses. You have very bright future, clearly. And thank you for speaking up, even though it's really hard in these situations and also being a longtime union organizer. Some of these fights take a very long time. We're just at the beginning. I've been in fights that took a decade or more before we finally saw the wins. I am hopeful.

I think this is going to pass through, but this is just the beginning of the work. And so the organization that it's taken from all the folks in the room, from each of you up here today, I really applaud that. And I hope you hold that close because you're just on the very front end.

After this comes the real work of coming together as a community of people who are bargaining right, making sure that you have leadership that you appreciate, that you're willing to work for, that you're willing to come together with. And so I would start thinking about those pieces as you're going through this process. What are the lessons gained, what have the challenges been, and how can you leverage that moving forward to get the most for what you're here for today? Right.

The best quality of life, the best middle-class jobs. To me, this is really about strengthening our middle class. That's what the labor movement has always been about. And so now this body can be a piece of that in a whole new and different way. So, thank you again. I'm incredibly optimistic. Job very well done today. I think we're starting off in a really good position.

Thank you. And I want to thank the author. I'm very glad that this came back this year, and you've done an extraordinary job steering it to this point to see all of the staff that came out in support and no opposition. We know that this bill came forward in a different form last year and unfortunately did not make it through, I think due to some shenanigans there. But you've brought it back with a huge coalition. I'm very proud to be a joint author.

I think it's quite poetic that it's AB 1 because we know that nothing happens in this building without our staff. And so if there were not our staff to do the incredible work that they do, there would be no ABs after this. This would be the only AB.

We need them for everything that happens here, for all the thousands of bills, not only our legislative staff, our district staff, our committee staff, everyone here is so essential to what happens not only in this building but for our democracy in this state. We've focused, of course, a lot on the working and living conditions of the people who work here. But this is also about what we are able to deliver for the people of California.

When we overwork our staff, when we do not give them a voice, when we do not give them adequate support, wages, benefits, protections, the people of California also suffer. They do not get the democracy that they deserve when the people who are tasked to work on their behalf do not have a collective voice.

And so we give that right to all of our state workers, and we need to give that right to our workers here in this building who write the laws that all of us are honored to participate in and follow. I also want to, and we didn't hear any of the concerns and objections to this, which I think, again, is a testament to the leadership and the coalition that you've brought forward.

But I do want to say that I come from a legislative body in San Francisco City Hall where we have unionized staff, and I think, not coincidentally, those staff are paid much better than the staff here in this building. But not only are they paid better, they have a collective voice, they have protections, and that helps them do their job and do the work that we task them to do.

The concerns that are raised about partisanship or other types of things have not been an issue in San Francisco City Hall or in other places where they have unionized staff. I think it only helps the functions of government. It only helps and supports the people who do the essential work every day on the behalf of the people of our state.

I'm very proud to support this and thankful also that you worked with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle because, ultimately, this is not partisan. This is about supporting every member of staff and the work of government, whether they're Republican, Democrat, Committee, consultant, district staff, and everyone else. So with that, Assembly Member Mckinnor, you may close.

Well, I'm extremely proud to serve in the California State Legislature today. We're setting an example for the rest of the country by working together, both Democrats and Republicans, to come up with a comprehensive solution for our employees to collective bargain for wages, benefits, and workplace conditions. You know what they say: as California goes, so goes the nation. I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

All right, we have a motion and a second. I think the motion was from Ms. Addis and seconded by Ms. Schiavo. And Madam Secretary, will you please call the roll.

The motion is due, passed, and rereferred to the Committee on Appropriations. [Roll Call]

That bill is out with six to one-votes.

All right, thank you. Congratulations. We have one Bill, AB 1493, a career that was pulled by the author. And with that, we're going to take a brief recess while the chair takes back over.

We're back and we'll hear SJR 1 Cartesi.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair and Members. I'm here to present Senate Joint Resolution One, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have it heard. This important resolution urges Congress to pass and urges the President to sign the repeal of the government pension offset, sometimes known as the GPO, and the windfall elimination provision, also known as the WEP, which are two penalties applied to earned Social Security benefits. These unjust penalties harm California's public school educators, firefighters, police, and many other dedicated public servants.

Many of California's public servants are unfairly penalized by these Social Security offsets that reduce or eliminate their earned Social Security benefits or spousal benefits. The WEP is a policy that decreases the Social Security benefits received by retirees who previously worked in jobs covered by Social Security, such as private sector jobs, and who also receive a government annuity from their non-Social Security covered government employment.

This significantly reduces the ability to recruit private industry workers into second public service careers, such as teaching, for example, so that they can bring their skills and knowledge to California's classrooms. Similarly, the GPO affects spouses, widows, and widowers, often forcing them into significant financial hardship and poverty. Women are disproportionately impacted by the WEP and the GPO in California. That's a fact. The California Legislature has consistently requested that Congress repeal these offsets. Repealing the GPO and the WP has earned bipartisan support.

The federal Social Security Fairness Act, known as HR 82, is co-authored by both Republicans and Democrats, including Representative Steel, Schiff, Kiley, Representative Chu, Representative Obernolte, and Representative Napolitano, former authors of this resolution. SJR 1 in our Legislature include Senator Wilk, the California Retired Teachers Association, and California State Teachers Retirement System. CTA asked me, the California Professional Firefighters known as CPF around here, the California Association of High Patrolmen, and many more support SJR 1. Here to testify in support of the bill with us.

Jennifer Baker, California Retired Teachers Association. Thank you, chair. And at the appropriate time, I'd respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you. Good morning. My name is Jennifer Baker. I represent the California Retired Teachers Association, proud sponsor of this important resolution. Like Assembly Member Addis was stating earlier, sometimes it takes a decade or more to address an issue. We've been working on this since the 1980s to try to eliminate these unjust penalties in our state because we have such a large population of teachers, and 72% of our teachers are women.

This does have a disproportionate impact on our retired teachers in California and does impact our ability to recruit and retain educators across the state. This has been one of those bipartisan issues that we've been able to garner a significant amount of support both on the left and both on the right. And we appreciate the support that we've continued to have by this legislature and this committee regarding this legislation.

Just to give you an example of the government pension offset, typically, we're seeing this impact women who are in their 70s and 80s who have most likely already lost their spouse. They're also impacted by the windfall elimination provision.

So they already have a reduced amount of Social Security benefits and didn't realize that by virtue of them working in CalSTRS, when their spouse who has worked in the private sector passes, they then lose those Social Security benefits, literally eliminating their ability many times to be able to live in a financially secure environment. So we're seeing a lot of recent widows that are losing their homes, having to go move in with their kids.

And this is at a time when we're already seeing a number of economic factors that's making it very hard for these older women to live. We ask for your continued support and appreciate your collaboration on this issue.

Is there anyone in the room in support? Please come up and state your name, organization, and your position.

Madam Chair and Members. Ted Toppin for the California State Retirees and the Association of California State Supervisors strongly in support.

Urge you to voice your support for fundamental fairness by approving this measure.

Janice O'Malley, the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees in strong support. Thank you.

Good morning. Meredith Bartles with the California State Teachers Retirement System and we are in support. Thank you.

And now we'll go to the line. Is there anyone in support online?

If you do have support, press one, then zero on your telephone keypad. We have nobody queuing up for support on the phone.

Is there any witnesses in opposition? Seeing no witnesses in opposition. Is there anyone to testify in opposition on the phone- sorry, online?

Opposition at this moment press one then zero and use telephone keypad and we have nobody.

In opposition hearing no opposition, we will bring it back to the committee. Are there any questions? Moved by Assemblymember Nguyen and seconded by Assemblymember Haney, the secretary called the vote. I'm sorry. Would you like to close?

I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you.

The motion is to be adopted. [Roll Call]

Place it on call. Thank you.

Item number 4, SJR 1, current motion is to be adopted. [Roll Call] That bill is out seven to zero.

AB 1493 was pulled by the author. We are adjourned. Thank you.