THE SENATE LABOUR PUBLIC
EMPLOYMENT AND RETIREMENT
COMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER.
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE AND
WELCOME TO OUR FIRST HEARING OF
2024, OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SENATOR
CORTES IS NOT WITH US YET. HE'S
COMING. UM I WANT TO THANK HIM
IN HIS ABSENCE FOR, UH, ALL OF
HIS WORK OF LEADING THIS
COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST, UH,
THREE YEARS. HE'S REALLY HELPED
TO SET THE BAR AND I AM THRILLED
TO BE STEPPING INTO. HIS INTO
HIS SHOES AS HEAD OF THIS THIS
COMMITTEE, UM THIS IS FOR ME. I
THINK SUCH AN IMPORTANT DECISION
MAKING BODY. UM IT'S A TIME
WHERE WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS ON
INNOVATIVE POLICIES. IT'S A TIME
WHERE, UH, WE SEE INCOME
INEQUALITY, UM, WIDENING IN OUR
COMMUNITIES, WE SEE GENDER AND
RACIAL DISADVANTAGE. UM IN OUR
JOB CREATION. UM WE SEE A REALLY
, REALLY, UM DISINTEGRATING
SAFETY NET AND, UM, JOB QUALITY
THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP
FROM DETERIORATING BEFORE OUR
VERY EYES AND THAT COMBINED WITH
ALL OF THE CHANGES IN THE
REALIGNMENT AND ASSIGNMENT AND
ARRANGEMENT OF WORK. UM IS
WIDENING OUR ECONOMIC GAPS AND
THIS COMMITTEE THIS IS THE
COMMITTEE WHERE WE CAN BRING
LABOR AND BUSINESS INTO
COALITION, UH, TO BRING OUR
ECONOMIES CLOSER TOGETHER AND I
REALLY EXCITED TO BE WORKING
WITH MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THAT.
UM AND WE KNOW THAT THAT WILL
CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
FOR EVERYONE. WITH THAT WE ARE
GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR FIRST
BILL AND I SEE ASSEMBLY MEMBER
HOLDING IS WITH US. WE HAVE ONE
ITEM TODAY A B 610, AND WE NEED
TO AND WE'RE GOING TO FIRST
ESTABLISH A QUORUM. SO, UM
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT. ASSIST
WILL CALL THE ROLL. ALRIGHT SO
SMALLWOOD CUEVAS SMALL CUEVAS
HERE. WILK PRESENT WILK PRESENT,
CORTEZ. DURAZO HERE, LAIRD
LAYERED HERE. WE THANK YOU. WE
HAVE A QUORUM, SO MR HOLDEN
BEGIN. THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL,
SENATOR, LET ME ALSO
CONGRATULATE YOU ON BEING CHAIR
OF THIS IMPORTANT COMMITTEE. UH
YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF THIS
COMMITTEE FOR A WHILE AND YOU
CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE
IMPORTANCE AND YOU'VE ALREADY
ARTICULATED THE HEARTBEAT OF THE
THINGS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO
THE LABOR COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF
PROTECTING AND CREATING GREAT
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKPLACE
FOR ALL OF OUR WORKERS. UM I'D
ALSO LIKE TO THANK SENATOR UM
CORTESE, UH, FOR HIS, UH,
LEADERSHIP AS WELL AND THANK HIM
FOR UH, CONTINUING TO BE A PART
OF THIS IMPORTANT BODY. UM I'D
CERTAINLY LIKE TO THANK THE
COMMITTEE STAFF. UH, FOR A NEW
MADAM CHAIR FOR CREATING THIS
OPPORTUNITY AND WORKING WITH US
ON WHAT WE THINK IS A VERY
IMPORTANT BILL. IT'S A B 610
MEMBERS AS YOU MAY RECALL. LAST
YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE APPROVED
AND THE GOVERNOR SIGNED A B 1228
, WHICH CREATED A PATH FORWARD
TO RESOLVE EMPLOYER COMMUNITY
CONCERNS AROUND THE CONTENT OF A
B 257, WHICH WAS, UH, CHAPTERED
IN 2022. WELL PRESERVING FAST
FOOD WORKERS HARD FOUGHT EFFORTS
TO SECURE A SEAT AT THE TABLE
AND A MEANS TO RAISE STANDARDS.
HOWEVER PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF
SESSION LAST YEAR, I SUBMITTED A
LETTER TO THE JOURNAL INDICATING
THAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY THE
INTENT OF ONE ASPECT OF A B
1228. THERE IS A NEED TO EXEMPT
ADDITIONAL RESTAURANTS FROM THE
DEFINITION OF FAST FOOD
RESTAURANT, INCLUDING SUCH
RESTAURANTS AND AIRPORTS, HOTELS
, EVENT CENTERS, THEME PARKS,
MUSEUMS AND CERTAIN OTHER
LOCATIONS. WHILE A B 1 228
ESTABLISHES A MINIMUM WAGE OF
$20 PER HOUR STARTING APRIL 1ST
OF THIS YEAR. THIS BILL A B 610
EXEMPTS THE ABOVE MENTIONED FAST
FOOD RESTAURANTS, MANY OF WHOM
HAVE HISTORICALLY ESTABLISHED
COMPENSATION AND WORKING
CONDITIONS IN EXCESS OF THE
STANDARDS SET BY A B 1228. I'D
LIKE TO, UH, CALL ON OUR FIRST
WITNESS WHO IS JOINING US TODAY.
KIMBERLY ROSENBERG. UH, THE
CALIFORNIA STATE COUNCIL, S¼
EIU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND
MEMBERS KIMBERLY ROSENBERGER
WITH S¼ èC IU. UH WHEN A 1228
PASS THE INTENT WAS TO LIFT
WORKER VOICES AND RAISE WAGES.
WE BELIEVE A B 610 IS IN
FURTHERANCE OF THAT GOAL BY
ADDRESSING AREAS OF OVERLAP
WHERE A B 1228 MAY HAVE
INADVERTENTLY CREATED A CEILING
RATHER THAN A FLOOR. I'M HAPPY
TO ANSWER ANY TECHNICAL
QUESTIONS. AND FOR THE REASONS
STATED STRONGLY URGE YOUR IVO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. THERE IS ONE OTHER
MARIO YIDA WESTERN REGION,
POLITICAL DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL
VICE PRESIDENT OF UNITE HERE.
GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU,
CHAIRWOMAN. SMALL CUEVAS AND
MEMBERS FROM UNITE HERE. THE
HOSPITALITY WORKERS UNION JUST
WANTED TO ADD THAT THE FAST FOOD
RESTAURANTS IN THE, UM UH,
CATEGORIES THAT MR HOLDEN
MENTIONED ARE OFTEN OPERATED IN
CONJUNCTION WITH A LARGER
ENTERPRISES THAT HAVE DISTINCT
ECONOMICS AND CAPTIVE CUSTOMER
BASES. AND THESE ARE RESTAURANTS
THAT UH, I HAVE WORKERS WHO
OFTEN HAVE ESTABLISHED
COMPENSATION STANDARDS THAT ARE
10 OR EVEN $20. AN HOUR ABOVE
WHAT A B 1028 PROVIDES FOR IT
FURTHERS THE SPIRIT AND THE
INTENT OF THE BILL AND WE ASK
FOR YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE
IN THE ROOM? WHO WOULD LIKE TO
SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL?
PLEASE SAY YOUR NAME,
AFFILIATION AND POSITION. MADAM
CHAIR MEMBERS. SARAH FOX,
CALIFORNIA LABOR FEDERATION IN
SUPPORT. THANK YOU. HONORABLE
MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS AMY
HINSCHE, WITH WILDCAT CONSULTING
REPRESENTING UNITE HERE LOCAL
LEVEL 11 IN STRONG SUPPORT.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, MADAM
CHAIR MEMBERS BE FRANCO ON
BEHALF OF THE CALIFORNIA HOTEL
AND LODGING ASSOCIATION AND
SUPPORT. THAT SUPPORT NOW WE'LL
MOVE TO OPPOSITION. ARE THERE
ANY OPPOSITION WITNESSES? GIVING
TESTIMONY TODAY. OK UH, ANYONE?
ME TOO IN OPPOSITION ON THIS
BILL. SEE THAT? THEM WILL RETURN
TO OUR DÍAS AND OUR GREAT
MEMBERS. THE DISCUSSIONS. THANK
YOU, MA'AM. I JUST WANT TO
APPLAUD THE AUTHOR AND ALL OF
THE PEOPLE WHO WORK SO HARD. I
KNOW THIS WAS DIFFICULT, BUT
EVERYBODY HAD THE SAME GOALS AND
THAT'S WHAT I THINK MADE IT VERY
POSSIBLE. SO I JUST REALLY
APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT
EVERYBODY PUT INTO IT ON ALL
SIDES. COURT CASE. THANK YOU.
BEAT ME TO IT. OH, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM
LIKEWISE, I JUST WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE AUTHOR AND THE
WHOLE THE PARTIES THAT CAME
TOGETHER UNDER. YOU KNOW WHAT
WERE SOME PRETTY TENSE
CIRCUMSTANCES. I THINK FOR A
WHILE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM THIS
SOLUTION, YOU KNOW, CAME FORWARD
TO US, GIVING US OPPORTUNITY TO
KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD.
WE'RE ALL CONFIDENT HERE IN THIS
COMMITTEE THAT THIS IS, UM GOING
TO CONTINUE TO BE OF LANDMARK
SIGNIFICANCE GOING FORWARD, SO
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH
COLLEAGUES FOR THOSE COMMENTS,
AND, UH AGAIN. YES THANK YOU SO
MUCH, MR HOLDEN FOR BRINGING
THIS BILL FORWARD AND LIFTING
THE FLOOR FOR FAST FOOD WORKERS.
IT'S SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO
OUR ECONOMY AND THIS NARROW
EXEMPTION CAPTURES WORKERS WHO
ARE NOT DIRECTLY EMPLOYED BY
FAST FOOD BUT MAY DO SIMILAR
WORK. UM AND WHO RECEIVE
COMPENSATION THAT MIGHT BE
HIGHER WHILE WORKING IN THOSE
FACILITIES, AND THIS IS JUST
MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE
PROTECTED. SO THANK YOU FOR THE
BILL, AND FOR THOSE CHANGES, AND
WE HAVE, UM, WE ASK YOU TO CLOSE
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO THE VOTE.
I RESPECT FOR THE LAST THREE
YEAR I VOTE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE
A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM
SENATOR DE RAO. THIS BILL IS DUE
PASSED, BUT FIRST REFERRED TO
THE COMMITTEE ON REPARATIONS
SYSTEM WHERE THE COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATION I'M COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATIONS. WILL YOU PLEASE
CALL THE ROLL? PROFILE ITEM ONE
A B 610 SMALL CUEVAS. AYE SMALL
AND QUIVERS IY WILK. MHM.
CORTEZ. CORTEZ. I OR I. LEARN
LAIRD. I WILK. I. WK. I OK? THIS
THIS BILL IS MOVED BY ZERO. THIS
BILL IS OUT. THANK YOU. THE
SENATE WILL NOW OR THE COMMITTEE
WILL NOW ADJOURN. THAT CONCLUDES
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA
FOR TODAY, THIS COMMITTEE WILL
NOW ADJOURN. YEAH.