| Governor's
Vetoes A Blow to Working Families
Governor Schwarzenegger
quietly vetoed several major union-backed bills last weekend, showing
a clear lack of support regarding crucial labor issues.
One of the vetoed bills,
SB 180, would have made it easier for farm workers to organize into
a union, and SB 906 would have improved the worker’s compensation
claims process. AB 8 would have expanded affordable health
care coverage to millions of California’s uninsured,
and AB 1413 would have stopped wasteful spending in the executive
ranks of the state university system.
SB 727 &
AB 537
Would have expanded the definition of family member under California
law, to include siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and parents
in-law. These family members would then be eligible to take job-protected
leave under the California Family Rights Act, and receive financial
benefits under the Paid Family Leave Act. AB 537 also would have
allowed parents to take job-protected leave to care for adult children
with a serious health condition.
SB 836
Sought to protect employees from discrimination at work based on
their familial status. Current law does not adequately protect workers
who have caregiving responsibilities for young children or elderly
parents from being denied a promotion or otherwise discriminated
against at work, simply because the employer assumes they will be
less committed or less reliable at work.
Thank You for Standing
Strong for Working Families
Together, we took these
important work and family bills all the way to the governor’s
desk. We couldn’t have done this without your support and
all your hard work.
Tell
Congress: Stand Up to Bush
At a recent news conference,
President Bush accused supporters of an expanded State Children’s
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) of trying to “score political
points.”
The fight over children’s
health isn’t about chalking up political points. It’s
about making sure millions of children have access to secure, quality
health care.
The House will vote next
week on legislation to insure 4 million more children by expanding
SCHIP. We need a strong bipartisan show of support for the bill
to demonstrate to Bush just how isolated he is on this issue.
Join CWA’s Health
Care campaign and tell your member of Congress to stick up for kids,
not Bush.
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/schip_congress/i8d565nrfebkbj8?
Workers'
Compensation Fixes
California's
workers' compensation system has undergone dramatic changes over
the past five years. Employers have enjoyed significant savings
to the tune of $11 billion. Insurance companies are reaping historic
profits. And injured workers are suffering.
Permanently
injured workers have had their benefits slashed by over 50%. Temporarily
disabled workers face steep limits on their benefits. Medical treatment
is delayed and denied and injured workers aren't being allowed to
return even after they have fully recovered.
Cost savings
were supposed to come from less dispute and less litigation in the
system. Instead, savings have come off the backs of injured workers.
The pendulum has swung too far. California's unions are committed
to restoring fairness for injured workers by pursuing the following
legislation:
Restore
Permanent Disability (PD) Benefits. Governor Schwarzenegger's
regulations have slashed permanent disability benefits by over 50%.
In 2005, the Governor vetoed a bill to partially restore these benefits
(SB 815 Perata). Lower PD benefits have taken away incentives for
employers to return injured workers to their jobs. SB 936 (Perata)
and AB 1212 (Nuñez) are legislative vehicles to restore some
of these benefits.
Adjust
two-year Temporary Disability (TD) benefit cap. The Schwarzenegger
reforms cap temporary disability benefits to 24 months. Some injured
workers have now maxed out their TD benefits and are forced to rely
on worker-funded State Disability Insurance (SDI) benefits or go
without. AB 338 (Coto) would provide injured workers a longer window
of time to accrue benefits, extend the time limit on benefits, and
determine that delays in accepting claims or in receiving needed
medical care should not count against the TD time limit.
Fact
Sheet for SB 936, AB 1212 and AB 338
Fix
the return to work process. The best outcome for injured
workers and employers is for injured workers to return to work.
Recent changes create disincentives for employers to allow a return
to work through lower permanent disability benefits and less vocational
training. SB 942 (Migden) would provide new incentives for employers
to return injured workers back to work and penalties if they fail
to do so.
Fact Sheet for SB 942
Proof
of insurance coverage. Last year, Schwarzenegger vetoed
legislation to create a publicly accessible database of employers'
workers' comp coverage. Such a database would allow injured workers,
medical providers, and contractors to determine if an employer has
workers' comp insurance and who their carrier is. Twenty-six states
currently have such a database. AB 507 (DeLaTorre) has been reintroduced.
Fact
Sheet for AB 507
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