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San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Candidates for California governor square off for first time. Here's how they fared
SACRAMENTO — The message former Vice President Kamala Harris should take from Monday's first gathering of Democratic candidates for governor should be very clear: Relax and enjoy your time off. You can win this thing no matter when you decide to jump into the race. None of the seven candidates who participated in Monday's 'salon' — not a debate, organizers insisted — before top California labor leaders stood out. Certainly not as a major threat to Harris. Harris has said that she would make a decision by the end of the summer whether to run for governor in 2026, but she is also weighing another run for the White House in 2028. She would have the overwhelming edge in name recognition in her home state where she's won statewide office three times and could easily raise big money should she run to lead the world's fourth-largest economy. If she doesn't run, this will be a Democratic demolition derby between seven candidates who set few hearts aflutter Monday. (Two Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Atherton entrepreneur and former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton, are also running. But a Republican hasn't won statewide office in California since 2006.) On Monday, none of the candidates rose above the rest as they sat onstage together before the annual Joint Legislative Conference, hosted by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California. The room was filled with labor leaders — a key constituency for any Democrat running for higher office, especially governor. Labor unions not only contribute millions to campaigns, but their members also do much of the grunt work of talking to voters door-to-door. The governor's job will be open without a clear front-runner for the first time in decades, as Gov. Gavin Newsom is termed out next year and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis is not a shoo-in to take his place. In fact, if Harris decides to get in the race, Kounalakis won't run, nor likely would some of the other candidates. So each did their best to suck up to key labor leaders in a room where many of the women dressed like the iconic Rosie the Riveter. There was a pitcher of beer on every table, and everybody had a 'Campaign Bingo' card to play. If a candidate mentioned a word on their card, like 'film tax credit,' 'picket line,' 'Trump' or 'tech bros,' audience members could yell 'bingo!' at any time during the hourlong salon. Those ingredients made for a livelier crowd than most political forums, especially this far (18 months) from Election Day and almost a year before the California Labor Federation decides which candidate to endorse. Few of the candidates expressed opinions that crossed union orthodoxy. Each of the seven who attended — former Rep. Katie Porter, Kounalakis, former state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former state Controller Betty Yee, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — has won with union support and has been a friend to the 'house of labor' over their careers. Nonetheless, moderators Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, and Chris Hannan, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, asked the candidates to raise a green (yes) or red (no) flag to a series of questions. The candidates largely voted in lockstep with organized labor positions with few exceptions. One came in response to an audience member who asked: 'As governor, would you be pragmatic to stop targeting California's oil and gas industry in ways that jeopardize union jobs and force us to rely on dirt or imported energy?' It is a challenging question for Democrats in California, where candidates often feel torn between the state's environmental and labor priorities. Newsom has spent much of his terms bashing the fossil fuel industry in the name of fighting climate change. But with the imminent closure of two refineries in California, including one in Benicia, Californians may not only be facing skyrocketing gasoline prices that will likely disproportionately hurt working-class voters who have to commute farther to work, but will also see many union refinery workers lose jobs. Villaraigosa expressed a position that would be at home in some parts of the Republican Party, especially as it has tried to court more working-class voters. 'We can't continue to be a party of just people that drive a Tesla, not a Toyota pickup, or ride a bus like my mother did,' Villaraigosa said. 'We're putting this notion of just renewables on the backs of working people. We have the highest gas prices in the United States of America. We have the second-highest utility costs. They've gone up 66%.' Villaraigosa said the state needs an 'an all-of-the-above strategy to take on climate change. Why? Because we're talking about closing down refineries, and that's why we have the toughest, highest gas price in the United States of America. The next governor has got to challenge that.' Kounalakis, who has stressed her environmental support in previous campaigns, said, 'We have to make sure that the refineries stay open until we're ready to transition (to renewable energy). We keep costs down for consumers, and we keep jobs until we're ready for the transition.' Yee said, 'We all want a clean environment going forward. But it cannot be on the backs of workers, the workers who have expertise on these facilities, who know how to transform them for the renewable economy.' Villaraigosa also departed from union orthodoxy when the candidates were asked if they would sign a bill to grant unemployment benefits for striking workers, a measure that Newsom has vetoed previously. 'I said no, and I'll tell you why: You have to balance budgets,' said Villaraigosa, who earlier in the evening had boasted that when he served as Assembly speaker, labor knew 'they had a chief steward in Sacramento.' But in this case, with the state likely facing a budget deficit this year, Villaraigosa said, 'When you're governor, you got to balance.' None of those onstage Monday flashed any of the outsize personalities of California governors of the past half century who have been more than comfortable on the national stage, governors like Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown and whether you like it or not, Newsom. Standing tall in the bully pulpit will be part of the job, as President Donald Trump and California will likely continue to be mortal enemies for the last two years of Trump's term after California's new governor takes office. Trump's name was invoked about a dozen times, but as reflexively as Democratic candidates have invoked it in similar forums over the past decade. As Villaraigosa said, 'We can't just focus on (Trump), because the best way to fight him is to improve the quality of life for more people in California, to address the fact that we have the highest cost of living in the United States of America.' Several candidates cited building more housing as a top priority, as have many Democrats nationwide, echoing the 'Democrats need to build more' mantra popularized by the bestselling book 'Abundance' by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Gonzalez and Hannan pushed the candidates to describe how they would uphold working standards for unionized workers as they were building homes, to little avail. 'It's easy to talk about housing,' Gonzalez said. 'Everybody wants more housing, of course, but the difference between the labor movement and this so-called Abundance movement is we actually think when you build things, you actually have to take care of the workers who are building it as well.'
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California labor leaders grill Democrats running for governor on AI, benefits for strikers
In the largest gathering of 2026 gubernatorial candidates to date, seven Democrats vying to lead California courted labor leaders on Monday, vowing to support pro-union agreements on housing and infrastructure projects, regulation of artificial intelligence, and government funding for university research. Throughout most of the hourlong event, the hundreds of union members inside the Sacramento hotel ballroom embraced the pro-labor pledges and speeches that dominated the candidates' remarks, though some boos rose from the crowd when former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa strayed from the other Democrats on stage. Villaraigosa was the only candidate to raise objections when asked if he would support providing state unemployment benefits to striking workers, saying it would depend on the nature and length of the labor action. Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023 vetoed a bill that would have provided that coverage, saying it would make the state's unemployment trust fund 'vulnerable to insolvency.' The Monday night event was part of a legislative conference held by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, two of the most influential labor organizations in the state capital. Villaraigosa was joined on stage by former state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former state Controller Betty Yee. All are running to replace Newsom, who is serving his second and final term as governor. Throughout most of the event, the candidates were peppered with yes-or-no questions, answering with the wave of a red flag for "no" or green flag for "yes." Read more: Who is running for California governor in 2026? Meet the candidates The event was not without its frosty moments, including when the candidates were asked whether, as governor, they would be "pragmatic and stop targeting California's oil and gas industry in ways that jeopardize union jobs and force us to rely on dirtier imported energy." Some of the candidates raised their green flags timidly. California's Democratic leaders, including Newsom and top state lawmakers, have been major proponents of transitioning to renewable energy and imposing more restrictions on the state's oil and gas industry. "We all want a clean environment going forward," Yee said, "but it cannot be on the backs of workers." Villaraigosa, in remarks after the event, said he challenged the idea of jumping into electrification too quickly, which would affect union jobs and increase the cost of utilities and energy across the state. "Closing down refineries, telling people to get rid of their gas stove and gas water heater is just poppycock," he said. Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, praised the Democratic candidates for showing strong support for unionized workers. She's hopeful that each would be more receptive to some pivotal union concerns than Newsom, such as the regulation of artificial intelligence, a major threat to union jobs, she said. "When we're talking about things like regulating AI — we can't even get a conversation out of Gavin Newsom about any regulation — I think that was, that was a key thing. They all threw up their green flag," Gonzalez said. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is weighing a run for governor, declined an invitation to address the conference. Read more: How Antonio Villaraigosa went from a union organizer to a union target The State Building and Construction Trades Council represents hundreds of thousands of workers in the state, including bricklayers, ironworkers and painters, among many others. The Labor Federation is a formidable power in California politics and policy, expected to help coordinate the spending of as much as $40 million by unions in next year's election. The federation is an umbrella group for about 1,300 unions that represent around 2.3 million workers in the public and private sectors. The organization has backed all of the gubernatorial candidates in various prior races, although it opposed Villaraigosa in the 2005 mayor's race and supported Newsom over Villaraigosa in the 2018 gubernatorial race. The latter decision was driven by the arc Villaraigosa has taken from his roots as a union leader to a critic of Los Angeles' teachers union and supporter of charter schools and reform of teacher-tenure rules. Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California labor leaders grill Democrats running for governor on AI, benefits for strikers
SACRAMENTO — In the largest gathering of 2026 gubernatorial candidates to date, seven Democrats vying to lead California courted labor leaders on Monday, vowing to support pro-union agreements on housing and infrastructure projects, regulation of artificial intelligence, and government funding for university research. Throughout most of the hourlong event, the hundreds of union members inside the Sacramento hotel ballroom embraced the pro-labor pledges and speeches that dominated the candidates' remarks, though some boos rose from the crowd when former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa strayed from the other Democrats on stage. Villaraigosa was the only candidate to raise objections when asked if he would support providing state unemployment benefits to striking workers, saying it would depend on the nature and length of the labor action. Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023 vetoed a bill that would have provided that coverage, saying it would make the state's unemployment trust fund 'vulnerable to insolvency.' The Monday night event was part of a legislative conference held by the California Federation of Labor Unions and the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, two of the most influential labor organizations in the state capital. Villaraigosa was joined on stage by former state Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former state Controller Betty Yee. All are running to replace Newsom, who is serving his second and final term as governor. Throughout most of the event, the candidates were peppered with yes-or-no questions, answering with the wave of a red flag for 'no' or green flag for 'yes.' The event was not without its frosty moments, including when the candidates were asked whether, as governor, they would be 'pragmatic and stop targeting California's oil and gas industry in ways that jeopardize union jobs and force us to rely on dirtier imported energy.' Some of the candidates raised their green flags timidly. California's Democratic leaders, including Newsom and top state lawmakers, have been major proponents of transitioning to renewable energy and imposing more restrictions on the state's oil and gas industry. 'We all want a clean environment going forward,' Yee said, 'but it cannot be on the backs of workers.' Villaraigosa, in remarks after the event, said he challenged the idea of jumping into electrification too quickly, which would affect union jobs and increase the cost of utilities and energy across the state. 'Closing down refineries, telling people to get rid of their gas stove and gas water heater is just poppycock,' he said. Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Labor Federation, praised the Democratic candidates for showing strong support for unionized workers. She's hopeful that each would be more receptive to some pivotal union concerns than Newsom, such as the regulation of artificial intelligence, a major threat to union jobs, she said. 'When we're talking about things like regulating AI — we can't even get a conversation out of Gavin Newsom about any regulation — I think that was, that was a key thing. They all threw up their green flag,' Gonzalez said. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is weighing a run for governor, declined an invitation to address the conference. The State Building and Construction Trades Council represents hundreds of thousands of workers in the state, including bricklayers, ironworkers and painters, among many others. The Labor Federation is a formidable power in California politics and policy, expected to help coordinate the spending of as much as $40 million by unions in next year's election. The federation is an umbrella group for about 1,300 unions that represent around 2.3 million workers in the public and private sectors. The organization has backed all of the gubernatorial candidates in various prior races, although it opposed Villaraigosa in the 2005 mayor's race and supported Newsom over Villaraigosa in the 2018 gubernatorial race. The latter decision was driven by the arc Villaraigosa has taken from his roots as a union leader to a critic of Los Angeles' teachers union and supporter of charter schools and reform of teacher-tenure rules. Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
East Bay politician introduces bill to ensure human oversight of AI in workplace
(KRON) — An East Bay elected official has introduced a bill to require human oversight in the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Senate Bill 7, known as the 'No Robo Bosses Act,' was introduced by State Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton). The legislation, according to McNerney's office, is designed to 'require human oversight of artificial intelligence systems in the workplace to help prevent abuses.' SB 7 would bar employers in California from primarily relying on AI systems known as automated decision-making systems (ADS), to make 'hiring, promotion, discipline, or termination decisions,' without human oversight. SB 7 would also prohibit employers from using ADS systems from using the personal information of workers to 'predict' what they might do in the future. Salesforce joins growing list of companies ending diversity hiring initiatives 'Businesses are increasingly using AI to boost efficiency and productivity in the workplace,' said McNerney. 'But there are currently no safeguards to prevent machines from unjustly or illegally impacting workers' livelihoods and working conditions.' 'SB 7 does not prohibit ADS in the workplace, rather it establishes guardrails to ensure that California businesses are not operated by robo bosses — by putting a human in the loop,' he continued. 'AI must remain a tool controlled by humans, not the other way around.' The legislation is sponsored by the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO. If the legislation is passed, McNerney's offices said it will be the first of its kind in the nation. AI and ADS systems are increasingly being used by employers in California and around the world. However, McNerney's office cites examples of 'bossware' products that prioritize efficiency and cost-savings over health and safety. In the health care industry, nurses have reportedly had their hours and wages set by algorithms with no human oversight. McNerney's office also cites examples of people being mistakenly terminated from their jobs by AI. ADS models have also reportedly used 'predictive behavior' models that collect personal data from workers and initiated 'adverse actions against a worker based on what the AI 'predicts' the worker will do.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
California lawmaker introduces "No Robo Bosses Act" to regulate AI in the workplace
A Northern California lawmaker has introduced a proposal seeking to regulate artificial intelligence used to manage employees in the workplace, including a ban on using software to hire and fire employees without human oversight. State Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton) announced Senate Bill 7, which he dubbed the "No Robot Bosses Act." McNerney said the measure aims to regulate automated decision-making systems (ADS) powered by AI. "Businesses are increasingly using AI to boost efficiency and productivity in the workplace. But there are currently no safeguards to prevent machines from unjustly or illegally impacting workers' livelihoods and working conditions," the senator said in a statement. McNerney stressed that the measure does not prohibit ADS. "AI must remain a tool controlled by humans, not the other way around," he went on to say. Under the senator's proposal, the measure would require human oversight and independent verification for promotion, demotion, firing and disciplinary decision using ADS tools. The proposal would also bar such systems from predictive behavior analysis based on a worker's personal information that results in an "adverse action" against a worker. Systems would also be barred from obtaining or inferring a worker's immigration status, ancestral history, health history, credit history or other statuses protected by state law. Employees would also be able to appeal decisions made by ADS under the measure. In McNerney's statement, the lawmaker cited examples of software prioritizing efficiency and cost-savings over worker health and safety, including gig-nursing apps that set hours and wages without human oversight, along with software mistakenly firing people from their jobs. "No worker should have to answer to a robot boss when they are fearful of getting injured on the job, or when they have to go to the bathroom or leave work for an emergency," said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, which is backing the measure. If approved, Senate Bill 7 would be the first law of its kind in the country. The senator's office did not say when the measure would be considered in the legislature.
