News

LAAW’s George Warner Discusses How Many Workers’ Status as Employees Was not Affected by Prop 22 in the San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Chronicle - November 9, 2020

The recent passage of Prop 22 in California has allowed Uber, Lyft, and other companies to override California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which was passed last year to extend employee classification to gig workers, allowing these companies to classify their workers as independent contractors rather than employees. LAAW attorney George Warner clarifies that many occupations are still governed by AB5, despite Prop 22's passing. "AB5 has [a] particular effect on service sector jobs. 'All sorts of low-wage industries have misclassification issues,' said George Warner, an attorney with the wage protection program at Legal Aid at Work. 'Prop. 22 won’t affect those industries.'"

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Temple University features Elizabeth Kristen’s work helping Black WWII veteran upgrade his discriminatory “blue discharge”

Temple University - November 9, 2020

Temple University highlights LAAW's Elizabeth Kristen's work to help Nelson Henry Jr., an African American WWII veteran, upgrade his discriminatory "blue discharge" to an honorable discharge. "Between 1941 and 1945, more than 48,000 soldiers—many of them Black or LGBTQIA+—were given a blue discharge...[which] left a stain on veterans’ records that discouraged employers from hiring them." Mr. Henry passed away earlier this year due to complications caused by COVID-19.

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graphic shoing that, on Average, Latinas are paid just 55 cents for every dollar paid to white men

Today is Latina Equal Pay Day!

October 29, 2020

Luke Sironski-White*

Today, October 29, 2020, is Latina Equal Pay Day. This date marks the day when Latinas will have finally earned the same amount of money that a white man would have earned last year. Because a Latina woman earns just 54.5 cents on every dollar a white man earns, it takes a Latina woman 671 … Continue reading “Today is Latina Equal Pay Day!”

Image of Intersex Pride Flag, a purple cirlce with a yellow background

Honoring Intersex Awareness Day

October 26, 2020

Jared Odessky

Today, October 26, is Intersex Awareness Day. People who are intersex are born with variations in their sex traits or reproductive anatomy or develop variations at some point in their lives. The day commemorates a demonstration in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics on October 26, 1996, the first known … Continue reading “Honoring Intersex Awareness Day”

Press Release: California Class Action Alleges that Uber is Illegally Coercing Drivers to Support Prop 22

Over 200,000 Drivers Unlawfully Pressured to Support Ballot Measure

- October 22, 2020

San Francisco – A class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco today accuses Uber of illegally exploiting its economic power over its California-based drivers by pressuring them to support the Yes on Prop 22 campaign in violation of the drivers’ century-old right to be free from political coercion in the workplace. A copy of the … Continue reading “Press Release: California Class Action Alleges that Uber is Illegally Coercing Drivers to Support Prop 22”

Elizabeth Kristen talks to Ms. Magazine about California’s Prohibition of “No Rehire” Clauses

Ms. Magazine - October 13, 2020

Elizabeth Kristen, Director of LAAW's Gender Equity and LGBTQ Rights program, discusses the importance of California's 2019 ban on "no rehire" clauses, which prohibits departing employees from seeking future employment with an employer or an employer’s related entities. “'It was awful to have clients sign these because they could basically be locked out of an entire industry,' says Kristen. 'It has been very helpful to have really clear guidance on no-rehire clauses because it was so bad for workers in low-wage jobs and so potentially retaliatory.'”

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An Hispanic father holding his daughter in his arms on a sunny day at the park. The beautiful little girl, 2 years old, has her arms around daddy's neck and is kissing him on the cheek. He is smiling with his eyes closed.

California’s Expansion of Job-Protected Family and Medical Leave under SB 1383: 5 Things Workers Should Know

October 6, 2020

Helen Bass*

In a major victory for California’s working families, Governor Newsom recently signed SB 1383, which expands the California Family Rights Act to cover smaller employers and will ensure that millions of Californians can now access Paid Family Leave and State Disability Insurance benefits without risking their jobs. Below are five key things that every worker … Continue reading “California’s Expansion of Job-Protected Family and Medical Leave under SB 1383: 5 Things Workers Should Know”

New Chatbot Explains Workers’ Rights to Leave and Pay During COVID-19

September 30, 2020

Legal Aid at Work and Generation Spark are happy to introduce a new tool: “Advokat,” an AI-powered computer chatbot program that can help workers determine how they can keep their jobs and income when they are unable to work during the pandemic. The COVID-19 health crisis has caused many California workers to ask, “Can I … Continue reading “New Chatbot Explains Workers’ Rights to Leave and Pay During COVID-19”

Photo of Governor Newsom signing SB 1383 during Zoom ceremony

Governor Newsom Signs Historic Family and Medical Leave Expansion Bill

September 25, 2020

We are thrilled to announce that Governor Newsom signed SB 1383, authored by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and championed by Legal Aid at Work. SB 1383 amends our state’s job-protected family and medical leave law, the California Family Rights Act, to cover all employers with 5 or more employees (down from 50) and aligns the definition … Continue reading “Governor Newsom Signs Historic Family and Medical Leave Expansion Bill”