Medi-Cal is a critical component of one of the biggest sectors of Southern California’s economy: health care. An estimated 1.25 million residents of the four counties work in some area of health care, and more than 110,000 work in nursing homes or assisted living centers, according to an April report from economists at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
Nearly half of health workers who would see wage increases, or a family member, currently rely on safety-net programs such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs, said Laurel Lucia, director of the Health Care Program at the University of California-Berkeley Labor Center. So increasing their income would reduce their reliance on those tax-funded programs.
A recent report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center said SB 525 would especially benefit workers of color, who represent 70% of California’s healthcare industry, as well as women, who account for three out of four healthcare workers.
Under Prop. 22, California rideshare drivers are guaranteed 120% of California’s $15.50-per-hour minimum wage — but only for their engaged time, rather than total work time. Drivers typically spend about 33% of their time waiting between rides or returning from trips to outlying areas, according to a study by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
The University of California is a public institution that belongs to the people of the state of California. The growth of new labor centers across California is a welcome development for the public good and will help us achieve an economy that serves us all.
A report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center shows that people working fast-food jobs are more likely to live in or near poverty. One in five families with a member holding a fast-food job has an income below the poverty line, the study said.
A report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center found that in 2019 an estimated 550,000 Californians worked in the fast-food industry, with most earning close to minimum wage. Eight out of 10 fast-food employees were workers of color, the study said, and six out of 10 were Latinx. Two-thirds were women.
A car caravan of more than 250 rideshare drivers will bring their “No on Prop. 22” message to Los Angeles on Wednesday, alleging the ballot measure would lock workers into sub-minimum wage jobs with little in the way of benefits.
