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.