Lopezlira said the real world is more complicated than economic theory. Therefore, it’s difficult to dissuade voters from the notion that prices are directly tied to increases to the minimum wage.

Anecdotal observations are confirmed by researchers in the Labor Center at the University of California, Berkeley: “Over half of all low wage workers are over the age of 30, and the low wage workforce is older than it was a generation ago. The share of the workforce 55 years or older doubled (to 11.9%) from 2000 to 2022.”

In a February 2024 report, researchers at the UC Berkeley Labor Center estimated that the wage increase would affect 322,000 workers who are earning below the minimum and 76,000 workers earning at or slightly more than the minimum whose employers will raise their wages to maintain their pay premiums.

The declining number of retirements is driven by two primary forces, said Nari Rhee. There are fewer older workers in the state’s workforce given a large number of Baby Boomers have already retired from the state. The youngest in that generation are 60 years old. The other factor can be attributed to changes California made over a decade ago that increased the age when public employees received pension benefits

“Yes, strikes are effective,” said Ken Jacobs.

Many California voters thought they were improving the lot of drivers by passing Prop. 22. They were mistaken and possibly misled.

Why did fewer people retire last year? One likely explanation is people who would’ve retired in 2023 instead took early retirement during the height of the pandemic, said Nari Rhee.

“Raising the health care minimum wage to $25 an hour would help reduce these working families’ need to rely on safety net programs, thereby reducing state Medi-Cal spending as many affected workers become eligible for federally subsidized insurance through Covered California,” Laurel Lucia.

Ever since the Janus decision, it’s not uncommon to see public employee unions ramp up membership drives before contract negotiations begin, said Ken Jacobs of the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

If SB 525 doesn’t get the governor’s approval, the wage terms in the Kaiser agreement would likely put pressure on on other big health systems to raise pay for the industry’s lowest-paid workers, said Laurel Lucia, director of the health care program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, Labor Center said that about a half-million health care workers around the state were struggling to survive on their wages, even as they showed up to care for patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

McKinnor is also carrying a bill, AB 1677, that would commission the UC Berkeley Labor Center to conduct a salary study of the scientists’ bargaining unit.

“The low wages paid to health care support workers, direct care workers, and health care service workers in California means they struggle to meet their basic needs; these low wages also significantly contribute to the difficulty in maintaining adequate health care staffing across the state,” wrote labor center researchers Enrique Lopezlira and Ken Jacobs.

A recent study commissioned by Local 1000 and conducted by the UC Berkeley Labor Center showed many members were struggling financially, particularly women, Black and Latino employees.

A study released in March, which was commissioned by Local 1000 and conducted by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, found that many Local 1000 members were struggling financially, particularly women, Black and Latino employees.

A study released in March, which was commissioned by the union and conducted by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, found that many Local 1000 members were struggling financially, particularly women, Black and Latino employees. The study found that nearly 70% of the union’s members fail to earn a wage high enough to support themselves and at least one child.

A bill from Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor, D-Inglewood, would commission the UC Berkeley Labor Center to conduct an independent study of the salary structure within the scientists’ bargaining unit.

“In the aggregate, there are going to be many jobs created in the clean energy economy and supply chain,” said Jessie Hammerling. “But the real critical challenge to get right is to make sure that they are good union jobs that pay comparable wages with similar benefits and job quality to the fossil fuel jobs that are at risk here.”

They pointed to a recent study from the UC Berkeley Labor Center that concluded more than 469,000 workers would benefit from such a wage boost, with an average increase of more than $5.74 an hour.

Local 1000 workers recently staged a rally at the Capitol to energize support as they enter contract bargaining. A recent study commissioned by the union and conducted by the UC Berkeley Labor Center showed many members were struggling financially, particularly women, Black and Latino employees.

Rally organizers point to a recent study from the UC Berkeley Labor Center showing that state workers are struggling to make ends meet, particularly women, Black and Latino employees.

The University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education has studied the law extensively, but has no evidence yet about its impact. “From our previous research, I believe the benefits of the law will far outweigh any negative effects,” said Ken Jacobs, the center’s chairman.

Several California cities have an even higher minimum wage as of Jan. 1.

Nearly 391,000 of those caught in the glitch would qualify for subsidies on Covered California, the state-based insurance exchange, noted health policy researcher Miranda Dietz of the UC Berkeley Labor Center. She worked with colleagues at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research to examine the impact of the changes in IRS regulations prior to their approval.

“Clearly, in California, union’s political power has grown in the state,” Jacobs said. Where big business and wealthy individuals can dominate, though, is in ballot measure campaigns. They can invest hundreds of millions of dollars in ads, giving them an advantage unions can’t match.