Testimony
California Workers' Rights: A Manual of Job Rights, Protections and Remedies
TESTIMONY: Landscape of health insurance for low-wage workers in California
Miranda Dietz testified before the California Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services about who in the state is employed, who has health coverage, what the gap is, and why there are people who are working full time who do not have health coverage.
Comments to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Motion Securing Funding to Preserve Critical County Services Cut by H.R.1
Comments submitted to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors highlighting Labor Center research on the economic harms associated with H.R. 1 due to the need for funding to backfill the federal Medi-Cal cuts.
TESTIMONY: Economic Status of California’s Labor Market
Enrique Lopezlira testified at the March 11, 2026, hearing of the California Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee on “A Year in Review: 2025 Federal Policy Impacts on California’s Labor Market.” View video and slideshow.
TESTIMONY: Health Coverage Access and Affordability Challenges
Miranda Dietz testified before a joint session of the California Senate and Assembly Health Committees on the challenges Californians face with health care access and affordability. View video and slideshow.
Testimony before the California State Senate Environmental Quality Committee on Environmental Impacts of and Considerations for Refinery Closures
Testimony of Josh Sonnenfeld before the California State Environmental Quality Committee at a hearing on Environmental Impacts of and Considerations for Refinery Closures.
TESTIMONY: Medi-Cal losses from Federal and State Budget Cuts
Miranda Dietz testified before the California Senate Budget Committee on the potential impacts of federal and state cuts to Medi-Cal. View video and slideshow.
Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing on “Modernizing Retirement Policy for Today’s Workforce”
Testimony by Nari Rhee before the U.S. House HELP Subcommittee highlighting the challenges that most American workers face in the existing retirement system and offering some considerations for integrating lifetime income products into 401(k) plans.
Comments prepared for the July 24, 2025, public hearing of the California Privacy Protection Agency
It is our assessment that the current proposed regulations do not provide the protections that consumers and workers deserve under the CCPA and that the law itself clearly intended.
Joint Letter to the California Privacy Protection Agency Commenting on Proposed Regulations
Joint letter in response to the California Privacy Protection Agency’s May 9, 2025, request for comments on the most recent draft of proposed regulations for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
Comments to Office of Health Care Affordability on the Hospital Price Problem for Workers in Monterey County
These comments were submitted to the California Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) in advance of the Board’s meeting in Monterey County on August 28, 2024. The comments describe the data and research showing that Monterey County has among the highest hospital prices in the state and country.
AI in the Workplace: Ensuring New Technologies Work for Workers
Prepared Testimony by Dr. Annette Bernhardt, Director, Technology and Work Program, UC Berkeley Labor Center for the Joint Informational Hearing, California State Assembly, Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection and Committee on Labor and Employment. August 7, 2024, Sacramento, CA.
Comments on Proposed Office of Health Care Affordability Statewide Health Care Spending Target Recommendations
Comments submitted to the California Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) in response to the proposal of a 3.0% statewide health care spending growth target for 2025 to 2029.
The Role of Public Sector Workers in Ensuring the Responsible Adoption of AI by the State of California
Prepared testimony by Annette Bernhardt, presented at “California at the Forefront: Steering AI Towards Ethical Horizons,” Joint Informational Hearing by the CA Senate Governmental Organization Committee and the Senate Budget Subcommittee on State Administration and General Government. February 21, 2024, Sacramento, CA.
Response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Request for Information on Automated Worker Surveillance and Management
Our goal in this comment is to highlight evidence indicating the prevalence of automated workplace surveillance and management technologies, impact on workers resulting from employers’ use of these systems, and principles and policy models for worker technology rights and protections.
Comments on Rule Proposed by the Internal Revenue Service on Affordability of Employer Coverage for Family Members of Employees
Comment submitted to the Internal Revenue Service on proposed regulation that would address the ACA “Family Glitch.”
General Comments by the UC Berkeley Labor Center on the OSTP Bill of Rights for an Automated Society Initiative
The UC Berkeley Labor Center’s Technology and Work program provided input to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) initiative on developing a Bill of Rights for an Automated Society.
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Aging Committee hearing on building a stronger retirement system
There are large structural gaps in the employer-sponsored retirement system. I would like delve a bit into the kinds of workers who are left out, and why.
Testimony: Gaps in Retirement Savings Based on Race, Ethnicity and Gender
Testimony of Nari Rhee before the U.S. DOL ERISA Advisory Council Hearing. The US private sector employer-sponsored retirement system leaves out many workers, disproportionately impacting Blacks and Latinos. While some states have forged their own path to try to close this coverage gap, these efforts are limited in scope by ERISA preemption. Federal policy action is necessary so that all workers are covered by a plan that effectively prepares them for a financially secure retirement.
Testimony: Examining Pathways to Build a Stronger More Inclusive Retirement System
Testimony of Nari Rhee before the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor on how the US retirement system can be strengthened and made more inclusive, so that all workers – regardless of race, gender, or class – can have economic security in retirement.