SACRAMENTO – National union leaders, including the head of the largest labor organization in California, on Wednesday urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect workers as artificial intelligence threatens to shut down or monitor workers – and warned that failure to do so could damage his presidential ambitions.
“This is a national priority,” said Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, at a news conference near the state Capitol. “He can’t waste his time waiting to be done in California and think he’s not going to get questions about the real issues surrounding AI, Big Tech and Big Tech billionaires trying to buy our government.”
Gonzalez, a former San Diego state attorney, said the coalition is sponsoring a package of new bills aimed at strengthening the use of AI and protecting workers’ rights, including protections against workplace testing and layoff limits.
The package of bills supported by trade unions includes:
- Senate Bill 947 by Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton), which would require human supervision if an algorithm is used to justify discipline or termination of an employee.
- Senate Bill 951, introduced by Sen. Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Colton), which would require employers to provide 90 days’ advance notice to workers and local and state governments before AI-related layoffs. It will apply to cases involving 25 or more employees or 25% of employees, whichever is less. Recent layoffs, including at Amazon, Expedia and Pinterest, have been tied to AI, though some economists argue that it’s challenging to determine whether that was the primary factor.
- Assembly Bill 1331, called “No supervisors in the bathroom,” would give employees the right to remove surveillance equipment from the workplace when entering public bathrooms or certain employee-only areas. The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles), would subject employers to a $500 civil penalty for violating the law.
Gonzalez said labor unions are often told to “fix it” with businesses but said this is the end.
“We will not be able to achieve the objectives of supervision by working with managers who do not want to be supervised,” he said. “It’s time for the governor to connect with the workers at work. Every AI he calls, everyone pulls him together [representing] AI and Big Tech lobbyists.”
Gonzalez was joined Wednesday by Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, and other labor leaders from Iowa, Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada.
“This is the most urgent issue we have [as workers] they’re dealing with,” said Shuler. “This is a disaster and no one is prepared.”
In a joint letter to Newsom, they urged the governor to act quickly to establish reasonable safeguards around the technology.
“This fight goes beyond devastating job losses and new forms of union busting,” a copy of the letter said. “There is dignity in human labor that is the foundation of a healthy, productive democracy. The future of our economy and our society cannot be left to the reckless ambitions of profit-driven tech companies and billionaires.”
In an email to The Times, Newsom spokeswoman Tara Gallegos said the governor has a strong record of championing workers’ rights, including raising the minimum wage and expanding sick leave and other worker protections.
“No Governor has done more than Governor Gavin Newsom to regulate AI in a way that protects workers without killing jobs or creating new things,” he wrote. “Under his leadership, California has taken a broad, workforce-focused approach to AI in the state.”
Adults in the United States are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of AI, according to a Pew Research Center survey. 50 percent of those surveyed last year said they were “more worried than happy” about the increased use of AI in everyday life, up from 37% in 2021.
