Brothers and Sisters,

Today marks one year from the end of our last Convention, when you entrusted me to lead the California Labor Federation. I promised then to refocus our California Labor Movement on the one thing that matters the most: organizing. I promised you that everything we embarked on - legislatively, politically, programmatically - would reflect our mission to grow the labor movement, and improve the contracts and lives of existing union members and yet-to-be represented workers. I vowed that we would take advantage of this moment of great economic divide by being a unified voice for all workers and attempt to ensure California’s robust labor laws actually get enforced. While I haven’t in any way completed these tasks in their entirety, I think we are off to a great start.

Upon taking office, we immediately revamped our legislative program. We brought back some of the most qualified Federation staff to finish our legislative year. We ended up sending 8 sponsored bills to the Governor, all tied to organizing and contract fights, and all 8 were signed. Among our collective wins was the first private sector card check bill in California history for farmworkers.

In the last election, we helped elect four women with deep ties to Labor: Lola Smallwood Cuevas, Aisha Wahab, Liz Ortega and Pilar Schiavo. We did GOTV in Nevada to re-elect Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, ensuring we held on to the US Senate. For the first time in history, we conducted an Independent Expenditure in a Republican primary, resulting in Tom Lackey’s stunning win against his anti-union opponent. 

Over the last 6 months, 350 rank and file union members and union staff have completed at least one of our organizing trainings.   We also soft launched our UnionizeCalifornia.Org website, and continue to work with all of you to lead workers who want to organize their workplace to an appropriate union organizer who will help them.  

We partnered with our brothers and sisters in the State Building and Construction Trades to put on two very successful conferences: The Joint Legislative Conference and the first Joint Women’s Conference. Over 1,000 rank and file union members attended these multi-day events.

Our 2023 legislative agenda has 18 bills focused on organizing workers and building stronger unions. Last month, through the budget process, we helped win the funding of health care for striking workers, the extension of the film tax credit, and funding of labor law enforcement grants for City Attorneys statewide. 

We have been working hard at supporting all of you in your fights. We have provided communications support and strike support, created legislative pressure, convened high level meetings, killed tax credits to non-union employers, secured grants, and raised money for more than 20 different union campaigns for organizing rights or a better contract. 

Thank you for the faith you have placed in me and the support you’ve given us throughout this challenging first year. We look forward to continuing to work with you to continue to grow and strengthen California’s Labor Movement.

In Solidarity,

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher