Putting in the Hours
Re: A Legislative Staff Union - a Call to Organize
Dear Colleague,
As the 2025 legislative session comes to an end, after months of hard work, late nights, and unacknowledged overtime, we wanted to take some time together to think about our future. We’re reaching out this End of Session to call for change.
In District Offices, the past Labor Day weekend brought many of us work, attending community events and celebrations, in honor of the very rights and values we would like to see reflected in our workplace. Early mornings and late nights spent away from our families, sacrificing time with our loved ones, in our work connecting constituents and their representatives. In the Capitol, staff were expected to stay late nights, providing talking points, updates on bills, and making sure the end of session wraps up as smoothly as it can. Staff are public servants dedicated to serving the State of California. We are proud to play a role in the development and achievements of California, but without tangible or meaningful acknowledgement, it is clear many of us felt the toll of this week that much deeper.
As staffers, many of us place our well-being low in the long line of priorities for California, but our well-being cannot be forgotten. The irony isn’t lost on us: while we dedicate ourselves to strengthening and showing solidarity with our most vulnerable communities, to protecting workers and making California livable, in our own workplace the support often falls short. Would it be so hard to adequately compensate for our tireless efforts? Without representation, without a union, the office you work in determines whether you’ll see anything more than a passive thank you for long hours and late nights. We are not asking for the impossible.We are simply asking for the recognition and compensation that the Legislature advocates for every day, and the ability to shape a union that reflects our highest needs.
We acknowledge the nuance that must go into representation for legislative staff. With a union, we can work together to make our voices heard. How we spend the next 10 months will be vital in shaping our careers and the careers of those who will join us in serving the people of California. Let’s take this interim to prioritize and to get involved. Talk with your coworkers about the ways we can improve the workplace and share ideas of what our union should look like. Think about what you can do in the coming months and reach out with any questions - we’ll be working this recess too.
Please continue sharing what you think this union needs to be shaped by, what priorities you find most salient, and how you wish to get involved in taking the union in the best direction.
https://bit.ly/CaLegUnionSurvey
Sincerely,
@CAUnionRights