Teamsters turn up the heat on legislative priorities
July 4, 2025
As the year has reached the halfway point, Teamsters Joint Council 7 and its Locals have charged forward on ensuring our elected officials know that labor must always be part of the discussion.
Our legislative package in California had bipartisan support for all our bills, but the help of our members remained crucial in advancing each bill through the legislative process.
We had mass turnout at the Assembly Transportation Committee by all our Locals for AB 33, which would require a human safety operator for any commercial or residential deliveries. Our bill was the last to be heard in committee, and it was acknowledged by the Assemblymembers that our folks stayed for almost three hours to speak on its behalf. The result was the bill passing with an overwhelming majority. As our bill moves onto the next chamber, we need to keep up the pressure on our legislators to stand with workers and not fold to corporate tech interests.
In April, we also had our second annual Teamsters Nevada lobby day. Teamsters from Local 533 and other Locals throughout Nevada met in Carson City to lobby on our legislative package. Our members explained how autonomous vehicles need to have a safety operator, why heating and cooling regulations matter to the safety and health of our members, and why our bus drivers need safety measures put in place to protect them. Those bus driver protections were one of the first bills signed by the Nevada Governor. Unfortunately, our AV bill was pulled by the Assembly Speaker—who is beholden to Big Tech and didn’t let the vote go to the floor. It is legislators like the Speaker that we need to change. We need elected officials who support workers over corporations.
That is why, as Teamsters California, we are working together with Joint Council 42 and other allied organizations to bring labor back as a key element in the Democratic Party. Corporate Democrats like the California Governor and Nevada Assembly Speaker have forgotten the working class. We need to bring the party back to its roots of supporting workers. We also welcome the Republicans who are supporting workers over corporations.
Issues impacting our day-to-day lives like a livable wage, access to affordable healthcare, a decent retirement, job security, and the right to collectively bargain are all core values that should be shared across political parties. That’s why, for the first time, Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42 will be hosting joint statewide candidate interviews for the 2026 Gubernatorial Election as Teamsters California. Every Local in California will come together to meet candidates running for Governor, Lt. Governor, Superintendent of Schools, State Treasurer, State Controller, and Secretary of State to talk about issues important to us collectively. It will be an opportunity for candidates to explain why they deserve the endorsement of the 250,000 Teamsters living and working in California.
Labor unions are at an all-time favorability high in America. This is our chance to bring our message to the forefront as we build a stronger foundation and future for the working class.
