Long Beach and South Bay Update October 2021

SB 338 is signed into law, holding more companies accountable for port truck driver welfare

CLUE has been working closely with LAANE and a part of the coalition Our People Our Port, to fight for fair wages and protections for port truck drivers. Since the beginning of the year, we have been advocating for two-state bills, SB 338, AB 794, to create consequences for law-breaking trucking companies and to fight against systemic misclassification. We are celebrating that last month Governor Newsom signed SB 338 into law! This law will go into effect in January 2021. SB 338 would add trucking companies to an existing Division of Labor Standards Enforcement “bad actor” list if those companies do not provide required health and safety protections and benefits to their workers. Customers who contract with bad actors on this list are jointly liable for future violations. In addition, SB 338 requires companies to prove that they have fixed the underlying violation in order to get off the list, and specifically targets repeat offenders that systemically incorporate wage theft and deny worker protections as part of their business model. This law will expand the scope of supply chain accountability.

For more information, please contact Pastor Mary Duong, [email protected]

CLUE Members meet with City Council Members to advocate for housing reform.

Housing is a critical issue in Long Beach. A total of 60% of Long Beach residents are tenants, and many are threatened with eviction as the eviction moratorium is sunsetting. Therefore, CLUE has been joining the efforts of the Housing Justice Coalition to advocate for the removal of substantial remodel as a just cause and for the creation of an equitable process for repairs on housing stock. Landlords take advantage of the loophole to evict long-term tenants, make minor changes, and hike up the rent. CLUE faith leaders, including Ann Burdette, Lisa Raufman, and Rev. Cedric Nelms, participated in the public meeting hosted by the city staff on September 22 to provide input for the city in developing a policy to protect tenants and close the loophole. Their compelling messages amplified the stories and voices of tenants to the city staff, which contributes to the development of the upcoming policy.

For more information, please contact Pastor Mary Duong [email protected]