Support for AB 350 fades in the waning hours of the legislative session

In what could be categorized as a dramatic shift in opinion, Assembly Bill 350 by Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) failed to get the 21 votes needed to pass out of the Senate in the closing hours of the legislative session last Friday evening.

Existing law (Displaced Janitor Opportunity Act) requires contractors and subcontractors that are awarded contracts or subcontracts by an awarding authority to provide janitorial or building maintenance services at a particular job site or sites, to retain, for a period of 60 days, certain employees who were employed at that site by the previous contractor or subcontractor.  AB 350 would have extended the existing provisions to licensed security, among other property service industries, and renamed the Act to the Displaced Property Service Employee Opportunity Act. 

CALSAGA was opposed to the bill and worked hard in the closing weeks and days leading up to the end of the session to defeat the bill.  On Thursday, AB 350 was heard on the Senate Floor and the initial vote was split at 18 ayes and 18 no’s.  At the request of the author, AB 350 was put off until Friday to allow more time to line up the additional 3 votes needed for passage.  

Upon hearing that news, CALSAGA, at the request of our lobbyist, immediately put into action a grassroots effort aimed at urging two moderate Democrats – Senator Rod Wright (D-Los Angeles) and Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) – to vote no on the bill.  CALSAGA encouraged members in and around these districts to call and let them know that they should vote no and why they should vote no.    

Not only did Senator Wright abstain from voting, but Senator Correa, who originally voted aye during the first vote on Thursday, abstained as well.  These two abstention votes ensured that AB 350 would not pass.  The final vote tally was 17 ayes and 18 no’s with 5 abstentions.  It was conveyed to us by our lobbyist on Saturday morning that the calls CALSAGA members made on Friday afternoon was the difference. 

Thank you to all the members who made calls on Friday, as well as those who participated in the process throughout the year.  It goes to show that when we come together as an organization, we can accomplish great things.  Congratulations to all!