I’m a proud son of labor: growing up, I had the opportunity to watch my parents Cynthia and Warren Bonta fight for farmworkers alongside historic labor leaders like Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Philip Vera Cruz.
During the early years of my life, my family lived in a modest trailer at the United Farm Workers headquarters in the Central Valley, where Latino and Filipino activists united to demand better wages and working conditions for farmworkers.
It was there that my parents showed me how we can directly improve the lives of workers and their families through organizing, public service, and collective action.
But the fight for workers’ rights never ended. As Cal Matters recently published, 2023 has proven to be “a year of labor unrest in California.”
On this Labor Day, I’m proud to celebrate the Labor Movement and all of California’s workers, including the more than 276,000 workers who have united their voices in strike so far this year.
With more than 50 labor strikes in 2023, Californians are continuing to lead the way and keep the Labor Movement alive. From hotel workers to healthcare workers, entertainment to education, and many more, workers across industries are making it clear that they’re willing to fight for what they deserve.
As your Attorney General, I am always looking out for working families. Whether that means standing up to companies like Saks, which prevented former employees from working for competitors through unfair no-hire agreements, or joining workers on the picket lines in support of fair pay and better protections.
California’s workers and labor organizers are moving our state toward justice and equality, and I’m forever proud to be part of that movement.
In solidarity,
Rob