UC Berkeley Labor Center

Job Opening: Program Coordinator The UC Berkeley Labor Center seeks a Program Coordinator for its Leadership Development Program.

Come work with us! We're hiring a program coordinator.
laborcenter.berkeley.edu/job-opening-...

Hospice East Bay Workers Hold One-Day Strike Amid Contract Dispute | KQED The Pleasanton facility said lowered Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates threaten nonprofit hospice care.

www.kqed.org/news/1205013...
UC Berkeley Labor Center Deputy Executive Director Laurel Lucia said nonprofit providers like Hospice East Bay have a special duty to the community in a field that is increasingly facing corporatization by for-profit owners.

Come work with us!

New Database Helps Labor Unions Navigate AI And Digital Technologies Researchers at the UC Labor Center have created a database to help labor unions navigate the sector's response to AI, surveillance tools, and other digital technologies.

Don't miss this @forbes.com article by @shalinjyotishi.bsky.social on our brand new searchable inventory of contract provisions from over 175 union agreements that address workplace technologies, protect worker rights, and shape technology adoption, use, and oversight.
www.forbes.com/sites/shalin...

Negotiating tech A searchable inventory of contract provisions from over 175 union agreements showing how collective bargaining has been used to address workplace technologies, protect worker rights, and shape technol...

Are you a union negotiator, researcher, policymaker, or journalist tracking how digital tech is used at work--and how unions are responding?

Explore @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social's inventory of collective bargaining provisions related to workplace tech: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/negotiating-...

The struggle over AI in journalism is escalating Politico journalists are taking on management for using AI products that risk damaging their reputation and replacing their work. Their fight is emblematic of an embattled industry.

www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/inside-the...
“This bill makes sure that workers are not simply informed when employers want to introduce a new technology, but have a real say in how it will be used—and the power to say no," says Mishal Khan, a senior researcher at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. "

Reads: Negotiating Tech: An inventory of U.S. union contract provisions for the digital age.

Exciting new resources from our Tech and Work team: a searchable inventory of collective bargaining provisions related to digital workplace technologies. It includes provisions from more than 175 agreements, drawn from a review of over 500 contracts! laborcenter.berkeley.edu/negotiating-...

Graphic with text: "Trump's increase in deportations could destroy nearly 6 million jobs. 1 in 6 construction jobs could be eliminated. 1 in 7 child care jobs could be eliminated."

1 in 5 workers is an immigrant.

Immigrants are a crucial part of the US economy, and Trump's radical deportation agenda will hurt us all.

Trump’s increase in deportations will destroy 6 million jobs—for both immigrants AND US-born workers: www.epi.org/publication/...

EPI: "If the Trump administration follows through on its stated goal of deporting 4m people over four years:

.. Nearly 6m jobs will be lost .. construction and child care sectors will be hardest hit .. CA, FL, NY, TX will have the highest number of job losses ..

www.epi.org/publication/...

Bay Area Trash Pickups Stall as Republic Services Workers Join Nationwide Strike | KQED Three days after Bay Area workers joined their East Coast counterparts in a nationwide strike, garbage pickups across several counties have been on pause, causing trash pileups.

“How do you boast about your company doing well if workers are being left behind, and not keeping up with the pace of that growth from the company?” @BrendaMunoz www.kqed.org/news/1204759...

All 2.37 million Californians in the individual market will face higher premiums if Congress does not act by 2025 - UC Berkeley Labor Center The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) included additional federal subsidies to make health insurance more affordable in the individual market, but these expire at the end of 2025. If Congress does...

The BBB also fails to extend additional ACA subsidies that began in 2021—see our report that details how 2.37 million Californians in the individual market—including those not receiving subsidies—will face higher health insurance premiums starting in 2026. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/individual-m...

Republican Megabill Will Mean Higher Health Costs for Many Americans - KFF Health News Spending cuts hitting medical providers, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act enrollees, and lawfully present immigrants are just some of the biggest changes the GOP has in store for health care — with ra...

The Republican BBB could make it harder to enroll and maintain coverage through Covered CA and eliminates eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. See summary from @kffhealthnews.org: kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

Clinics, hospitals and thousands of S.F. residents could be hit by Trump’s Medicaid cuts Clinics and hospitals that see a high number of patients on Medicaid could be hit the hardest, health care experts and employees say.

missionlocal.org/2025/07/clin...
This bill proposes the biggest cuts to Medicaid in the 60-year history of this program,” said Laurel Lucia, a deputy executive director at the U.C. Berkeley Labor Center.

Ken Jacobs Retires from UC Berkeley Labor Center - UC Berkeley Labor Center After almost 23 years at the Labor Center–17 as chair–Ken Jacobs is retiring.

After almost 23 years at the Labor Center — 17 as chair — @kjacobs9.bsky.social is retiring. His keen insight will be missed in the day-to-day work of the Labor Center, but he will continue to consult with Labor Center leaders and staff.

laborcenter.berkeley.edu/ken-jacobs-r...

In its rush to shutter oil and gas refineries, California risks abandoning workers and local communities OPINION: The potential closure of a Benicia refinery highlights key gaps in California’s energy transition strategy: a lack of planning for fuel supply disruptions and inadequate support for...

Gift article: As the state navigates the energy transition, it needs a clear and comprehensive plan to provide real support for refinery workers and communities affected by closures. @sfchronicle.com op-ed by @jhf-hammerling.bsky.social and Virginia Parks.
www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/open...

Laurel Lucia Promoted to be the Labor Center’s First Deputy Executive Director of Programs - UC Berkeley Labor Center Laurel Lucia transitions from her position as the director of the Labor Center’s Health Care Program to the new role of deputy executive director of programs.

Congratulations to Laurel Lucia, a 15-year Labor Center veteran, who completed her first day as deputy executive director of programs!
laborcenter.berkeley.edu/laurel-lucia...

Newsom cites our study on how Medicaid cuts will have far-reaching and disproportionate impacts on older adults. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/medicaid-cut...

Governor Newsom Responds to Trump’s Big Ugly Bill YouTube video by California Governor Gavin Newsom

Gov Newsom joins state health care & social service officials at a virtual press conference in response to Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which could eliminate coverage for up to 3.4 million Californians & cut at least $28.4B in Medicaid funding to CA. www.youtube.com/live/5qqbn1F...

How Trump's megabilll could affect Medicaid and who could lose coverage Sharp Medicaid cuts could result in vulnerable Americans no longer being able to receive care, either by losing coverage or by closing the centers that provide such care.

“In practical terms, there are all kinds of legitimate reasons why, especially older adults, might not be able to meet the work requirements in terms of actually putting in the number of hours, and that’s before we even get to all the administrative issues.” #Medicaid abcnews.go.com/Health/trump...

Proposed Medicaid cuts could have a ‘far-reaching, disproportionate’ impact on older workers - Berkeley News Workers aged 50 to 64 are increasingly driven from the workforce by deteriorating health, age discrimination and caring for elderly family members. Slashing Medicaid funding would threaten their healt...

Workers aged 50-64 are increasingly driven from the workforce by deteriorating health, age discrimination & caring for elderly family members. Slashing Medicaid funding would threaten their health & well-being, says a UCB analyst. @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social
‪ news.berkeley.edu/2025/06/26/p...

Medicaid Cuts—Including Work Documentation Requirements—Harm Older Adults - UC Berkeley Labor Center Rolling back Medi-Cal access through cuts and bureaucratic hurdles will have far-reaching and disproportionate impacts on older adults. In particular, the work documentation requirement poses an espec...

Blog: Medicaid work documentation requirements pose a drastic barrier to older adults, given the steady dropoff in employment after age 50 due to deteriorating health, age discrimination & increasing responsibility to provide care for aging family members. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/medicaid-cut...

California Could Lose Up to 217,000 Jobs if Congress Cuts Medicaid - UC Berkeley Labor Center Republicans are considering major cuts to Medicaid to offset tax cuts. Depending on the specific mechanisms and timing for cutting Medicaid, California could expect to see between $10 billion and $20 ...

Besides affecting seniors, the proposed Medicaid cuts could result in up to 217,000 lost jobs throughout the state, econ output could fall by up to $37 billion, & tax revenue could fall by up to $1.7 billion. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/california-c...

California Health Care Employment by District and County 2023 - UC Berkeley Labor Center This page provides data on California health care employment by county and congressional district, including by sector and as a percentage of total employment, using estimates from IMPLAN input-output...

"Medi-Cal is a critical component of one of the biggest sectors of Southern California’s economy: health care." The Labor Center estimates 1.25 million residents of the four SoCal counties work in some area of health care. laborcenter.berkeley.edu/california-h...

Southern California’s quiet eldercare crisis is about to get loud Proposed Medi-Cal cuts, and fast-changing demographics, soon could make life tougher for tens of thousands of local seniors and their families.

Orange County Register: Southern California’s quiet eldercare crisis is about to get loud
Proposed Medi-Cal cuts, and fast-changing demographics, soon could make life tougher for tens of thousands of local seniors and their families. www.dailybreeze.com/2025/06/20/s...

California workers - What you need to know about your data rights - TechEquity Collaborative e met with UC Berkeley Labor Center and impacted workers to learn what data rights workers have in California and how to exercise them.

Learn about how you can exercise your data rights: techequity.us/2025/05/14/c...

@ucblaborcenter.bsky.social

Labor Center Research on the Impacts of Federal Medicaid Cuts on California - UC Berkeley Labor Center UC Berkeley Labor Center researchers Miranda Dietz, Laurel Lucia, Alexis Manzanilla, and Nari Rhee have analyzed the potential impacts of Medicaid cuts on California and the importance of the Medi-Cal...

Our research helps lay out the stakes for California if Congress approves the proposed federal #Medicaid cuts: millions of Medi-Cal enrollees at risk of losing health coverage, up to 217,000 jobs at risk: laborcenter.berkeley.edu/labor-center...

A healthy California relies on a strong economy, which depends on Medi-Cal | Opinion “Saving Medi-Cal is the right thing to do so that our families, communities, and economy can be prosperous and healthy.”

@calendow.bsky.social's Brenda Solórzano: The proposed Medi-Cal cuts threaten access to life-sustaining & life-saving health care. But they would also be disastrous for our economy, with ripple effects that would hurt everyone in California. @fresnobee.com www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

@bluegreenalliance.bsky.social, @apen4ej.bsky.social, @joshsonnenfeld.bsky.social, @jhf-hammerling.bsky.social, @uswmetallos.bsky.social

California Refineries Are Closing. What About the Workers? As Valero prepares to shutter its Benicia oil refinery, 400 jobs hang in the balance. Can California ensure a just transition for fossil fuel workers?

“The company will just want to maximize profits. They’ll file for bankruptcy, their assets will be stranded, and then workers and communities get left holding the bag.”-- Christine Cordero, co-director of the Asian Pacific Environmental Network.
www.kneedeeptimes.org/the-path-to-...

Graphic of Luisa Blue in front of a microphone, with an illustration of a clenched, raised fist behind her, and the words "Rest in Power Luisa Blue, Registered Nurse, Former SEIU EVP."

Luisa Blue was a great organizer, a strong champion of the Labor Center, and a wonderful person. During her years as a member of our advisory board, she was always there to help us when we needed it. Luisa was a trailblazer and a force for good, and she will be so sadly missed.