Quarterly newsletter from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Applications now open! Paid immersive learning experience for UCB undergraduates focusing on the campaigns, art, and culture of the Bay Area labor movement during Spring Break, March 23–25, 2026.

In this blog post, we look at veterans’ prominent role in California’s labor unions, using the data and methodology from our recent report, “State of the Unions: California Labor in 2024.”

AI in the workplace isn’t just automation. Workers report discrimination, intensified workloads, and even automated firing. New state policies aim to center workers, write Mishal Khan and Annette Bernhardt in this Tech Policy Press article.

Op-ed by Kung Feng and Mishal Khan argues that in debates about how AI could impact workers in the years to come, it is essential to pay attention to the wide range of concerns that worker organizations have about technology adoption, as well as the alternative vision they are putting forth.

By covering low-wage workers, the program helps millions remain healthy, productive contributors to the economy. A 2025 study by the UC Berkeley Labor Center found that nearly one in five California workers is enrolled in Medicaid, underscoring how deeply the program is tied to the state’s labor force.

As more local unions feel emboldened to push toward strikes, Danielle Mahones said increased coordination and common ground are likely playing a large part. She said they’ve found that the problems they’re facing aren’t isolated and are in part a result of state funding shortfalls.