California Labor Federation Sends Strongest AI Bills Protecting Workers in the Country to Gov. Newsom

Release Date: August 31, 2026

Media Contact: Shubhangi Domokos, [email protected]

California Labor Federation Sends Strongest AI Bills Protecting Workers in the Country to Gov. Newsom

Labor Unions Pass Seven Bills in the Legislature Over Intense Big Tech Lobbying and Industry Opposition

Sacramento, CA - (Tuesday, September 1, 2026) - The California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO has passed all of its priority bills establishing guardrails on AI at work out of the California Legislature and to Governor Newsom's desk for a signature.

Big Tech billionaires and corporate lobbyists spent massively to try and block the common-sense guardrail legislation, but they were unsuccessful in blocking first-in-the-nation legislation. California lawmakers in both houses chose to stand with working people and their unions over Big Tech billionaires.

"The American people overwhelmingly agree: AI shouldn't take our jobs or our humanity. Catastrophic job loss, unregulated surveillance, and worker replacement isn't inevitable-it's a political choice," said Lorena Gonzalez, President of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO. "The California Federation of Labor Unions has sent Governor Newsom the strongest package of bills in the country to protect workers and regulate AI at work. We are glad the Governor has acknowledged the threat AI poses to jobs, now it's time to walk the talk and sign these bills into law."

Below are the Federation's sponsored bill which await signatures:

• AB 1331, No Bosses in the Bathroom Act, authored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, D-Los Angeles, and co-sponsored by the Teamsters. This legislation bans bosses from using AI surveillance to spy on workers in the bathroom.

• AB 1776, The COMPETE Act, authored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Davis, and co-sponsored by UFCW, California Teamsters, the California Nurses Association / National Nurses United, Writers Guild of America West, and SEIU California. This legislation empowers the government with new tools to go after corporate monopolies and monopsonies, which harm workers and consumers. This bill promotes competition, affordability and fair labor standards.

• AB 1883, The Stop AI Strip Searches Act, by Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan, D-Los Angeles, and co-sponsored by the California Teamsters. This legislation bans the use of invasive and exploitative AI surveillance tools in the workplace including AI that performs emotional recognition or monitors employees' brainwaves.

• AB 2575, The Health Care by Humans Act, by Assemblymember Liz Ortega, D-Hayward, and co-sponsored by the California Nurses Association-National Nurses United, which ensures human health care workers can exercise their clinical, professional judgment to override AI tools without facing retaliation and ensures accountability for any harm caused to patients by AI tools.

• SB 947, The No AI Bosses Act, by Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, and co-sponsored by the California Teamsters. This legislation ensures AI cannot fire or discipline workers without human oversight.

• SB 951, The AI Job Killer Notice Act, by Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, D-San Bernardino. This legislation requires employers to notify workers and the government of any plans to lay off or not hire workers due to AI.

This legislation represents both a powerful and popular agenda, with polls showing these policies are strongly favored by American workers across the political spectrum.

Last week, the Governor signed SB 928 into law, the Federation's sponsored bill the Keep Faculty Human Act, authored by Sen. Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside and co-sponsored by the California Faculty Association, which prevents colleges and universities from replacing faculty with AI.

Governor Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the remainder of the Federation's sponsored bills regulating AI in the workplace into law.

For more information, or to set up an interview with Lorena Gonzalez to discuss these critical bills, please contact Shubhangi Domokos, [email protected].

The California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO represents over 1,300 affiliated unions in California with over 2.3 million union members in trucking, retail, hospitality, janitorial, construction, health care, local and state government, education, arts and entertainment, warehousing and logistics, manufacturing, and every other sector of the economy.

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