The California Work and Family Coalition was founded by the Labor Project in 1999 to protect and expand the rights of working families in California. As a committed and dynamic alliance, we have furthered a family friendly policy agenda in California.

Highlights:

• In 2002, the Coalition partnered with the California Labor Federation on the successful passage of the Paid Family Leave Law, making California the first state in the nation to adopt a comprehensive paid family leave policy.
• In 2006-2007, the Coalition advocated for three bills to expand California's paid and unpaid family leave laws and prohibit discrimination based on family responsibilities. Although SB 727 , AB 537 , and SB 836 were passed by both houses, the bills were vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in October 2007.
• In 2007, the Coalition's advocacy led to the creation of a new department at the California Economic Development Department to do outreach and education for the State Disability Insurance program, which includes Paid Family Leave.
• In 2008, the Coalition helped mobilize support for legislation guaranteeing all California workers the right to earn paid sick days. This ground-breaking legislation passed the California Assembly and was considered but not passed by the California Senate.

Family friendly workplace policies are a critical part of a broader effort to promote economic security for working families. The broader agenda includes: the right to a living wage; quality health insurance coverage for families; more worker control over scheduling and limits on mandatory overtime; affordable child and elder care with well trained and well compensated teachers/providers; and rights to unionize and collectively bargain.