California bill would protect immigrant workers from retaliation

Sacramento, CA – Legislation intended to prevent California employers from retaliating against immigrant workers who report unsafe or unfair working conditions awaits the governor’s signature.

If the legislation (AB 263 and SB 666) is signed into law, employers found to have retaliated against immigrant workers could be fined up to $10,000 and have their business licenses suspended.

“For too long, employers have used the threat of deportation to silence workers who are victims of stolen wages, unsafe working conditions and abuse on the job,” Eunice Cho, a New York-based National Employment Law Project attorney, said in a press release. “We celebrate the legislature’s support for protecting the rights of some of the most vulnerable workers in the state.”

The bills passed the state senate Sept. 9 and the assembly Sept. 10.