SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José), released a statement regarding the agreement on Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) reform.
“Workers deserve a robust legal process to hold employers accountable when they break the law. With forced arbitration agreements and inadequate resources at the state, PAGA is a critical tool and often the only avenue workers have for recourse. I commend Governor Newsom, labor and business stakeholders, and legislative leadership for coming together to reach a compromise that upholds PAGA and includes sensible reform that will ultimately protect workers.
“I am proud to author AB 2288 to strengthen PAGA and heartened to see injunctive relief included in the agreement. This will ensure there is meaningful change in the workplace by allowing the courts to order employers to remedy when they break the law, whether they’re committing wage theft, misclassifying employees, or putting workers’ health and safety at risk.
“As Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, I look forward to next steps to codify this agreement and ensure workers can be made whole.”
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Assemblymember Ash Kalra represents California’s 25th Assembly District, which encompasses the majority of San José, including downtown and open space areas in southeast Santa Clara County. He was first elected in 2016, becoming the first Indian American to serve in the California Legislature in state history, and was re-elected to his fourth term in 2022. Assemblymember Kalra is the Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and also serves as a member on the Housing and Community Development, Local Government, and Natural Resources committees.