SACRAMENTO, CA — The California State Council of Laborers, United Domestic Workers (UDW), California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers, Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), and California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA) today announced their opposition to Proposition 40 – the reckless wealth tax experiment.
These organizations join a growing coalition of California healthcare, education, public safety, labor, business, and housing leaders standing against Proposition 40 because of its devastating impacts on the state’s economy, budget, and core priorities.
The California State Council of Laborers is the state’s largest construction trade union, representing 80,000 hardworking union construction workers. UDW represents more than 250,000 dedicated home care and family child care providers across California. The California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers is a diversified labor union representing highly skilled professionals across critical industries, including 64,000 members in California who build, operate, and maintain the state’s infrastructure. ACSA is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the U.S., serving more than 18,000 California educators, and advocating for public school K-12 students, as well as adult learners. CPCA represents municipal, school and transportation police chiefs and their agencies in California.
“Proposition 40 does not include one penny to fix California’s aging infrastructure, and worse, it jeopardizes funding for future projects by taking a jackhammer to the state’s fiscal foundation,” said California State Council of Laborers Executive Director Joseph Cruz. “We should be doing everything we can to encourage new investment and job creation across California, not driving it away. The California State Council of Laborers and our 80,000 union construction workers are proud to join the state’s union teachers, firefighters, carpenters, home care and family child care providers, and so many others all saying NO on 40.”
“While we applaud the goal of Proposition 40 to tax billionaires to fund California’s vital health and nutrition services, UDW does not support this measure for several reasons: Most importantly, the proposed measure does not fund the IHSS or child care programs specifically, which provides vital care services to almost one million seniors and people living with disabilities across the state and child care to over one million qualified families. With the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress recently cutting over $1 billion in federal Medicaid funding to California, the IHSS program needs a sustainable revenue source. This measure does not require that any of the revenue from the wealth tax be directed to IHSS or child care funding,” said United Domestic Workers President Astrid Zuniga. “Secondly, a one-time wealth tax does not create the sustainable funding stream that is required to fully fund vital care programs like IHSS and child care programs. Instead, we need a long-term plan for funding these programs, so that our communities can grow and thrive for years to come. For these reasons, we’re urging our members to vote no on Prop 40, because we know it’s possible to deliver a better funding plan for our communities.”
“Our members build the infrastructure that powers California’s world-leading economy – from bridges, dams, and roads to rail lines, airports, and other critical projects. Our future and these union jobs depend on sustaining and growing this work, not sabotaging it with this deeply flawed wealth tax experiment,” said California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers Director Matthew Cremins. “Together, our union brothers and sisters urge Californians to vote NO on 40.”
“California’s students and schools have too much to lose under Proposition 40,” said Association of California School Administrators President Dr. Rene Rickard. “The measure guarantees schools none of its revenue, places those dollars outside California’s longstanding constitutional protections for education and threatens the ongoing funding classrooms depend on. ACSA opposes Proposition 40 because students deserve resources they can count on, not a measure that will leave them with less.”
“California should not address today’s issues by risking tomorrow’s safety and security,” said California Police Chiefs Association President Sean Thuilliez. “Proposition 40 threatens the long-term funding that supports public safety and other essential services. California’s police chiefs urge voters to reject Proposition 40.”
A growing, bipartisan coalition of teachers, small business owners, blue-collar union workers, law enforcement officials, firefighters, community leaders, healthcare providers, housing advocates, working families, and many others strongly oppose Proposition 40.
Organizations that have come out against the measure in recent weeks include: the California Teachers Association (CTA), California Professional Firefighters (CPF), Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC), California Medical Association (CMA), California Primary Care Association (CPCA), California Hospital Association (CHA), California School Boards Association (CSBA), and many more. A full list of the growing No on 40 coalition is here.
For more information, visit: VoteNoOn40.org.