SAN DIEGO–California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) announced a new legislative proposal today requiring California employers to provide double pay to workers who have to give up their holidays to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
 
Assemblywoman Gonzalez was joined outside the Walmart on Murphy Canyon Road in San Diego by Mickey Kasparian, President of UFCW Local 135, and Diane McCain, a local San Diego Walmart worker and member of OUR Walmart to make the announcement.
 
In recent years, ‘Black Friday’ shopping deals have increasingly spread into the Thanksgiving holiday, forcing workers to miss out on celebrating the holiday and spending time with their families in order to keep their jobs. In some cases, this work has become mandatory, forcing workers to give up their holiday or risk losing their jobs. Many of these business practices have carried over to Christmas as well. The increasing commercialization of the holiday season has created significant public backlash, including petitions, media criticism and worker protests. Assemblywoman Gonzalez’s proposed legislation would ensure that those workers who sacrifice their holiday receive double pay for their work.
 
“If it’s so important to force employees to work on a traditional family holiday, it’s only decent to compensate them fairly,” Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez said.
 
Our Walmart member Diane McCain added, “We take pride in serving our customers the best we can, including coming in on holidays like Thanksgiving. I think it’s only right for us to be paid fairly when we have to sacrifice our holiday to work.”