A Shrinking Toolbox: The Corporate Efforts to Eliminate PAGA and Limit California Worker's Rights

High rates of labor violations in California disproportionately harm workers of color and workers in low-wage industries. The 2003 Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) expanded the state's labor enforcement capacity by allowing workers to sue on behalf of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency for company-wide violations. Corporate special interest groups have qualified a ballot initiative to eliminate PAGA and reduce enforcement. This report analyzes the impact of weakening workers' ability to fighting wage theft and other workplace abuses in California and concludes that PAGA is an indispensable tool for combating labor violations.