Economy & Jobs: Creating an Economy that Works for Working Families

During perilous economic times, we must make sure our priorities our straight: our economy must work for California's working families. As your Assemblymember, Kriss will work to attract business and create good jobs, he'll stand with labor to protect workers on the job, he'll fight to close corporate tax loopholes and ensure a progressive tax code. For over a decade, he used his role as City Councilmember to find millions of dollars for his constituents – while many read only the summaries of the budget documents, he scoured thousands of pages to find where bureaucrats keep the money hidden. You can count on Kriss to do the same in Sacramento – he'll continue to work hard to keep our economy strong for those who work so hard for our economy.

Kriss's Priorities

Protect and Strengthen Workers' Rights: Kriss will not only protect rights of workers, he will fight to strengthen those rights. As a State Assemblymember, Kriss will expand the recognition of card-check elections so that more workers are given a voice at the jobsite. Kriss strongly opposed the anti-union tribal gaming compacts (Propositions 94-97) and has lobbied nationally for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Implement a State Living Wage: As a City Councilmember, Kriss is proud to have successfully sponsored the City of Berkeley's Living Wage Ordinance. At the state level, Kriss will work hard with labor organizations and working families to continue the struggle for fair wages and benefits. As one of the most economically prosperous states in the nation, California must lead the way not only in business growth but the power of its workforce.

Close Corporate Loopholes: For too long large corporations have been getting away with loopholes to avoid providing benefits to their workers and paying their fair share of taxes. Large companies have also avoided reassessments to their properties where private homeowners have had to pay. As your Assemblymember, Kriss will work to stop businesses from misclassifying employees, discourage the practice of contracting work out as a short cut to denying wages and benefits to workers.

Kriss's Track Record

• Pushed the City to implement a Buy Berkeley policy for City contracts and purchases, and to unbundle large City contracts, so that small businesses receive the cash flow they need to thrive.
• Convinced the City to start issuing quarterly reports on job creation, unemployment, and sales tax revenue by each business district, and tracking office and retail vacancy rates, in order to effectively prioritize economic development plans.
• Wrote the proposal to fix the business permit approval process to simplify filling vacant storefronts.
• Helped Berkeley Bowl expand into the former Safeway.
• Fights to preserve the City's excellent credit rating through responsible spending and borrowing. Sponsored the Living Wage Ordinance to ensure that workers were being sustainably compensated.
• Actively supported boycotts of the Claremont, Radisson, and Woodfin hotels. Kriss also sponsored a resolution supporting Machinists Local 1546 at Doten Honda and opposing union-busting tactics.
• Sponsored the Right to Know Ordinance, to protect visitors to Berkeley from unknowingly booking a room in a hotel where workers are on strike or have been locked out.
• Helped workers secure the UFCW as their union at Berkeley Bowl and sponsored a resolution supporting expeditious and open process regarding employee representation at West Berkeley Bowl.
• Worked with local workers in their fight to organize and attain a voice at work: Kriss worked with SEIU 616 to organize Head Start daycare workers into a union. He actively supported organizing airport security workers and sponsored a resolution to support security officers' fundamental right to unionize and bargain collectively.
• Actively supported Stand for Security with SEIU 24/7 in security workers' efforts to gain respectable wages from both building owners and security contractors.
• Actively supported Justice for Janitors.
• Sponsored a Worker Retention Ordinance, ensuring job security and a smooth transition under new ownership.
• Helped secure $50,000 in the City budget to implement a sweatshop-free ordinance (Sweat-Free Berkeley), which also includes a sweat-free code of conduct to be signed by all city contractors, subcontractors, and vendors.
• Sponsored a resolution in support of Sutter Health employees at the California Pacific Medical Center in the struggle for a fair contract.
• Campaigned actively against Arnold Schwarzenegger's anti-union propositions during the 2005 Special Election.
• Sponsored a resolution supporting the United Farm Workers' boycott and struggle for fair contracts with Gallo of Sonoma.
• Sponsored a resolution supporting the Sutter employees' strike.
• Sponsored a resolution supporting the grocery employees from the UFCW Bay Area Coalition.
• Sponsored a resolution calling for new owners of the Claremont Hotel and Spa, to bring in new management to avoid previous problems with the community and the union.
• Sponsored a resolution welcoming Iraqi labor leaders to Berkeley.
• Shepherded the Equal Benefits Ordinance through the lengthy process to enactment.
• Sponsored a resolution supporting Immigrant Workers' Freedom Rides.
• Attended numerous rallies with University Professional & Technical Employees (UPTE), Coalition of University Employees (CUE), Asmerican Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the UC union coalition.
• Worked with CWA to adopt the Speed Matters Initiative, with protections for workers and consumers.
• Lobbied for national Card Check election legislation.
• Supported Operating Engineers in Valley Power boycott.
• Actively supported Teamsters in Waste Management lockout.
• Actively supported AGSE (Association of Graduate Student Employees) organizing efforts.
• Worked with Berkeley Fire Fighters Association to end rotating closures of fire stations in Berkeley.