SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's weariness with unions and the Legislature -- two institutions whose influence he is trying to curb through the special election he called for next month -- was on full display as he dispatched many of the ideas lawmakers approved this year.
Often agreeing with the California Chamber of Commerce, one of the main architects of his agenda in the Nov. 8 election, the Republican governor vetoed many of labor's top priorities.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday October 15, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Bill signings -- An article in Sunday's California section about bills signed into law said Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation authorizing California's Employment Training Panel to award contracts to projects that train workers in seasonal industries. The governor vetoed the measure.
Schwarzenegger's actions made unions, who are leading the opposition to his ballot proposals, among the bigger losers in a year when the governor found much to offer those on both sides of many issues, including the environment, gay rights and consumer protection.
Though Schwarzenegger signed a number of union-sponsored measures -- in some cases, against the wishes of his business allies -- labor's achievements were light years away from the heady days when Schwarzenegger's predecessor, Democrat Gray Davis, routinely approved ambitious union requests.
"Organized labor in California, which is really a cornerstone of the labor movement in this country, is on the ropes," said Larry Gerston, a professor of political science at San Jose State University. "If you're the forces of business and are anti-tax, and you see this kind of success here, you've got to be licking your lips in terms of what's going to happen in 2006."
Over the last month, Schwarzenegger rejected measures that would have cracked down on employers who delay paying workers' compensation claims or fail to pay the minimum wage or overtime. He declined to raise the minimum wage, provide unemployment insurance to striking workers who are locked out, or pay particularly productive agricultural and garment workers more money during their rest breaks.
He vetoed the one bill sponsored by the California Teachers Assn. -- the biggest single funder of the campaign against him. The union measure would have required the state to repay $500 million that lawmakers cut from the teachers' retirement fund in 2003.
Schwarzenegger has long complained about the influence unions have in the Democratic-led Legislature. One of the ballot initiatives would restrict their ability to use members' dues for politics. Labor is on track to spend more than $100 million to defeat that and four other initiatives the governor has endorsed.
