AB 2690 Form Letter
Assembly Member Dear Assembly Member: I am writing to you because of my concern about the ban of volunteers from public works projects in California. Recent rulings by the Department of Industrial Relaltions have effectively eliminated the opportunity for citizens to participate in watershed restoration and community-based education projects. I do not feel this is fair since the Public Resource Code states the State must support programs that incorporate citizen volunteers and educate the public in regards to ecosystem function and natural resource values. I also believe that professional restorationists deserve a prevailing wage for the hard work they contribute to restoring the environment and building community. I request that you support AB 2690 introduced by Assemblywoman Hancock, which will preserve the ability for citizens to volunteer and work in concert with professional workers paid prevailing wages. This bill will provide benefits to both community sustainability and ecological health of California’s watersheds, while citizens experience the hard work of restoration practitioners and gain an appreciation for why they deserve prevailing wages. The Coalition to Protect California’s Prevailing Wages and Watershed Volunteers is a group of community advocacy, education, and restoration organizations focused on finding a solution to protect fair wages for laborers and assure California’s citizens the opportunity to volunteer on community and watershed restoration projects. I hope you will decide to support this Coalition in its efforts to resolve this problem in our community. I look forward to hearing back from you about whether you are supporting AB 2690 and what steps you can take to assist its passage during this legislative session. It is essential that citizens are able to volunteer on public projects that contribute to a healthy environment, address local needs, and provide community involvement. Thank you for looking into this issue. Sincerely, |
