Former staffers of Tom Steyer's failed presidential campaign filed a lawsuit accusing the Democratic billionaire of violating their labor rights, state filings show.
The July 27 lawsuit from field organizers Alexa Kern and Mary Sweeney was filed under the state's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), a 2004 law that permits employees to sue their employer on the state's behalf for wage and labor infractions. While its details remain unknown, 89 percent of PAGA claims allege wage violations such as "failure to pay for all hours worked," according to a February report issued by state advocacy groups.
During his career as a Democratic megadonor, Steyer empowered PAGA through his close ties to top unions and California Democrats.
Steyer co-chairs Democratic governor Gavin Newsom's economic recovery commission. Newsom's administration has repeatedly defended PAGA in court following challenges to its constitutionality. PAGA has also been buoyed by the support of labor unions in California. In 2016, the billionaire joined a bevy of unions, including the AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; American Federation of Teachers; and National Education Association to form a liberal super PAC that spent tens of millions of dollars to elect Democrats. Labor watchdogs said that the lawsuit should remind Steyer about a reality that California small business owners deal with every day.
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