Demo Zionist SF Scott Wiener's Bill SB 1065 Threatens Lives & Health & Safety

Wiener’s bill threatens Health & Safety of Apprentices & Workers
Citing Safety Concerns for New Apprentices, State Electrical Workers Strongly Oppose SB 1065
Group warns bill would undermine California’s long-standing, highly effective apprenticeship training system and jeopardize safety

(April 6, 2026) – The California State Association of Electrical Workers (CSAEW), which represents 83,000 electricians statewide, today announced their strong opposition to SB 1065. CSAEW warned SB 1065 would jeopardize apprenticeship safety on construction sites, potentially put untrained workers in life-threatening situations, undermine existing worker protections, and allow contractors to use lower-paid apprentices for complex skilled journeyperson work.

With this action, CSAEW is joining the State Pipe Trades and Western Sheet Metal Workers in opposition. SB 1065, sponsored by Sen. Scott Weiner, would allow apprentices to perform the "full scope" of a journeyperson’s duties, which could lead to apprentices being assigned potentially dangerous tasks for which they are not trained.

“The safety implications alone could be catastrophic, said CSAEW President Neal Lauzon, pointing to 400 construction worker deaths over the past five years. “This bill is a dangerous departure from established law and practice. Apprentices will be placed in situations where they lack the necessary training, supervision, and classroom instruction to safely execute assigned tasks. The result is predictable: increased risk of workplace accidents, injuries, and long-term harm to workers who are still in the process of learning their craft.”
“Construction sites are inherently hazardous environments that demand precision, skill, and training,” added CSAEW Secretary Treasurer John Doherty. “Allowing apprentices to perform work for which they are untrained is not merely a policy change. It is a direct threat to their physical safety and well-being. Apprentices rely on structured progression and proper supervision to build competency. SB 1065 strips away these safeguards and exposes them to unnecessary and avoidable risk.”

Furthermore, SB 1065 circumvents California’s apprenticeship system, which is built on a deliberate and proven framework that integrates on-the-job training and supplemental instruction to ensure apprentices receive the necessary hands-on experience and in-classroom education to safely and competently perform specific tasks within their trade.

Current state law requires apprentices be trained in accordance with approved apprenticeship standards and assigned only to work processes their programs are authorized to teach. If passed SB 1065 would dismantle this system by allowing contractors to assign apprentices to perform work outside the scope of their state-approved training programs.
“California’s apprenticeship system has been carefully developed over decades and ensures that apprentices receive the training they need to become skilled journeypersons while maintaining the highest standards of safety and craftsmanship,” added Lauzon. “SB 1065 would dismantle these protections and replace them with a system that prioritizes contractor flexibility over worker safety and training integrity.”

For more information on the bill, go tohttps://www.stopsb1065.com/ or to http://www.csaew.org.

California State Association of Electrical Workers
Representing over 83,000 proud union electrical workers,CSAEW has worked for nearly 100 years to improve the health and safety conditions for its diverse membership. Its members work across hundreds of classifications from construction electricians to high voltage linemen to sound and tele-communications to public works administration. Our members include a diverse range of classifications and skills – from Inside and Outside Wiremen, Sound Engineers and Technicians, Clerical Workers, Audio Mixers, Stage Managers, Apprentices and more. CSAEW is part of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers which represents 820,000 members nationwide.