Union members across California hit the streets and the phones this past weekend for the Yes on Prop 50 Labor Kickoff, launching canvassing and phone banking efforts in San Francisco, Berkeley, Fairfield, Sacramento, and Santa Clara.

From the South Bay to the state capitol, union volunteers joined with community allies, elected leaders, and Democratic Party partners to talk with voters about what’s at stake in 2026 and why Prop 50, the Election Rigging Response Act, is urgently needed.

The kickoff comes just days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an extreme, rigged congressional map pushed by President Trump designed to take power out of voters’ hands and deliver Republicans at least five additional seats, locking in control of Congress. Similar efforts are underway in Florida, Indiana, and Missouri. We can’t let this happen.

What does this mean?

This effort by Republicans to disenfranchise voters is about rigging the rules. They know their policies are deeply unpopular, and rather than risk voters removing them from office in next year’s midterm election, they’d rather throw out the rule books to keep power. The effect is to silence workers, immigrants, and communities of color, and the goal is to take any political power away from the people to keep advancing the billionaire agenda.

It’s a coordinated national attack, and it’s a direct threat to our rights, from voting rights to collective bargaining to public services like Medicaid.

With the largest population in the nation and the fourth largest economy in the world, California has the power and obligation to fight back.

What is Prop 50?

Proposition 50 is a targeted measure that:

• Triggers only if Republican states enact mid-decade redistricting
   
• Is a temporary, emergency response, not a permanent change
   
• Protects California’s nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission for future redistricting after 2030
   
• Affirms support for independent redistricting across the U.S.

What’s next?

This effort requires all of us. Union volunteers will continue to knock on doors and make phone calls to talk to voters and ensure everyone understands what’s at stake in 2026. It will take all of us—we need you!

As they try to throw out the rules to shut us out, we will continue to organize and fight back. 

Talk to your union rep about how to get involved! In the meantime, speak to your colleagues, family, and friends and tell them to vote YES on Prop 50.

Check out news coverage of the San Francisco kickoff event here!