Economic Inclusion

Economic Inclusion means a little something different to everyone, but it should never exclude anyone. As the proud daughter of a Teamster, Lena has always known the value of hard work and has championed this belief throughout her legislative career by supporting our hard-working California families. She formerly advocated for a Citywide Project Labor agreement, which focused on getting people back to work in high skilled labor jobs—especially those in high unemployment zip codes. Lena has supported legislation for hotel service and garment worker protections, as these employees—mostly women—have been deeply affected by this Pandemic. She has also supported the CA Federation of Labor and numerous working family organizations from truck drivers, nurses, hotel workers, municipal employees, maritime workers, and more. 

Senator Gonzalez has also been at the forefront in support of California’s small businesses, listening intently to their concerns as our state has weathered the Pandemic. Acknowledging small business owners' frustrations and concerns, Lena has hosted various small business town halls to provide clarity and support. Lena has also highlighted women and minority owned businesses for their resilience, strength, and contributions to our community. Lastly, Lena and her team have helped over 400 people with unemployment insurance claims during this crisis. Regardless of where you are in life, Lena will fight to ensure you have the resources you need for upward economic mobility.