What a second Trump administration could mean for California state workers

Former President Donald Trump will return to the White House next January, which could have wide ranging impacts for California.

The president-elect has threatened to withhold federal funding for disaster relief to the Golden State if the governor doesn’t enact his policies. He promised to conduct mass deportations, which could result in labor shortages in California’s agricultural sector.

But Trump’s potential impact on California state workers is less clear, said Nick Schroeder, an analyst with the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office who specializes in public employment.

Schroeder said it was difficult to speculate on what will happen to the public workforce because it will depend on Trump and California leaders’ decision over the next four years.

“A new federal administration, it can affect an awful lot of things,” Schroeder said. “And then the state government will respond in some way and that’ll have an effect.”

Based on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s post-election statements, one group of the public workforce is likely to see more work: State attorneys with Bargaining Unit 2 would likely be most impacted by the flurry of lawsuits anticipated between California and the incoming federal administration, Schroeder said.

Anticipating more litigation between California and the new federal administration, Newsom called for a special session, beginning in less than three weeks, to increase funding for the California Department of Justice.

Another potential impact, Schroeder speculated, may come in the form of federal policies that affect the work done by state law enforcement agencies. If Trump’s administration adopts a policy directing local or state law enforcement to aid in a federal effort, say to assist with deportations, California leaders could respond in several ways. Though, Schroeder said, that scenario would likely result in more litigation.

Schroeder noted that unionized California public employees were insulated from any changes the Trump administration might make to the National Labor Relations Board. During Trump’s first term, the NLRB issued several decisions that weakened worker protections under federal labor law, according to a report from the pro-labor nonprofit Economic Policy Institute.

Public employee bargaining and labor disputes in California are negotiated through the Public Employment Relations Board, which is a state entity.

The broad message, Schroeder said, is “stay tuned.”