On Aug. 14, hundreds of cars from more than 30 California cities will join in a caravan to Bakersfield to visit Congressman Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) office to tell him to support an immigration policy with a road map to citizenship. This is the first of many activities in support of a new immigration policy that California's working families are planning.

Not in California? Text NOW to 235246 to tell House Speaker Boehner you want a vote on citizenship. Standard data and messaging rates may apply. 

It's not every day a former manufacturing hub for middle-class jobs gets to reinvent itself after the factories and plants shut down and ship off. But that's exactly what's happening in Long Beach, Calif., in Los Angeles County. 

At 5 a.m. local time, workers at a Mira Loma, Calif., warehouse that ships goods for Walmart launched a two-day strike to protest alleged unsafe working conditions and retaliation against workers who are exposed to those conditions. The warehouse is owned by Olivet International, an apparel and luggage company.  Some 70% of the products that move through the warehouse are shipped on behalf of Walmart.

Fire Fighters (IAFF)  Local 230 invited elected officials and attendees of Netroots Nation, a conference for progressives and activists, to take part in a basic firefighting class at its training facility in San Jose, Calif. Participants climbed ladders, operated fire hoses and Jaws of Life, performed CPR and navigated through a warren of dark, tight corridors—all while wearing full firefighting gear.

Here's a look at some of the key battles in the states over the past week.

This past week, state-level coalitions in Nevada and California organized immigration policy town hall meetings where attendees called for a comprehensive immigration process that includes a road map to citizenship. The Nevada State AFL-CIO helped put together an Asian and Pacific Islander Town Hall in Las Vegas, where more than 100 of the state's residents participated. Meanwhile, in Salinas, Calif., the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council helped organize the Spanish-language Univision Town Hall, which attracted more than 500 attendees.

Lorena Gonzalez, 41, secretary-treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, defeated rival Steve Castaneda on Tuesday in a special election to fill the vacant 80th Assembly District in California, the U-T San Diego reports.

May Day was extra special for me this year. My heart was filled with joy and pride because it was my first day as a member of UNITE HERE.

Here's a look at some of the key battles in the states over the past week.

At a time when income inequality is rising and the middle class is shrinking, Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 569 and the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council are doing their part to help working families not only survive, but thrive in the face of significant economic obstacles. The Southern California-based unions operate the National City Park Apartments, which support low- to moderate-income families by providing affordable housing in a nice, but expensive, neighborhood.