2025 Annual Statewide Meeting: Celebrating Wins and Planning for the Future

California Work & Family Coalition members and partners came to Oakland from around the state to participate in the Coalition’s Annual Statewide Meeting on November 14th this year. The Annual Statewide Meeting is where members and partners review our collective work, celebrate victories, take stock of the current conditions and urgent issues we face in the state and country, and discuss emerging priorities in order to set the direction for the coming year.

Coalition members kick off the Statewide Meeting with the Lay of the Land Panel. Pictured left to right, Alissa Anderson, California Budget & Policy Center, Barbara Suarez Galeano, Safety Net For All, Jessica Bartholow, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, facilitated by LaKisha Camese, Black Women for Wellness/Action Project.

"Turning Passions into Tangible Actions"

"After a year with admittedly more downs than up, this year’s statewide meeting provided a refreshing space where both new and longtime Coalition members unpacked the many happenings of the year, facilitated by the Coalition's various experts, while co-envisioning the future work ahead,” said Juan Carlos Guerrero. “While the fight is far from over, I left the meeting feeling empowered knowing that the Coalition will continue to be a space where we can turn shared emotions and passions into tangible actions for our communities!”

Celebrating and Setting Goals

This year, we celebrated the passage and signing of SB 590 (Durazo) which will extend Paid Family Leave to workers who care for chosen or extended family members. This change will be implemented in 2028. In 2025, we took on less advocacy work in order to ensure we had capacity to stand with and support the actions of members impacted by immigration enforcement, cuts to vital services and more. In addition, we shared our own internal challenges as Coalition staff will be transitioning away from our current fiscal sponsor/employer of record, Family Values at Work, to a new fiscal sponsor in the new year.

Following the Statewide Meeting, Coalition staff and members will work together to set goals and our legislative agenda for 2026. We’ll finalize our legislative agenda during our quarterly membership meeting in late February of 2026. Staff and members will also review takeaways from the meeting to plan our PFL Advocates implementation work with the EDD for 2026 as well as our training and education work.

Long-Standing Tradition

“The Coalition has been holding the Annual Statewide Meeting since we started in 2002. It’s our most meaningful event of the year as so many members and partners are engaged from the lead-up to the meeting itself and to incorporating what we learn in the meeting into our work the following year.” Coalition Director, Jenya Cassidy said. “In late February or early March, we vote on priorities for the year. It was especially important to be together this year as so many people in the state and country are struggling now and working in solidarity and across issue areas is more vital than ever.”

Building Connection and Community

Since being back in person after the pandemic, the Statewide Meeting has also been an important place to build connections between diverse organizations united in similar beliefs. As newly voted-in Coalition Steering Committee member, Tonia McMillian of Black ECE, put it, "The Statewide Meeting is the ultimate time for connection and community because it continues to be built on respect and advocacy. It is the place where the voices of the people resonate."