Cara Brown McCormick
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lorena Gonzalez, one of California’s most influential labor leaders, entered the fray this week in a growing Democratic debate over the so-called “abundance” movement.
In a sharply worded post on X, Gonzalez aimed her fire at prominent Democrats she sees as promoting a “growth above all” mindset that is dismissive of working people.
I’m actually glad that the anti-labor, so-called left is outing themselves on social media,” Gonzalez wrote. “Boys with soft hands who think labor unions are relics, working people are greedy and ‘supply side’ progressivism is a thing.” “Real men aren’t scabs.”
Her remarks appear to target the movement popularized by New York Times columnist and podcaster Ezra Klein, as well as his recently co-authored book, Abundance. The book has become a touchstone for centrist Democrats who want to improve their standing with voters by accelerating housing and infrastructure development.
Even Gov. Gavin Newsom has embraced the "abundance" philosophy of speeding up the regulatory process.
Some abundance supporters advocate for weakening residential zoning laws, scaling back environmental protections such as the National Environmental Policy Act, expanding fracking, opposing tenant protections, and aligning with Big Tech.
At WelcomeFest 2025, a June event billed as the largest gathering of centrist Democrats, anti-union sentiment surfaced on stage. Writer Josh Barro said:
When I look at policies in New York that stand in the way of Abundance, very often if you look under the hood, you eventually find a labor union at the end that’s the driver.”
Barro followed up with an essay titled, “In Blue Cities, Abundance Will Require Fighting Labor Unions.”
For Gonzalez, who began her career handing out bags of food to striking workers in San Diego, the idea that labor is a bottleneck in the way of progress is a provocation. “Anyone who thinks this abundance movement is how we’re going to get our groove back just hasn’t talked to real people,” she said.
The bluntness of her response to fellow Democrats stands out given her stature in California’s Democratic coalition. In July 2022, she became the first woman and first person of color to lead the California Labor Federation, representing over 2 million union workers.
In the State Assembly, she authored landmark labor laws, including the first statewide paid sick leave policy, overtime pay for farmworkers, Assembly Bill 5 to address gig workers, criminal penalties for wage theft, and restrictions on warehouse quotas at companies like Amazon.
Her post suggests those achievements may now be under threat from within her party, and her tone indicates that influential labor leaders are not afraid to stand up and fight. As the 2026 midterms approach, the clash highlights a potential fault line in Democratic politics between traditional labor power and a new generation of Democrats focused on gaining popularity from rapid economic growth.