Contra Costa County Employment Lawyers

Why Contra Costa County Employees Need an Employment Lawyer

Contra Costa County's refinery industry is the most active employment-litigation hub in the East Bay. Marathon's $9M LA Refinery wage settlement (Carson/Wilmington, March 2026) is included as a statewide-exposure example. Marathon's Martinez Refinery in unincorporated Contra Costa County has been indefinitely idled since 2020 and converted to a renewable-fuels/storage facility (Martinez Renewables, a 50/50 joint venture between Marathon Petroleum and Neste (Marathon Petroleum and Neste announced the JV in 2022; renewable diesel production began in early 2023 and reached full ~730 MGY capacity by the end of 2024)). Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery (converted to renewable diesel facility in 2024 - no longer processes crude oil) was the subject of Robbins v. Phillips 66, settled for $12.5M in July 2025 covering ~1,750 SF and LA refinery workers — alleges Phillips 66 failed to provide meal/rest breaks and didn't compensate workers for donning/doffing personal protective equipment off-the-clock at hundreds of refinery operator shifts (Law360, July 24, 2025). Chevron's Richmond Refinery has been the subject of $20M+ in air-district fines; Cal/OSHA whistleblower retaliation claims under Labor Code section 6310 protect refinery workers who report unsafe conditions, and the Federal Railroad Safety Act section 20109 (49 U.S.C. section 20109) protects railroad workers from retaliation for reporting safety violations. BART's MOU grievance procedures and Skelly rights interact with FEHA and Labor Code section 1102.5 retaliation claims. Multiple Contra Costa cities have their own minimum-wage ordinances above California state law. We represent employees only - never employers - and we know the FEHA, Labor Code section 1102.5, Cal/OSHA section 6310, FRSA section 20109, and refinery-specific tactics that work in Contra Costa Superior Court. All other claims against public entities (e.g., breach of contract) must be presented within 1 year under Government Code section 911.2. No fee unless we win.

Common Employment Law Violations Across Contra Costa County

• Marathon Petroleum LA Refinery $9M class settlement - *Butel v. Marathon Refining Logistics Services LLC*, 2:23-cv-04547 (C.D. Cal., Judge Dale S. Fischer) - $9M class settlement covering 748 California refinery operators and lab workers at the Carson and Wilmington refinery facilities. Workers were not compensated for being required to remain available during 12-hour standby shifts. Preliminary approval October 2025; final approval pending March 2026. (Source: HCA Mag)
• Robbins v. Phillips 66 - $12.5M class wage settlement (preliminary approval July 2025; ~1,750 SF (Rodeo) and LA refinery workers). Contra Costa's actual local benchmark - alleges Phillips automatically deducted 30-minute meal-break periods from hundreds of refinery operators' pay at the Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery in Contra Costa County. This is the local on-call/off-the-clock benchmark for Contra Costa refinery workers (Marathon's $9M LA Refinery case is a related statewide exposure example).
• Chevron Richmond Refinery - record-breaking $20M air-district fine; Refinery workers who report unsafe conditions are protected by Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 (anti-retaliation; reinstatement, back pay, and compensatory damages). Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower; civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation under section 1102.5(f), added by SB 497 in 2024).
• Multiple city minimum-wage ordinances - Richmond ($19.18/hr eff. Jan 1, 2026) and El Cerrito ($18.82/hr eff. Jan 1, 2026) are well above California's $16.90 state rate; Concord, Walnut Creek, and other Contra Costa cities follow the state rate. Workers earn the city minimum wage where they perform 2+ hours/week.
• BART Skelly rights and MOU grievance - Bay Area Rapid Transit operates extensively in Contra Costa County; permanent BART employees have civil-service Skelly pre-discipline rights and federal NLRA protections in addition to FEHA.
• Kaiser Walnut Creek / Antioch hospital wage-and-hour - off-the-clock charting, missed meal/rest break premiums (Labor Code section 226.7), and Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 patient-safety retaliation.
• Bishop Ranch (San Ramon) corporate - Chevron HQ, Bank of the West, AT&T, and other major employers face Equal Pay Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, and SB 1162 pay-transparency claims.
• UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station / Lawrence Berkeley National Lab - UC employees subject to FEHA, Title VII, ADA, the UC Whistleblower Protection Policy, and Government Claims Act 6-month notice.
• Port of Richmond and West County logistics - ILWU longshore workers, warehouse workers (AB 701 Quotas Act), and Cal/OSHA whistleblower protections.

Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR · California Civil Rights Department

Contra Costa County Worker Protections by Industry

We represent employees across all Contra Costa County industries. Below are the largest employers and the rules that govern wage, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims in this county.

Largest Contra Costa County employers

• Chevron Richmond Refinery - approximately 1,200 direct refinery employees at the Richmond Refinery plus the Richmond Technology Center workforce; Chevron's 2022 Oxford Economics report (commissioned by Chevron) cited 3,830 total jobs supported in West Contra Costa County (direct + indirect supply chain); Richmond's largest single private employer; Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower (civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation under section 1102.5(f), added by SB 497), Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 and Dodd-Frank section 922 for publicly-traded employer claims
• John Muir Health (Walnut Creek + Concord) - approximately 6,300 employees plus ~1,000 affiliated physicians; Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 patient-safety retaliation, FEHA, Title VII, Labor Code section 1102.5, plus SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage
• Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewable Energy Complex - former Phillips 66 Rodeo Refinery converted to renewable diesel/fuels (conversion completed 2024); approximately 400 family-wage jobs post-conversion (down from ~650 pre-conversion total including contractors per Phillips 66 Rodeo Renewed materials, 2022); subject of Robbins v. Phillips 66 $12.5M class settlement (preliminary approval July 2025). Note: separately, Phillips 66 closed its Wilmington (LA County) refinery in Q4 2025, affecting 600 employees and 300 contractors per company filings — a distinct event from the Rodeo conversion
• Martinez Renewable Fuels (former Marathon Petroleum Martinez Refinery) - Marathon Petroleum / Neste joint venture; the conversion shut down crude-oil operations and triggered California WARN Act layoffs (Labor Code sections 1400-1408); November 19, 2023 Major Chemical Accident/Release ruptured a tube and seriously injured one worker
• BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit District) - major Contra Costa County transit employer; permanent BART employees have civil-service Skelly pre-discipline rights, MOU grievance procedures, FEHA, Labor Code section 1102.5, and federal NLRA protections
• Contra Costa County government - large public-sector workforce; Skelly + 6-month Government Claims Act notice (Gov't Code section 911.2) + FEHA + Labor Code section 1102.5
• Mt. Diablo Unified School District & Contra Costa Community College District - major K-12 and community-college employers; Government Claims Act 6-month notice, FEHA, Title VII, Title IX, Labor Code section 1102.5
• Bishop Ranch (San Ramon corporate campus) - hosts Chevron HQ relocation hub, Bank of the West, AT&T, and other publicly traded employers; California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5), SB 1162 pay-transparency, Sarbanes-Oxley section 806, Dodd-Frank section 922
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / UC Berkeley Richmond Field Station - UC employees retain FEHA, Title VII, ADA, FMLA, CFRA, UC Whistleblower Protection Policy, plus Government Claims Act 6-month notice

Local wage rules

Contra Costa County has two city minimum-wage ordinances on the UC Berkeley Labor Center 2026 inventory: Richmond $19.18/hour effective January 1, 2026 (Richmond Municipal Code 11-14 N.S.) and El Cerrito $18.82/hour effective January 1, 2026. All other Contra Costa cities (Concord, Walnut Creek, Antioch, Pittsburg, San Ramon, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Brentwood, Oakley, Hercules, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Pinole, Pleasant Hill) follow the California state minimum wage of $16.90/hour effective January 1, 2026. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn $20.00/hour under AB 1228 (Labor Code section 1474+). Healthcare workers at covered facilities earn the SB 525 tiered minimum wage of $18/$21/$23/hour depending on facility type (statewide; not an El Cerrito-specific ordinance). Workers in multiple jurisdictions are entitled to the higher rate of any city where they perform 2+ hours of work per workweek. Sources: UC Berkeley Labor Center · CA DIR · Richmond MWO

Industry-specific protections

• Refinery and renewable-fuels workers (Chevron Richmond, Phillips 66 Rodeo, Martinez Renewables) - Labor Code sections 510, 226.7, 512 (overtime, meal/rest breaks; on-call/standby pay); Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310 anti-retaliation; Defense Contractor Whistleblower Protection Act (41 U.S.C. section 4712) for federal-contract refinery work (10 U.S.C. section 4701 applies only to DoD/NASA/Coast Guard contractors)
• Hospital workers (John Muir Walnut Creek/Concord, Kaiser Walnut Creek/Antioch, Sutter Delta) - Cal. Health & Safety Code section 1278.5 (civil penalty up to $25,000 + reinstatement and back pay); SB 525 healthcare-worker minimum wage
• Port of Richmond and West County logistics - ILWU longshore workers covered by NLRA + FEHA + Labor Code; warehouse workers covered by AB 701 Warehouse Quotas Act (employers with 100+ on-site or 1,000+ nationwide)
• Public-sector workers (County, BART, AC Transit, Mt. Diablo USD, CC Community College District, cities) - Skelly pre-discipline rights + 6-month Government Claims Act notice + PERB jurisdiction + Labor Code section 1102.5
• Publicly-traded employers (Chevron HQ, Bank of the West, AT&T at Bishop Ranch) - Sarbanes-Oxley section 806 (180 days to OSHA); Dodd-Frank section 922; California Equal Pay Act (Labor Code section 1197.5); SB 1162 pay transparency
• Railroad workers (Union Pacific / BNSF lines through CC) - Federal Railroad Safety Act section 20109 anti-retaliation
• California WARN Act (Labor Code sections 1400-1408) - applies to employers with 75 or more employees; requires 60 days' written notice for mass layoffs of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period; up to 60 days back-pay damages
• All workers - FEHA, Title VII, EFAA, PWFA, CFRA, PDL, Cal/OSHA Labor Code section 6310, Labor Code section 1102.5 whistleblower (civil penalty up to $10,000 per violation)

How to File an Employment Claim in Contra Costa County

Civil employment lawsuits in Contra Costa County are typically filed through the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553, (925) 608-1000. The court's hours page also says non-criminal court records at 725 Court Street, Room 103 are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Court locations | Court hours

For discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other California civil-rights claims, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) says employment complaints generally must be started within 3 years of the last harmful act, and workers can begin the process online through the California Civil Rights System (CCRS), or by mail, email, phone, or in person. CRD complaint process

For unpaid wages, overtime, meal and rest breaks, sick leave, reimbursements, and other wage-theft issues, the California Labor Commissioner's Office (DLSE) explains that wage claims can be filed online, by email, by mail, or in person, and the filing windows generally range from 1 to 4 years depending on the type of claim. DLSE wage-claim process

Government Resources for Contra Costa County Workers

Why Contra Costa County Workers Choose Eghbali Law Firm

• Employees only

  We never represent employers. Every resource goes toward winning your case.

• No fee unless we win

  You pay nothing unless we recover for you. No upfront costs. No hidden fees.

• Free confidential consultation

  No cost to speak with us. Everything you share is protected by attorney-client privilege.

• Statewide California practice

  We serve workers across all of California regardless of where you live or work.

• Phone or video - no office visit needed

  Most consultations happen by phone or video. You only attend if your testimony is required.

• Multilingual staff available

  We serve clients in multiple languages - contact us to discuss your case in your preferred language.