Under the California Labor Code, employment without a specific term is "at will," meaning either employer or employee can terminate it without notice or reason at any time unless there's a contract stating otherwise.
At-will employment solely focuses on either the termination of an employee or when an employee leaves. Right-to-work statutes make employers offer the choice of joining a union or not, but limit their ability to terminate employees if they choose to represent themselves.
At the federal level, right-to-work laws are authorized by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947, which amended the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). This legislation gave states the power to decide whether or not they would implement right-to-work laws.
In other words, this measure will permanently force employees to join a labor union that is already entrenched at their employer in order to keep their job. While Illinois is currently a NON right-to-work state, this amendment will effectively prevent Illinois from ever becoming a right-to-work state.
A state that has a law prohibiting union security agreements is a so-called “Right to Work” state. In these states, employees in unionized workplaces cannot negotiate employment contracts which require that all benefitting members contribute to the costs of the representation in negotiation.
The picture looks a bit different if you're in states like California or New York. These states don't have right-to-work laws, meaning union membership or dues could be required depending on the specific agreements.
Advocates argue these laws protect individual freedom in the workplace, promote effective unions, and bring economic growth. On the other hand, critics argue that right-to-work laws limit and undermine unions, decrease wages and benefits and compromise safety in the workplace.
For most workers, the answer to “Can you be fired without warning in California?” is yes. Employers are generally not required to give employees any notice before terminating them. This is part of the at-will employment doctrine that allows employers to end the employment relationship at any time.