From San Diego:
The California Applicants Attorneys Association has now affiliated with several Teamsters Joint Councils 7 and 42 and the California Teamsters Public Affairs Council.
For some years now there’s been tension between the house of labor and applicant attorneys. As several speakers acknowledged, it was time either to acknowledge likely continued estrangement and deterioration in the relationship or time to rebuild.
Applicant attorneys have had an estranged relationship with many key union figures going back to the 1970’s, the time of the first Brown administration. This reached a culmination in 2004, when attorneys were shut out of backroom negotiations in the early days of the Schwarzenegger administration.
Since that time, attorneys have tried to rebuild these relationships, with some success but with some wariness on both sides.
The irony is that both the applicant atorneys and labor have been strong supporters of the same politicians and political intersts in Sacramento. And applicant attorneys have continued to advocate for worker rights and worker safety even as union membership in California declined.
But style and personality issues were a huge problem.
The Teamster/CAAA alliance signals a new day.
Rebuild it will be.
In the words of one Sacramento power player,rather than “wondering what goes on in the house of labor”, applicant attorneys will now “occupy one of the bedrooms in that house”.
Among other key points made:
-part of the past problem between CAAA and labor was a result of style rather than content
-many figures in the labor community have regrets over SB899
-“you belong with us’
-key labor figures, including ones at the California Federation of Labor, are appreciative of this move
-as a class, the public does not like lawyers but they do like lawyers who help people and applicant attorneys fit that description
-applicant attorneys help the most vulnerable and deserve labor’s respect and cooperation
What’s the significance of this? The analysis posted on Workers’ Comp Executive says it best:
http://wcexec.com/POLITICAL-REALITY-CHA … -COMP.aspx
Julius Young
www.boxerlaw.com
www.thecompguys.org
Category: Political developments
510.835.8870