California’s Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC) held a public meeting on Friday, September 27, 2024.

daisyBill representatives attended, and we were impressed by the Commissioners' sincere dedication to carefully examining a wide variety of challenges facing California’s workers.

For three hours, these volunteer members of the Commission listened, offered detailed presentations, and engaged in substantive discussions about the issues facing the workforce. The Commission also took public comments and made specific plans to follow up in greater detail on issues raised by attendees.

Contrast this with a recent meeting of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), an insurers’ advocacy group, which was an exercise in going through the motions to maintain the indefensible status quo.

Who Is CHSWC?

According to the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) website, CHSWC is “charged with examining the health and safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation.” CHSWC reports directly to the DIR and the Governor.

The Commission consists of eight volunteers, four representing employers and four from organized labor. The Governor appoints four Commissioners, while the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Rules Committee appoint two members each.

CHSWC recommendations are critical in guiding California legislators and regulators to improve the workers’ comp system, mainly through its comprehensive annual reports—which is why we advocate so strongly for CHSWC to scrutinize those reports’ underlying WCIRB and WCIS questionable data.

CHSWC Meeting Gets Specific

daisyBill has attended many useless, performative meetings that purport to address workers’ rights while accomplishing zilch. We are happy to report that CHSWC’s meeting was not one of those.

The agenda (below) focused on ultra-specific topics, with challenges identified and detailed plans of action proposed. Worker advocates presented on enforcement of safety standards, a University of California Occupational Medicine specialist dug deep into injuries arising from stone fabrication, and DIR Director Katie Hagen offered procedural and organizational suggestions.

In other words, this CHSWC meeting was designed to assess and improve working conditions for California employees.

Public questions and comments were met with substantive answers and concrete plans to follow up on concerns voiced by each speaker, including daisyBill CEO Catherine Montgomery.

Kudos to the CHSWC Commissioners and other state officials, including DIR Director Hagen and CHSWC Acting Executive Officer David Botelho, who devoted several hours to this meeting.

Is CHSWC the Only Entity Serious About Reform?

CHSWC’s obvious commitment to substantively addressing the challenges of California’s workers stands in stark contrast to that of other entities, which seem dedicated to preserving the unconscionable—but profitable—state of the system as currently mismanaged by the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC).

Take the WCIRB, for example, which supplies CHSWC with unverified, self-reported insurer data. daisyBill attended a September 25 WCIRB meeting, at which absolutely nothing of substance was discussed, planned, or accomplished. A few new WCIRB members were announced, a few formalities performed, and everyone was off to an early lunch in less than 30 minutes.

With entities like the WCIRB presenting insurer advocacy that the public may reasonably mistake for objective analyses, it’s even more important for state agencies to play an active role. Sadly, the DWC has made its abdication of its role plain for all to behold—which is what makes the efforts of CHSWC that much more vital (and appreciated).

We look forward to attending future CHSWC meetings (while sighing through future WCIRB meetings).

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