"Aye" for the confirmation of Christine Baker

Tomorrow Lori and I will be in Sacramento supporting confirmation of Christine Baker. She has been a great friend of Small Business California and California small businesses at the Department of Industrial Relations and the Commission on Health Safety and Workers Compensation. Small See below for background information.


I read an interesting story about workplace violence which is on the increase. The article said 52% of the workforce had either experienced this or knew someone who was involved in this. The most interesting part of the story was 13 states have passed laws prohibiting employers from having a policy in place which would disallow employees from having guns in their vehicles in their parking lot. Don’t think California has this law.

Thank you NRA.

Scott Hauge
President
Small Business California
2311 Taraval Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
shauge@cal-insure.com
415-680-2188


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FLASH REPORT!


Confirm Christine Baker as Head of DIR

Workers' Comp Executive endorses and encourages the Senate to confirm the appointment of Christine Baker as director of the Department of Industrial Relations. Rarely have we seen as effective a leader who can both get things done and work proactively and collaboratively with labor, worker organizations, employers and employer organizations and other government agencies. Ms. Baker has served in the Department for many years, and has been Acting Director long enough for all to see her effectiveness, and for those involved to experience her depth in the issues the Division manages. Especially visible is her ability to actually make things happen.

Christine Baker is a breath of fresh air in government service.

Baker is qualified: Much of her expertise and experience comes from working with labor and management as the Executive Officer for the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation. Baker was the acting deputy director at the Division of Workers' Compensation, the chief of the Division of Labor Statistics and Research and instrumental in workers' comp reforms.

Baker has been active: In helping to stamp out the underground economy with particular emphasis on enforcing the law against workers' comp premium fraud, she is protecting both workers and employers. She has been instrumental in recommending and recruiting qualified Department heads such as Rosa Moran, currently up for confirmation as Administrative Director of Workers' Comp.

Baker also serves widely and well on other boards and commissions: In so doing she brings honor to the State, the government and the industries she regulates: she has or does serve on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC); the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Social Insurance; the Insurance Commissioner's Fraud Task Force; ex officio on the Board of State Fund; she has chaired the Commissioner's Workers' Compensation Fraud Focus Group; and the Advisory Committee of the International Forum on Disability Management.

Her focus has been to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the DIR programs to improve the working conditions of all California workers. Baker has made more things happen in one year of tenure than the previous administration allowed its Director to do in many.

Our vote is "Aye" on the confirmation of Christine Baker.