Calif. Injured Workers, Advocates Hold Conferences

Injured workers and their advocates will hold a series of news conferences across California on Wednesday, June 23, to protest the loss of medical care and disability benefits, and the reported failure of insurance carriers to pass on to businesses the billions in reduced costs. The events will take place as the Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee votes on a bill to regulate insurance rates.

Injured workers and their allies will call for a 30 percent rate rollback on July 1 and regulation of excessive rates.

“The new cuts have already had a horrible impact on injured workers, while insurance companies are doubling their stock prices and mailing out dividend checks to their investors, said David Schwartz, president-elect California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA).
“‘Apportionment’ has been misinterpreted to cut off injured workers from benefits. Outrageous decisions have blamed elderly workers for bringing their infirmities to the job. Mothers have been blamed for having had children and the physical impact that had on their bodies. Everyone is paying the price except the insurance companies, who are laughing all the way to the bank.”

The conferences will be held at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board at the following locations:

Fresno 2550 Mariposa Street; Long Beach 300 Oceangate Drive – Noon; Los Angeles 320 W. 4th Street; Oakland 1515 Clay Street; Pomona 435 W. Mission Boulevard; Redding 2115 Civic Center Drive; Riverside 3737 Main Street; Sacramento 2424 Arden Way; Salinas 1800 N. Main Street; San Diego 7575 Metropolitan Road; Santa Ana 28 Civic Center Plaza; Santa Rosa 50 D Street; Stockton 31 E. Channel Street; Van Nuys 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard.