Oakland, CA – The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC) announces the reappointment of Shelley Kessler to the Commission by Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon. Kessler is reappointed as a labor representative to serve on the Commission through December 31, 2025.
Shelley Kessler is a former Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council which represents 110 affiliated local unions and over 70,000 working member families. She worked at the Labor Council for 31 years, first as the political director and subsequently as the head of the organization until her retirement. During that time, she was also a Vice-President of the California State Labor Federation. She is a 37-year member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Her experience in working on the floor at General Motors, Fremont, CA and Westinghouse Electric, Sunnyvale, CA, compelled her to become involved in worker health and safety issues. Kessler has served on the boards of the Santa Clara Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Worksafe, and later the advisory boards of both Cal/OSHA and the Labor Occupational Health Program at UC Berkeley, in addition to CHSWC.
A total of eight (8) Commissioners are appointed by the governor and the legislature. Labor Code 75 establishes that two of the employer members and that two of the labor members of the Commission shall be appointed by the governor for a sub-total of four (4) members. The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint one employer and one labor representative for a sub-total of four (4) members. Additional information about CHSWC’s Commissioners is posted online.
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. The commission was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers’ compensation system and of the state’s activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational illnesses and to examine those programs in other states.
Source: CA DIR