Teamsters Attorneys Win Just Cause Protections

[Omaha Steve]

https://teamster.org/2026/02/teamsters-attorneys-win-just-cause-protections/

Arbitrator Rules in Favor of Teamsters Local 856 Members

Press Contact: Maura Drumm Phone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

(SAN FRANCISCO) — For the first time, hundreds of attorneys with the San Francisco Municipal Attorneys Association (MAA) and members of Teamsters Local 856 have won just cause job protections through arbitration.

“This is a huge win for our members, and a great example of not backing down from a big fight,” said Peter Finn, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 856 and Director of the Teamsters Public Services and Health Care Division. “Teamsters attorney Matt Finnegan led this fight, and this win shows what can be accomplished through persistence and smart, tactical, and aggressive advocacy.”

The association is comprised of 500 deputy district attorneys, deputy public defenders, and city attorneys serving the citizens of San Francisco. The members — who affiliated with the Teamsters in 2024 — were at-will employees, meaning they had no job protections designed to insulate them from the political process. On the heels of similar wins in Alameda and San Mateo Counties, this group is the third group of Local 856 public attorneys to win just cause protections.

“This decision corrects a long-standing historical anomaly, finally bringing San Francisco into alignment with the standard employment expectations for public attorneys across California,” said Nathan Quigley, President of the Municipal Attorneys Association. “This change ensures that local public law offices cannot be weaponized for political gain. Public attorneys must be empowered to fulfill their duties based on ethics and the law.”

Teamsters Local 856 is a growing union of over 20,000 working people throughout Northern California and represents over 7,000 public sector members in the region. For more information, visit teamsters856.org.