In a show of how an association can effectively support its members, the California Landscape Contractors Association recently sent out a legislative alert, asking their members to actively oppose a pending bill whose passage could threaten their businesses. The association even set up a way to expedite opposition letters to state senators.

One of the stated purposes of most, if not all, associations is to serve as a legislative watchdog for members; keeping track of bills and proposals on federal and state issues that can favorably or adversely affect the members' businesses, and then acting on their behalf to promote or prevent said legislation.

An example of this was recently on display when the California Landscape Contractors Association sent out a legislative alert to its members, asking them to send their state senators letters of opposition to a pending bill, whose passage could threaten the landscape contracting business.

The bill in question, AB 2416, would allow employees or their lawyers to put a lien on an employer's
property for "an alleged, but unproven claim for unpaid wages or other compensation such as meal and rest period time." It would also allow an employee to put a wage lien on a property where an employee worked "under certain circumstances."

The communiqu????(R)???(C) deduces, reasonably so, that a law such as this would give clients pause when considering hiring landscape contractors.

To simplify the task of sending the opposition letters, the message included a link to the association's Legislative Action Center.

This makes a case for associations focusing on their strengths to benefit their members.