Labor leaders shuffle posts after 1 retires

San Francisco has always been a big union town, so news of a shake-up at the top of the city’s labor organizations is worth noting.

Mike Theriault, secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, had announced his retirement — and his successor and that successor’s successor have now been chosen.

Tim Paulson, executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council, which represents 140 unions in the city, will take over Theriault’s position. Paulson, a former tile setter, will work with Theriault, an ironworker by trade, until the latter retires in July.

Paulson is also on the executive committee of the State Federation of Labor and chairman of the Labor Caucus of the California Democratic Party. Larry Mazzola Jr., president of the Building and Construction Trades Council, said he’s thrilled that Paulson is coming on board.

“Tim’s history of legislative and electoral success and his statelevel profile will bring our issues to a new level,” Mazzola said.

Taking over for Paulson at the Labor Council is Rudy Gonzalez, vice president of the Teamsters Local 856. He was unanimously selected by his colleagues on the labor council’s executive board. Supervisor Aaron

Peskin presided over a lunch recognizing Paulson and Gonzalez at Original Joe’s on Friday.

“There’s been jockeying as to who goes where, and it all got worked out internally among them,” Peskin said, adding he has respect