July 5th was supposed to see the State Center College Board of Trustees take up the issue of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) but it was not to be. After being contacted by CFEC's Eric Christen and Associated Builders and Contractors of NorCal's Nicole Goehring, the Board pulled the item. Sometimes it's that easy. Please thank the board TODAY for not bringing this discriminatory issue forward:
Napa County Board of Supervisors Approves PLA Negotiations on "Test Case" Project
For 6 years the Napa-Solano County Building and Construction Trades Council has been working to get Napa County to place a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on all their county construction projects. While they have failed it is not for want of trying. Now they are back at it.
In December, while discussing "local hire" (often used as a pretense for PLAs) County Supervisor Luce raised the issue of PLAs and how they might help facilitate the goal of increased "local hire". As a result of this meeting County staff was asked to conduct a ($90,000+) review of the local labor market to see if there is even a need for a "local hire" requirement. Staff hired Craft Consulting Group to conduct the study. In their report Craft gave an analysis of the local labor market but did not include one key component: What the breakdown was of union vs. non-union firms. This is critical if one is to know the impact a PLA will probably have on County bids. Nevertheless staff, in its report to the board has made it clear that a PLA does not in fact increase "local hire". Why? Because a) it is illegal to require people from certain areas be hired over other citizens and b) PLAs don't, in fact, require "local hire" because of this legality. All PLAs do is include some vague language that sets goals when it comes to hiring "local."
At the Board's meeting on July 12th the staff gave their report and, not surprisingly, Supervisors Luce used it as a chance to jump into a PLA on for the County's $16.9 million Re-entry Facility. Offering no rationale other than "We need to try it!" the Supervisors approved PLA negotiations with local union bosses as well as approving a "local hire" policy that also needs to be crafted and the PLA would refer to in order to achieve "local hire" goals. We will be watching both of these developments closely. CFEC's Eric Christen addressed the board at this meeting and the local paper
wrote a story about how the PLA could increase costs.
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Approves PLA on Jail Hardening Project
Private Development in City of Oakland Will Have PLA So Developer Can Avoid Conveyance
Union bosses and liberal politicians these days are more corporatists than they are Marxists. A perfect example of this is the PLA that has been "agreed" to on this private development in Oakland. It's quite something to read, which you can do
here.
Los Angeles Rams Football Stadium PLA Completed
If you are a Rams fan you may want to consider not visiting a stadium built on discrimination,
as this one will now be.
Sweetwater Union High School District Approves PLA for Bond Work
On June 11th the Sweetwater Union High School District School Board
approved a PLA for their remaining bond work. The PLA was approved unanimously with one abstention (a member of the IBEW. Not kidding.). Sweetwater can expect the same results they have achieved at San Diego Unified and Southwestern College, which is fewer bidders and increased costs in the 40% range.
City of Berkley to Use Zoning to Force PLA on Private Work
The rezone of Telegraph Avenue in Berkley has had a unique twist added to it: A PLA. In a first-of-its-kind tactic union bosses have used their tools on the Berkley City Council
to mandate a PLA on all work to take place on any project built there. What is the reasoning behind this? With a PLA the city can get out of having to provide any oversight of the development, because under PLAs nothing ever goes wrong, don't you know.
Chargers Stadium Project and PLA in Dire Straights
City of Stockton to Vote on City-Wide PLA on Tuesday, July 26th
Having just emerged from bankruptcy brought about chiefly due to overly generous union retirement mandates for city employees, the City Council in that mismanaged entity has shown that it is none the wiser despite the bankruptcy. On Tuesday, July 26th, the City Council
will vote on a city-wide PLA for all work over $1 million. If you are interested in helping to support a lawsuit that seeks to once and for all end these types of generic PLAs please contact CFEC today.
