| Join Our List |
 |
|
|
| Dear Supporter of Fair and Open Competition: |
|
It has been another busy couple of weeks as those opposed to discrimination in the form of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) have multiple fronts to fight on around the state. From Sacramento to San Diego and all points in between PLA forces are as active as ever.
If you are able to help us here at CFEC keep up this fight against PLAs please go to our website right now and donate using a credit card. If you prefer you can send a check to us at PO Box 1627, Poway CA 92074. We need your support to be able to answer all of these threats across our state!
To the report:
|
| Cities |
|
San Jose
: After defeating a union PLA last year at the city council the local building trades, furious over their loss, submitted language to the city that showed they intended to put on the ballot an ordinance that, once approved, would have forced PLAs on all public and private projects. Cowed into "negotiating" with the unions San Jose Mayor Sam Licardo had placed on the council's April 3 agenda a motion to approve "negotiations" with local unions on a city-wide PLA on publicly funded projects over $3 million. Before the vote CFEC sent a letter to the council outlining exactly what was happening with this extortion and how it would not be the last time union bosses used it if they were enabled here:
April 2, 2018 Email to San Jose City Council: Before you reward trade union extortion on the Project Labor Agreement issue please consider this...
After hours of debate in the end the vote was 6-3 with Councilmembers Johnny Khamis, Dev Davis and Lan Diep all voting to protect workers' rights and against the PLA. Please send them a thank you for their efforts to keep competition alive in San Jose. CFEC will be monitoring the "negotiations" and be working to make sure any PLA is as fair as possible to all workers. You can reach those who voted against the PLA at:
San Francisco:
After keeping the city-wide PLA beat back for years it appears that pro-PLA forces are getting close to voting on one. It also appears the San Francisco Giants are back in the business of promoting discrimination by working with union leaders to exclude merit shop workers from a new development they are undertaking. This is the same team that built it's baseball park under a PLA in 1999. From the local trades' newsletter:
2. Supervisor Farrell's office was having the City Attorney review our amendments to his Citywide project labor agreement (PLA) policy legislation. The Laborers and Council of cers had held a productive meeting with Supervisor Farrell to discuss four issues the Laborers had raised.
3. We would caucus on the Parkmerced PLA after the meeting.
4. John Doherty of Electricians 6 and Jon Knorpp of the Giants had held productive discussions on "Main Point of Entry" (MPOE) language in the Mission Rock PLA. Knorpp was reviewing the language with his side. The Secretary believed we were nearly done with negotiations for that PLA, although we would still need to work out coverage of tenant improvement work in the Letter of Intent.
5. The Board of Business Representatives would caucus on negotiations for the Parkmerced project labor agreement (PLA) January 9. The Secretary had met with Seth Mallen of Parkmerced December 12 for an informal discussion of the PLA. The Business Times Had reported that the project would break ground in the 1st half of this year.
Selma
: PLA proponents did a good job of sneaking a city-wide PLA by us in the small central California town of Selma when, on March 5, they voted to approve a PLA on the new jail that is being built thanks to a bond measure that was approved by voters. We have submitted a Public Records Act request to try and find out where this came from so as to keep a better eye out for similar threats in the future. Please consider contacting the city council today to express your outrage over this discriminatory and money wasting action. They can be reached here.
Palmdale:
The Antelope Valley has become a ripe target for PLA proponents over the past year. After having never had a PLA in 18 years of CFEC's existence despite trying (we had defeated 3 PLAs there previously) they now have had 4 put into effect. The latest is the City of Palmdale where the council voted 5-0 on April 3 to begin "negotiations" on a PLA with local trade unions. CFEC contacted the city council and explained why a PLA would be harmful to local workers and taxpayers but when an IBEW representative sits on the council and your Mayor, who is also facing criminal felony charges for bribery, are two of your votes, you know you're in trouble. Please contact the city council and let them know where you stand on this issue and that any PLA that is brought back to them for final approval should not include discriminatory language.
San Diego:
Local union boss attended the April 10 San Diego City Council meeting to let it be known he wants a PLA, sorry "skilled and trained workforce provisions", placed on the Pure Water San Diego Program, North City Project. This billion dollar plus project is an obvious target for unions and we are tracking this every step of the way. Tom seems to have forgotten that PLAs are banned in San Diego and his cute euphemism won't cut it if his tools on the council try and force it on this project. Stay tuned.
|
| Education |
|
Anaheim Elementary School District:
On April 11th the AESD Trustees voted 5-0 to approve "negotiations" on a district-wide PLA. CFEC will monitor this "negotiations" and see what language is brought back to the board for approval.
Santa Ana Unified School District:
Having just approved a district-wide PLA the SAUSD school board is now looking to add more debt to its already enormous bond debt by going to voters for another $500 million construction bond. CFEC's Art Pedroza addressed the trustees at a recent board meeting to let them know that the CFEC would be educating voters about how this district wastes tax dollars and discriminates against workers. Stay tuned.
|
| State |
|
Senate Bill 825 (California Prison Construction):
CFEC's Kevin Dayton summarizes here what happened last week at the latest hearing on this bill and what it is we are facing with this legislation. Click on the video below and see what 200 merit-shop employees look like stuffed in a hearing room!
High Speed Rail
: This PLA covered boondoggle continues to generate horrible press for any number of reasons not the least of which is its ballooning budget and failure to keep on schedule.
|
| Residential Housing |
|
Do you home builders think your market is safe from PLAs? Robbie Hunter disagrees.
State of CA Building Trades Robbie Hunter on residential construction in California: "We're going to take that industry back."
|
|
| |
|
