Just in the past week the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) and our allies have fought Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) in Elk Grove, Sacramento, Martinez, San Francisco and at the State Capitol!
This is why we need your support! Please consider donating to CFEC's anti-PLA efforts today with a credit card donation
HERE. Be it $2,500 or even $250 you support will go a long way to helping push back against the PLA threat in California.
State
Senate Bill 825 Passes Democrat Controlled Senate: The California State Senate
voted 26-11 Tuesday to move SB 825 to the State Assembly. Senator Bob Glazer was the only Democrat to break from the sycophant union, err, "Democratic" caucus (he abstained) while Senator Anthony Cannella (Republican-Union CA) was the only Republican to vote AYE.
Thank you to Senators Jeff Stone (R) and Joel Anderson (R) who spoke in opposition.
Senate Floor Hearing on SB 825.
Our fight now turns to the State Assembly. Please contact CFEC if you would like to help stop this big labor special interest giveaway that will harm inmate training opportunities and raise construction costs.
Administrative Office of the Courts: The AOC's Judicial Council was visited by CFEC's Eric Christen, Bergelectric's
Helix Electric's Ed Noble speaking before the Judicial Council.
Stacy King and Helix Electric's Ed Noble last Thursday to ask them why the AOC and its staff has not kept its word on holding a discussion on PLAs following the completion of its San Diego Courthouse project. When that project mysteriously had a PLA placed on it the AOC's Facilities Council stated that it would use it "as a test case" at the conclusion of which the AOC would hold a meeting to discuss what it had learned form the process. We are sure the fact this project
was a disaster has nothing to do with the fact the meeting has yet to be held. In the meantime another courthouse project has mysteriously had a PLA placed on it with no input or vote from the Judicial Council or the Facilities sub-committee. This is unacceptable and CFEC is demanding answers. Please stay tuned on this important issue.
Cities
San Francisco: CFEC and our allies have been fighting for 18 years to keep the City of San Francisco from putting a city-wide PLA into effect. Suddenly PLA proponents are trying to force a vote on it this coming Tuesday. The PLA was supposed to be heard in various committees first to be debated. But due to its controversial nature the introduction is being bounced around like a political football. No one wants it heard in their committee. City Councilperson Ahsha Safai chairs the Rules Committee and Councilperson Jane Kim chairs the Government Audit Committee, both of which have pulled the PLA from committee. Instead on Tuesday, June 5th (Election Day!), it is going to have its first reading before the entire Council! First vote will be June 12th follow by second and final vote on June 19th. This is outrageous and it must be opposed. If you would like to find out what you can do to push back against this effort to discriminate against workers in San Francisco please contact CFEC today. Local minority contractors explained what is at stake in
this excellent press release!
Elk Grove: Also last week the City of Elk Grove's City Council, at the request of its Mayor, had a discussion on the issue of a city-wide PLA even though the Mayor couldn't bring himself to
Eric Christen addresses the Elk Grove City Council.
refer to it as a PLA. While the Mayor and staff tried to keep this discussion from thee public eye CFEC discovered the agenda item in its weekly PLA agenda search. CFEC and LIS's Kevin Dayton
wrote this excellent op-ed explaining what was going on here and why it is the Mayor was trying to sneak around on this issue. At the end of the night, after hearing from ABC NorCal's Nicole Goehring, WECA's Richard Markuson, CFEC's Eric Christen, and an employee from Dede Construction, the Council rejected the Mayor's call to force a PLA vote and instead voted to create two ad-hoc committees to explore apprentice and local hire issues. A good victory for freedom!
San Diego: Currently CFEC is preparing a legal challenge to the Gaylord Resort project in Chula Vista that has a PLA being "negotiated" for its construction. Considering the City of Chula Vista is going to be putting approximately $200 million towards the project the fact it has a PLA violates Measure G which voters approved overwhelmingly in 2010. Measure G bans city funds on any project that uses a PLA. We will be holding a meeting in early June that explains what our plan is so let CFEC know if you would like to participate.
Education
Martinez Unified School District: CFEC and our allies have been fighting a PLA at this District for 5 years. Tuesday the Board of Trustees held a discussion on the latest with regards to PLA "negotiations". As you can see from their draft PLA the only thing that is being negotiated are the terms of the District's surrender. Stay tuned as this issue heads towards an actual vote in the coming months.
Join CFEC for an early election night reception as we celebrate 20 years fighting PLAs!
