Apr
2012 9
2012 9
Meet Dick Eiden, the Man Challenging Darrell Issa in California’s “Fightin’ 49th” District
Congressmen Darell Issa of California is a sort of Public Enemy #1 in progressive political circles. The man who infamously stole a car from his old Army unit buddy and invented the Viper anti-theft device has waged an unabated war on workers and women. Come November, though, he will face a challenge in the form ...
Mar
2012 27
2012 27
4,000 Jobs, $2 Billion in “Economic Impact” Slated for Long Beach Bridge Construction
Construction tradesmen are waiting anxiously to find out who will be awarded a $700 million contract to replace the Gerald Desmond bridge in Long Beach. A Project Labor Agreement that would ensure local and minority hire, as well as safety and wage provisions, has been discussed but not yet approved: Proposals for the new bridge, ...
Mar
2012 26
2012 26
Labor Leaders Publish 6-Point “Invest in California” Plan, Unveil Opposition Argument to PLA Ban
The California Labor Federation and the State Building and Construction Trades Council (SBCTC) recently unveiled their new “Invest in California” jobs plan which they are labeling as a “job plan for the 99 percent.” Looking to reinvigorate California’s economy, labor leaders put together the 6-point plan to provide a...
Mar
2012 16
2012 16
Huge Port of Los Angeles Project Breaks Ground with Union Labor
Los Angeles’ signing of a Project Labor Agreement for the Port of Los Angeles development was easily one of 2011′s highlights for the construction industry. Yesterday, ground broke on the multi-faceted effort: The Downtown Harbor project will cut into approximately 1.2 acres of existing waterfront land along Harbor Boulevard between...
Mar
2012 16
2012 16
Union-Busting Law Firm Brought In for California CWA Negotiations
The Pacifica Foundation, which owns multiple radio stations, has hired notorious anti-union law firm Jackson Lewis in preparation for negotiations with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9415. Workers at San Francisco’s KPFA are calling for solidarity as they prepare for what is likely to be a lengthy and grueling process: Last...
Mar
2012 4
2012 4
CA’s Paycheck Deception Ballot Measure Includes a “Giant Loophole to Allow for Unlimited Corporate Spending on Campaigns”
The misleadingly titled “Stop Special Interest Money Now” Act was picked apart in this Friday’s edition of the San Jose Mercury News. In an op-ed regarding California’s latest paycheck deception bill, Ron Lind writes: The measure is a wolf in sheep’s clothing designed to fool voters into approving a corporate power...
Mar
2012 2
2012 2
“At this time, the county of Ventura has 34 active public works contracts. Three out of five of these contracts are with contractors from outside Ventura County.”
Project Labor Agreements draw the ire of anti-union Republicans because they view them as a union vs. non-union issue. Yet, many demographics benefit from PLAs, including the demographic of ‘people who get their name called thanks to local hiring provisions therein.’ Maricela Morales of the Ventura County Star recently wrote a piece...
Mar
2012 1
2012 1
The 49ers Become Second NFL Team to Enter Into Local Hire-Ensuring PLA this Offseason
The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the construction of their new stadium in Santa Clara, California. The PLA that involves the NFC runners up was initiated by the stadium design-build contractor Turner/Devcon and the Santa Clara Building Trades Council. It will ensure, among other efficiencies and standards,...
Feb
2012 28
2012 28
The Anti-Union ABC is Wasting Taxpayer Time, Forcing California to Draft a Law that Enforces Another They Already Passed
Hearings are approaching on California Senate Bill 829, legislation aimed at enforcing an already-passed law dictating that local governments can not receive state funding for construction if they enact a blanket ban on Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) for public works. Last year, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 922, disqualifying local...
Feb
2012 28
2012 28
CA Gov Jerry Brown Gives Huge Shoutout to Union Apprenticeship Programs on “Meet the Press”
This Sunday’s edition of Meet the Press was music to Building Trades leaders ears when California Governor Jerry Brown took a question from David Gregory concerning higher education and flipped it into a ringing endorsement for the apprenticeship training that building and construction trades unions have been investing in and touting for...
Feb
2012 23
2012 23
Ivanpah Solar Project to Create Over 1,400 Union Jobs, Double U.S. Output of Thermal Electricity
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has been awarded the CSP Project of the Year by Solar Power Generation USA. The plant, currently being built in the Mojave desert, is going to become the largest concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the world upon completion. It will double the United States’ output of thermal electricity ...
Feb
2012 17
2012 17
“The earth will move again in California, and the bridge must stay intact.”
Juliette Kayyem penned an interesting opinion piece in the Boston Globe titled, “Bridge to the future: This time, let’s build infrastructure that lasts.” In the piece, Kayyem stresses the importance of looking beyond the immediate, job-creating impact of infrastructure investment: Infrastructure projects are too often promoted...
