Please take some time today to Email/contact elected officials of three bay area local governments who are considering union-only Project Labor Agreements
- City of Concord for Concord Naval Weapons Station
- City of Dublin for citywide public works
- Contra Costa Community College District for 2006 Measure A Construction Bond
Other Items
Sacramento Regional Transit
H. R. 735 – Government Neutrality in Contracting Act
Note: For correspondence sent to citycouncil@ci.concord.ca.us , please put "Attention" followed by the name of the specific elected official.
Mayor Laura M. Hoffmeister: citycouncil@ci.concord.ca.us
Vice Mayor Ron Leone: ronaldleone@comcast.net
Councilmember Dan Helix: danhelix@att.net
Councilmember Tim Grayson: timgrayson2010@hotmail.com
Councilmember William D. Shinn: citycouncil@ci.concord.ca.us
Media Coverage:
When Concord Naval Weapons Station is developed, will work crews be union?
Contra Costa Times
When Concord Naval Weapons Station is developed, will work crews be union?
San Jose Mercury News
When Concord Naval Weapons Station is developed, will work crews be union?
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Concord proposes test drive to pit union workers against contractors
Halfway to Concord Blog
Concord recommends pointless Test Drive in PLA battle for CNWS projects
Halfway to Corcord Blog
Mayor Tim Sbranti: tsbranti@aol.com
Vice Mayor Kevin Hart: kevin.hart@dublin.ca.gov
Councilmember Eric Swalwell: eric.swalwell@dublin.ca.gov
Councilmember Don Biddle: don.biddle@ci.dublin.ca.us
Councilmember Kasie Hildenbrand: kasie@hildenbrand.org
John T. Nejedly
President - Term Expires 12.2.14 – Ward IV
(Alamo, Blackhawk/Tassajara, Byron, Clayton, Danville, Discovery Bay, San Ramon and Walnut Creek)
37 Quail Ct. Suite 103 121 Pinnacle Ridge Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Danville, CA 94526
(925) 944-4777
(925) 944-4774 Fax
www.Nejcorp.com
nejedlyj@sbcglobal.net
Tomi Van de Brooke
Vice President - Term Expires 12.4.12 - Ward II
(Canyon, Crockett, Hercules, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Pinole, Port Costa, Rodeo and western Pleasant Hill)
(925) 457-6260 Cell
tomivdb@comcast.net
Sheila A. Grilli
Secretary - Term Expires 12.2.14 – Ward III
(Concord, Martinez, Pacheco, Pleasant Hill and western Bay Point)
610 Ferry St. 1315 Court St.
Martinez, CA 94553 Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 228-6422
(925) 451-2586 Cell
(925) 228-7942 Fax
sgrilli@aol.com
Media Coverage:
College District toys with PLAs for School Construction Bond
Halfway to Concord Blog
PLA show down at Contra Costa Community College District, Sept 14
Halfway to Concord Blog
Sacramento RT votes for second time to keep PLA for $270M South Corridor Light Rail Project - Please thank the six RT board members, merit shop champions, who stood by workers and taxpayers alike: Hume, Sanders, Morin, MacGlashan, Nottoli and Miller. You can thank them by emailing them here.
In December of 2009 the Board of Directors for the Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District voted to give staff the go-ahead to negotiate and execute a PLA with local Big Labor special interests on the South Sacramento Corridor Phase 2 Light Rail Extension Project. The RT has a mixed record of PLA use having used one in 1998 then building two projects PLA-free in the mid-2000's when President Bush's Executive Order banning PLAs on any project receiving federal funds made that impossible. In 2009, with that Executive Order countermanded by President Obama (as one of his first acts as the "Hope and Change" President) these types of projects once again became fair game for exclusionary PLAs.
Background:
December 2009:
Resolution No. 09-12-0206 was passed in December 14, 2009 authorizing the General Manager/CEO of Sacramento RT to Negotiate and Execute a Project Labor Agreement for Use in the Construction of the $2.5B South Sacramento Corridor Phase 2 Light Rail Extension Project.
July 2011:
ABC discovers the draft Project Labor Agreement through a Public Records Request to RT.
August 22, 2011:
There was confusion amongst RT Board Directors during Board comments at the end of the RT meeting regarding whether or not the item could come back to the new RT board for revisions.
September 12:
RT Board to vote on Agenda Item 8
Earlier this year, with some turnover in the RT board having occurred, a coalition of workers, contractors, and associations approached the new board and asked them to alter the existing PLA by providing a new exhibit containing “Fair PLA Language” for the RT board to consider.
Staff did a fair job of presenting the issue and indicated a draft PLA was in hand and they were waiting to hire a third party consultant "negotiate" the final document with local Big Labor special interests. Staff also indicated that if the issue were held up too long that the RT might lose out on $4.3 million in state funds.
After public comment by Sacramento Labor boss Matt Kelly and merit shop contractors and representatives, the board then took up the issue. PLA proponents (Cohn, Pannell, Serna, and Fong) said nothing at all. Pannell said she would support the PLA because she wants people in her district to get work. Fortunately the other six members of the board were refreshing in the depth and breadth of their questioning to both staff and to one another. Board members Hume and Sander were particularly strong with statements affirming open competition and taxpayer savings (with Sander even quoting Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek !). Board members Morin, Miller, and Nottoli also spoke of their support for "fairness" and against what they saw as the "limiting" aspects of PLAs.
Finally, a motion was made by board member Hume that asked for the first phase of this project (a $20 million bridge) to be excluded from any PLA consideration and that staff be directed to negotiate a fair PLA with all parties at the table. This common sense was seconded by Board member Morin and supported by 6 of the 10 board members who were present. Board member and swing vote Ashby, whom contractors spent most of the day emailing their position to, suddenly had a last minute "conflict" come up and made the decision not to attend thus giving her points to Sacramento Councilmembers Cohn, Pannell, and Fong who voted against the motion. While in most democratic settings this would have settled it 6-4 in favor of open competition this board is weighted to reflect the size of the entities each member represents. As such the four "no" votes held 52% of the votes allotted while the six "yes" votes held 48%.
ABC considers this a minor victory that the item was able to get re-agendized for a second chance. Please thank the six RT board members, merit shop champions, who stood by workers and taxpayers alike: Hume, Sanders, Morin, MacGlashan, Nottoli and Miller. You can thank them by emailing them here. Note: Miller changed his vote to our favor after hearing our position!
Note: Federal funding has not been secured for this project!
Email Congressman Lungren and Denham today to Co-Sponsor H. R. 735 – Government Neutrality in Contracting Act
About Congressman Lungren’s District
About Congressman Denham’s District