Organized Labor

28,000 New Building Trades Jobs to Come On Line

By Paul Burton
Contributing Writer

Calling it a good example of real economic development and workforce development, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed a $1.9 billion appropriations bill for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Dec. 19 that will fund improvements to the regional water delivery system that brings fresh water to the Bay Area.

Labor Center Conference Looks at Challenges Facing Pro-Worker Legislation

What are the prospects for labor law reform under the Obama administration? That was the question front and center at a UC Berkeley Labor Center/California Labor Federation forum in Oakland Jan. 5. Speakers focused on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), labor’s number one legislative priority for 2009, and how its passage would enable workers to unionize without the interference, delays, and legal and illegal barriers put up by employers.

Grand Central of the West’ to Greatly Enhance SF Public Transit System, Create Thousands of Jobs

By Paul Burton
Contributing Writer

Calling it a “truly historic moment for San Francisco and the state of California,” San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and officials of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority participated in a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 10 for the new Transbay Transit Center.

Eric Mar, Other Building Trades-Backed Candidates Celebrate Victory

Election results for the four San Francisco Board of Supervisors were made official earlier this month in the districts where no candidate had received a majority of votes on Election Day. As Organized Labor reported last month, the candidates backed by the Building Trades and San Francisco Labor Council were leading; now they are the declared winners: Eric Mar in District 1, David Chiu in District 3, David Campos in District 9, and John Avalos in District 11.

$7.3 Million Project Slated for 2010 Completion

The first phase of construction of a new joint use facility at the site of the Balboa Reservoir at City College of San Francisco's Ocean Campus is underway. The old reservoir that is now a parking lot across the street from the campus will be the site of a multi-purpose building that will be jointly used by City College (CCSF) and San Francisco State University students. CCSF Facilities Management Coordinator Margaret Lam said that students would be able to take classes at the CCSF site for state university credit. "It's like a transfer system for lower to upper level credit," she said. The facility will include classrooms and administrative offices, and eventually a performing arts center, visual arts center, child care facilities, and an advanced technology center.