Organized Labor

The third group of graduates of San Francisco’s CityBuild Academy celebrated their success at a ceremony at City Hall Feb. 2. The program offers disadvantaged and low-income residents an opportunity to learn a skilled trade and find employment in the City in the construction industry through its 14-week hands-on pre-apprenticeship training program.

The ceremony was attended by the 31 members of the new graduating class with their proud family members, CityBuild instructors, building trades representatives, elected officials, and representatives of community based organizations. Chris Iglesias of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and Project Director of the CityBuild Academy opened the ceremony with words of praise for the graduates and thanks for the contractors like Webcor and Bovis Lend Lease who have hired many of the newly trained workers. He singled out Jim Salinas and Bill Wong of the Carpenters, Doug Yamamoto of the Glaziers, and SFBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mike Theriault for their support of the program.

"CityBuild is an idea I had that as a former electrician," said Supervisor Sophie Maxwell. "It shows the value of learning a skilled trade." She told the graduates: "You are an asset to this city," and thanked the partners who make the program a success, "especially the carpenters union," she said.

Transportation Authority Director Jose Luis Moskowitch said "We are preparing the workforce that we need in San Francisco. We will have $12 to $15 billion of construction projects over the next decade. There’s going to be a lot of work to go around and we will all benefit from your expertise." Moscovic called CityBuild, "The gift that keeps on giving," as graduates become well-paid workers who spend their earnings locally and generate tax revenue for the City.

Mayor Gavin Newsom also spoke and expressed pride in the CityBuild program. "We are proud of the 31 new graduates, proud of our partners in labor, the colleges, the Department of Transportation and Community Based Organizations," Newsom said. "You make a difference and this program turns lives around." Newsom said the graduates would be successful because they had worked hard, and, "What is earned is kept. I’m proud of you and of Sophie Maxwell. The best is yet to come."

Graduate Marisa Tatum thanked the Mayor and instructors Olwyn Brown, Oscar Tarango, and Michael Carter. "I love the program; it changed my life," said Tatum. She said she had begun working for Webcor and was still sore from her first days on the job.

Fellow graduate Chris Bell also praised CityBuild, and said that, "It’s hard work but well worth it. It has afforded me the opportunity to work in the metal trades. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and showed me I can do whatever I want to do because I’ve never done anything like this before." Bell encouraged others, especially youth, to get involved with the building trades and CityBuild.

SFBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mike Theriault and Bill Wong of Carpenters Local 22 also spoke to the graduating class. Theriault told the graduates, "You are now part of the larger community of people who give us architecture—something to be very proud of." Mike asked the new apprentices to look around at the tight marble joints, clean lines, skillfully laid carpeting, and perfect glazing of the ceiling skylights and windows and imagine that they were the skilled builders of City Hall’s light court. "You can say ‘I built this’ because you are entering the union family and are now brothers and sisters in the union," Theriault said.

CityBuild has now graduated 119 pre-apprentices and placed 95 in union jobs in its first year. For information on upcoming orientations and Training Academy schedule, contact Zelda Saeli, CityBuild Academy Coordinator, at (415) 401-4946.