With the memory of the Janus v AFSCME Supreme Court decision still fresh and increasing attacks on labor in general coming from the Trump White House, SFLC Executive Director Rudy Gonzalez disputed the assertion that the Bay Area is in a protective bubble against such attacks.
The San Francisco Building Trades Council has endorsed candidates for Board of Supervisors in the November 6 general election, based on their support for labor unions and building trades priorities. Building Trades Council delegates conducted candidate interviews in August. In two districts, the SFBCTC made sole endorsements; in the other three, more than one candidate was endorsed, ranked as the first, second or third choices.
The State Building and Construction Trades Council and California Labor Federation strongly oppose Proposition 6 on the November ballot. The proposed initiative would repeal California’s Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act passed last year that has enabled California to increase its annual investment in roads, bridges, highways, transit systems, bike paths and pedestrian facilities by $5.2 billion annually through a small increase of 12 cents a gallon in the state tax on gasoline.
Tim Paulson took office officially August 2 as the new Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council. The SFBCTC hired Paulson earlier this year as a Business Representative with the aim of him succeeding Michael Theriault upon retirement.
Several school modernization projects are nearing completion this summer in time for the 2018-2019 school year. Some are funded by the $531 million Facility Bond Measure passed in November 2011 to modernize 65 school sites, and others by the $744 million bond measure passed in November 2016. Work on the 2016 bond funded projects began in 2017, with several more projects seeking bids over the next several months.
After 13 years as Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council, Michael Theriault is retiring Aug. 2. Over the course of his tenure, Theriault took lead on engineering a string of successful project labor agreements, oversaw some of the city’s largest developments, helped reestablish shop classes at SFUSD, advocated for social justice, fought for a Citywide PLA and guided the Council through the worst economic crisis in generations.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved amendments to the Hunters Point Shipyard Redevelopment Plan and the Bayview Hunters Point Redevelopment Plan June 26. The amendments will facilitate redevelopment of the Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard Phase 2 Projects.
On May 22, the new Salesforce Tower had its official grand opening ceremony. This marked not only a monumental addition to San Francisco’s skyline, but the establishment of the new tower’s position as the city’s tallest skyscraper, looming over the nearby Transamerica Pyramid. The ceremony’s ribbon-cutting was done by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff who was flanked by then-Mayor Mark Farrell and District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, among others.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors at its June 5 meeting tabled an item calling for a hearing of the full board planned for June 12 on a citywide Project Labor Agreement. The ordinance has since been tentatively scheduled to be considered at the June 20 meeting of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee. If passed by the Government Audit and Oversight Committee, the measure would then proceed to go to the full board.
