Hands Off Won't Work

By Charles Bradshaw, Mission Beach

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Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009 | I support a project stabilization agreement for San Diego Unified, because the agreements work. It is too bad that the opponents are threatening and bullying school board president Sheila Jackson and members Richard Barrera and John Lee Evans. I commend these members for their courage.

I have administered several project labor agreements and know that they are one of the best tools for facilitating local participation. While I was in Oakland I administered a project labor agreement for the Port of Oakland that had over 60 percent of the workforce come from the local area. Additionally union and nonunion contractors bid, won and executed work. The Port of Oakland and the community met their goals. The Port got new maritime and aviation facilities, the community got careers and local contractors got paid.

These were public works that worked for the community. I believe that San Diego is capable of the same kind of success. Los Angeles Unified School District and other districts throughout the state have used these agreements to meet their goals of providing educational and job opportunities for their district residents. I have not seen any other tools that have been as effective at providing opportunity. A "hands off" approach has not and will not get results.

I have seen Eric Christen, executive director of the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction, attempt to intimidate educational boards in the past and unfortunately he uses inflammatory and bombastic rhetoric everywhere he does this pony show.

I think one of the worst parts of his rhetoric is that he actively discourages contractors from participating on projects. He spreads fear and attempts to create a self fulfilling prophecy by pushing contractors not to bid and win work.

7 Comments so far on this story...

You commend the school board for based upon creating an adult jobs program and never mention the students, education, test scores, graduation rates, or school safety. Sorry but us silly opponents, parents and taxpayers want the school board judged upon education. Schools are an educational program for children not a jobs program for adults. Here is a great reason against the unions running the school board. "When school children start paying union dues, that 's when I'll start representing the interests of school children." Albert Shanker (President of the United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 as well as President of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997.)

Posted by RB in PL | reply to this comment
February 2, 2009 6:55 am

Very well stated! And thanks for the reminder about that cynical comment from Albert Shanker. When will parents ever learn, step up to the plate, and on behalf of their children, say, "Enough is enough!" to these self-serving teacher unions. Unions ought to be illegal at primary and secondary schools and districts.

Posted by Robert | reply to this comment
February 2, 2009 1:25 pm

A few facts in Mr. Bradshaw's post need to be refuted. PLA's work for whom? LA Unified Schools was a monster of a boondoggle that ended up costing the taxpayers hundreds and HUNDREDS of million dollars in cost and schedule overruns. The PLA worked for union managers because it has become lifetime employment for them as well as for the Program Managers. I know because at one time I worked for one of them. If Bradshaw is right about the Port of Oakland's workforce being 60 % local, what is that to brag about? Is Why not 95%? And why should there be goals for providing educational and job opportunities for the community? I did NOT vote for a social engineering contract but for improving school facilities so that CHILDREN are served.

Posted by ltegarden | reply to this comment
February 2, 2009 8:48 pm

Did Belmont High School in LAUSD have project labor agreement?

Posted by rrrr | reply to this comment
February 2, 2009 9:04 pm

Mr. Bradshaw certainly seems to have it in for Eric Christen. I haven't seen any evidence that says he is bullying or attempting to intimidate board members or non-union contractors. I don't know Eric Cristen, but heretofore, he simply seems to lay out the facts as they exist: This newly elected SDUSD board majority of 3 did an end run around the process in order to pay back their union supporters. Footnote: Union leader Tom Lemmon was on the ICOC for the San Diego Community Colleges Prop S (in addition to PropMM) while young Bradshaw worked as a contract administration staffer there.

Posted by Ltegarden | reply to this comment
February 3, 2009 10:27 am

LAUSD's PLA works great, just ask any union boss. The FACT is a non union contractor working on a LA unified project MUST pay his employee's hard earned fringe benefit dollars in to the union benefit plans. This forces a non union employer to pay in to TWO benefit programs, both his and the union's because the employee will not see any benefit from the union plan. LA Unified also refuses to allow non union, state approved apprentices job opportunities. Some would call this discrimination. Non union employees also MUST pay union dues on LAUSD work. Funny how non union contractors find theirselves in a position of having to ask for what every American would demand, the opportunity to compete on a fair and level playing field. I guess education's mantra of equal access to publically funded schools doesn't extend to the ability to repair or build them.

Posted by PMP | reply to this comment
February 5, 2009 9:53 am

Local labor participation sounds like a separate issue from getting maximum value out of a bond. What does "the community got careers and local contractors got paid have to do with my children's education?

Posted by Jason | reply to this comment
February 5, 2009 2:13 pm

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