More Taxpayer Money Spent Justifying Union Political Agenda in California

By Kevin Dayton
01/13/2015
About 95% of the public policy studies and reports circulating among California state and local governments reject a free market approach to societal challenges. Instead, these studies and reports advocate more government spending, more government programs, and more government intrusion into commerce and personal behavior. Obviously “Progressive” intellectual thought in California gets a disproportionate share of funding....

TAGS: Community Benefits Agreements, Minimum Wage, Project Labor Agreements, University of California Miguel Contreras Labor Program

California High-Speed Rail Business Plan Misrepresents Project Labor Agreement

By Kevin Dayton
03/18/2014
Before submitting its business plan to the state legislature every two years, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is required to produce a draft and encourage public comments. Its new 2014 draft plan includes a deceptive paragraph touting the union Project Labor Agreement added to bid specifications without any public deliberation or vote. This deserves public...

TAGS: California high speed rail, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Community Benefits Agreements, Community Benefits Policy, Federal Railroad Administration

How a Basketball Arena Would Expand the Unionized Workforce in Sacramento: Part 2

By Kevin Dayton
03/04/2014
Part 1 of “How a Basketball Arena Would Expand the Unionized Workforce in Sacramento” described how unions obtained a monopoly on construction of the arena through a backroom deal for a Project Labor Agreement. Part 2 describes how unions are likely to win representation of the food and service workers at the new downtown Sacramento...

TAGS: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Community Benefits Agreements, New Sacramento Kings Arena

Unions Virtually Alone in Love with California High-Speed Rail

By Kevin Dayton
01/21/2014
Even close observers of the California High-Speed Rail Authority have struggled to track developments for the state’s planned bullet train. The debacle began in November 2008, when 52.7% of California voters approved Proposition 1A and triggered serious planning for what could be the most expensive construction project in human history. With that kind of money...

TAGS: AB 32, California bullet train, California Governor Jerry Brown, California high speed rail, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Community Benefits Agreements, Federal Railroad Administration, Fresno Bee, Governor Jerry Brown, Jerry Brown, Project Labor Agreements, Proposition 1A (November 2008), State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

Watch Union Official’s Rude Antics at California High-Speed Rail Conference

By Kevin Dayton
01/15/2013
On January 11, 2013, a video camera recorded a stunning public tirade by Fresno’s top construction union official at a conference about supposed local contracting opportunities for the first segment of California’s High Speed Rail. Below is video footage of the beginning of a panel discussion about Project Labor Agreements, and below that is the...

TAGS: Associated Builders and Contractors, California high speed rail, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction, Community Benefits Agreements, Community Benefits Policy, Gray Davis, Project Labor Agreements, Proposition 1A (November 2008), San Joaquin Valley, State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, U.S. Department of Labor