Community College Board in California Will Be Accountable to Voters

By Kevin Dayton
10/17/2015
The eastern suburbs of San Diego (“East County”) have been and are still regarded as politically conservative. But even this area isn’t impervious to the political movement in California toward European-style social democracy. Labor unions and their political allies have recently gained political control of an East County local government and are now exercising their power. Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District...

TAGS: Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction, Project Labor Agreement, Project Labor Agreements, Proposition 39 (2000), San Diego County Taxpayers Association

Union Campaign Contributions Pile Up Before School Board Vote on Union Deal

By Kevin Dayton
10/08/2015
Whenever California voters approve a sizable bond measure to fund construction at a school or community college district, union lobbyists quickly scramble to win control of the work through a Project Labor Agreement. At the Salinas Union High School District, a flood of union campaign money preceded a September 29 board vote to abandon negotiations and...

TAGS: Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council, Project Labor Agreement, Project Labor Agreements

Unions Seek Control of Recent California School Bond Measures

By Kevin Dayton
08/11/2015
Has California school and community college facility construction become a perpetual government stimulus program for politically-favored construction trade unions? Fifteen years ago, it was obvious that many school and college districts in California needed new construction, modernization, or renovation of their facilities for the safety and comfort of students, teachers, administrators, and support staff. That’s...

TAGS: 55% Approval for Bond Measures, local bond measures, Project Labor Agreement, Project Labor Agreements, Proposition 39 (2000)

Unions in the News – Weekly Highlights

By Editor
05/05/2015
Exposed: Audit of DWP Non-Profit Trusts Produces Surprise Roadblocks to Transparency By Paul Hatfield, May 5, 2015, CityWatchLA.com By now, most of you are familiar with the audit report of the controversial non-profit trusts issued by City Controller Ron Galperin. If not, take the time to read it – at least the Executive Summary. The...

TAGS: Project Labor Agreements, Transparent California

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

Caught and Exposed: Secret Union Dealings of a College District

By Kevin Dayton
12/16/2014
The Rancho Santiago Community College District in Orange County (California) declared in a December 8, 2014 letter that it “unconditionally commits that it will cease, desist from, and not repeat the challenged past action…” That action involves secret dealings with unions. A construction trade association was willing to threaten litigation to make this happen. And to emphasize...

TAGS: José Solorio, Project Labor Agreements, Rancho Santiago Community College District

Unions Win First Victory to Control Projects Funded by Water Bond

By Kevin Dayton
12/09/2014
It was unlikely that a few isolated and marginalized critics would discourage California voters from approving a statewide ballot measure (Proposition 1) authorizing the state to borrow more than $7 billion for water projects. As Proposition 1 stated, “California has been experiencing more frequent and severe droughts and is currently enduring the worst drought in...

TAGS: Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Monterey County Water Resources Agency, Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council, Project Labor Agreements

The Growing Rift Between Public and Private Sector Unions

By Stephen Eide
09/11/2014
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, is coasting to reelection with only partial support from organized labor. While many private unions remain in his corner, the state’s major government unions are either declining to support Cuomo’s bid for a second term or have endorsed a challenger. In this respect, Cuomo 2014 resembles New Jersey Gov....

TAGS: labor movement, private sector unions, Project Labor Agreements, public sector unions, seiu

Watsonville City Council Rejects Accountability Measures in Union Deal

By Kevin Dayton
08/26/2014
Tonight (August 26, 2014) the Watsonville (California) City Council voted 6-1 to require construction contractors to sign a Project Labor Agreement with unions in the Monterey/Santa Cruz Counties Building and Construction Trades Council for city projects with a cost exceeding $600,000. The (unsigned) Project Labor Agreement was provided to the city council at the meeting. The...

TAGS: Monterey/Santa Cruz Building and Construction Trades Council, Project Labor Agreements