03/04/2010 Open Shops Stop Union-Only Project labor Agreement in San Joaquin
The open shop contractor community enjoyed a well-deserved victory by stopping a union-only project labor agreement (PLA) from being imposed on the San Joaquin Community College District last month. The building trades were pushing for a PLA on the next phase of the district’s capital program. They found a member of the Board of Trustees who may be planning to run for higher office to press the College Chancellor to negotiate a PLA - and contractors pushed back hard.
At the bond oversight committee the chancellor announced he would not recommend the board adopt a PLA. He cited "evidence in support and opposition" to PLAs (which he called 'Public Labor Agreements') but that he did not find, based on his research, that a PLA would enhance the remainder of the work on the district’s projects.
Kevin Dayton from ABC and Richard Markuson from WECA-IEC thanked the Chancellor for his decision and used the San Diego results to illustrate the financial impacts of PLAs and encouraged the Bond oversight Committee to conduct a forum on the issue and invite union representatives to "debate" the topic.
The Chancellor said the goals of "local hires" and apprentice utilization could be accomplished without a PLA.
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