The apprenticeship program classes that all building trades union members must complete when they join up are a rite of passage. But over the last couple of years, as the pandemic has changed all of our lives, the apprenticeship classes have changed, too.
San Francisco’s political battles tend to be fierce, and Matt Haney’s run has been no exception. Haney, who currently serves as the City’s District 6 Supervisor, has his sights set on the District 17 seat representing the City’s eastern side in the California State Assembly.
In the wake of longtime State Building and Construction Trades Council of California President Robbie Hunter’s retirement, Andrew Meredith assumed the top leadership role in January. Meredith brings a wealth of experience to his new position. His past roles range from IBEW electrician and union organizer to Iraq-deployed National Guardsman and politician. Most recently, he was the Northern California regional director for the State Building Trades.
Last year was like a rollercoaster: If we started in a place of hope as two vaccines against COVID-19 became increasingly available to Americans, we were soon dealing with vaccination hesitancy and then outright vaccination rejection.
Each year, billions of dollars in wages are stolen from workers in California’s underground economy. Due to unique labor-standards compliance challenges and the often-transitory nature of work, the construction industry has the distinct dishonor of coming in second place for highest number of labor-standards violations.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, who is up for election on June 7, has been a consistent friend to labor throughout his political career. As a San Francisco County supervisor, he advocated for the creation of new construction jobs and more housing.
With the pandemic sticking around for a whole lot longer than anyone had hoped, the past year has been another challenging one for tradespeople and all working people.
On October 27, San Francisco building trades leaders met with Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA) representatives for an in-depth tour of the Salesforce Transit Center’s dynamic interior.
