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Unions protest county labor ordinance
November 3rd, 2009, 10:59 am · 18 Comments · posted by Jennifer Muir
Union supporters filled the seats at today’s county supervisors meeting to protest a new ordinance that bars the county from requiring union agreements on county construction projects.
The ordinance barring so-called project labor agreements, which supervisors had to consider a second time today before it could become law, doesn’t actually change county policy. But Supervisor John Moorlach proposed formalizing the policy to make it more difficult to reverse by future boards of supervisors.
Still, about 100 union supporters rallied before the meeting and filled the seats of the supervisors meeting to protest, arguing that such agreements ensure high-quality, on-time results and good working conditions for construction workers.
“This ordinance is a direct slap in the face, showing absolutely no respect to the workers of Orange County,” said Jim Adams, a representative for the LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council. “It’s a bold political move.”
Supervisors last week approved the ordinance, saying it levels the bidding process and that project labor agreements unfairly favor unions. They upheld that decision today with another unanimous vote.
“The issue is that it’s not an ordinance that’s anti-union, it’s an ordinance that’s anti-union imposition,” Moorlach said. “We’re just saying level the playing field, let everyone bid and take the best one for the job.”
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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Yes, let’s level playing field and save taxpayers money.
man, what a waste of county time and resources and money.
this didn’t change policy one.
future supes can vote it down with a simple majority.
just political grandstanding on Moorlach’s part.
can you tell the election season is approaching yet???
Don’t the union members work, they can attend a meeting in the middle of the day?
I imagine there are quite a few out-of-work cionstruction workers these days.
I wonder if they realize or even care that this policy makes it more likely that illegal immigrants will wind up working on construction projects. Granted that would save money, but it certainly won’t be good for OC or the economy in general in the long run.
youcanthandlethetruth says:
I wonder if they realize or even care that this policy makes it more likely that illegal immigrants will wind up working on construction projects
=========================================
Sorry, you’re wrong- it is against the law to hire illegal immigrants to do ANY work in the USA-including construction work.
And if illegals are working non union construction jobs then they are ALSO working UNION construction jobs-so your comment makes no sense.
Johnny wrote:
“Sorry, you’re wrong- it is against the law to hire illegal immigrants to do ANY work in the USA-including construction work”
hah. Thanks for the laugh, Johnny. You’re not really serious, are ya?? I give you alot more credit than that. But when I read comments like this it makes me wonder.
We can expect to see the usual “let them work for nothing” responders we usually see. Wonder why your OC home is worth less? Fewer and fewer people can afford to buy it. And it will get worse as long as there is the “I’ve got mine and I’ll work as hard as I can to see that you get less than I do” mentality. Its going to catch up to you too. I’d like to see the job get done right. Union jobs (and no I’m not in one) tend to have ,more paperwork to insure proper payment of worker comp as well as with-holding taxes. When the last person with a good paying job (working job so I’m excluding the so-called investor class) leaves the OC, please turn out the lights.
Say no to unions. Say no to illegal immigrants. Put the responsibility on the lap of the business. Check and double check the information given to you by said potential employee. I am a victim of ID theft and have no remorse or tolerance for these folks. Don’t accept business excuses about we don’t have the resources. If you don’t then find another type of business. Fine them if they hire someone illegal, deport the illegal and family immediately. Problem solved.
Ed,
Is the problem unions? Or is it the hiring of non U.S. citizens? Or do you feel it is both? How about dealing with other problems created by “free market” ideas, like fleecing people’s 401K’s? My problem with most people that appear to have a healthy career is that they do not want a blue-collar worker to make a reasonable living either. I think that the passive income should be treated equally as wage income, but I know that will bring on a howl of complaints from the O.C. residents.
n o unions, no dirty mexicans legal or not. we need to get rid of these cockroaches just as quick as the unions. off with their heads.
Unions need to go by way of the dinosaurs.
Without the unions to uphold the standard of living, half of OC workers will be working for immigrant wages. Workers need a structured support system at this time more than any time in the last 50 years.
Our company no longer hires mexicans. About a year ago we fired the 30 mexicans that worked for us. Every one of them was illegal with illegal paperwork. We weren’t fined this time. The average mexican was either too poorly educated or did not respect our laws. Now, we just dont hire mexicans. They have become too mch of a problem. We cant take that risk. The word got out and our entire office building does not employ mexicans any longer either. Yes. Legal Americans will do all jobs to make money.
Don’t care so much about the unions but what does concern me is that the bids can be granted to workers outside of OC. So an LA company could bid on the job and we would be paying LA workers. Nice for the unemployment numbers in LA but won’t help OC which in turn will not help local businesses.
One must chuckle when a union official speaks of “American workers”
“State workers” or “County workers.” He or she really intends to say
is American union workers, state union workers, etc.
One can’t really blame them. They occupy an elite stratum of
America’s workers, made so by Congressional legislation and by
their total control over key legislators. Of course, they will fight for
their gravy train to continue, albeit at the expense of nonunion workers.
Nonunion workers and taxpayers should be trankful for such as
Supervisor Moorlach.
Unions create Partnership with Companies, as Workers (Laborers) are just as important as Paper Pushers The only company’s that fight Unions are Companies that deserve them. If you want a fight try busting a Worker’s pride. The “Dignity of a Job” with “Living Wages” is more than an “Empty Saying.” Unions keep Honest employers Honest just like locks keep honest people safe
Anyone on point here? This isn’t about union or non union labor and it isn’t about illegal immigration. Throw as much mud in the water as you can but the fact is Project Labor Agreements are not only discriminatory they don’t work.
Nothing in a project labor agreement (PLA) has anything to do with an employee’s immigration status. Nothing in a PLA has anything to do with the amount of money an employee is paid. While a PLA claims to make sure local work goes to local companies the fact is many union employees from other areas work these jobs, they’re just DISPATCHED from the local hiring hall.
Union supporters, do you think a non union contractor should have his / her employees be forced to contribute their pension and health contributions to the union programs? Do you have any problem knowing that due to vesting they will forfeit these monies and nothing?
Should a non union contractor have to hire his / her employees from the union? Should non union employees be forced to pay union dues? Should a non union contractor be forced to pay “his fair share” of the union’s pension plan deficit?
The project Labor Agreement in this article has NOTHING to do with destroying unions. It has NOTHING to do with hourly pay or benefits. This is nothing more than catering to special interests. Keep up the stupid “Mexican” comments and by all means the “we’re working for the middle class”, deflect all you can, when the dust settles the fact remains, union officials feel their people can’t compete on a fair and level playing field.