City School Trustees Consider Union Pact

Aug. 19–Preparing for a Sept. 1 vote on a four-year contract with local construction unions, Sacramento City Unified School District trustees continued to discuss a controversial labor agreement Thursday night.

If approved, the 34-page contract with local unions representing roofers, sprinkler fitters, electricians and more than a dozen other construction trades would apply to projects of $1 million or more.

Hundreds of workers in fluorescent green shirts were present to show support for the “project labor agreement,” also called a “project stabilization agreement.”

In essence, it would require the school district to hire union workers for large construction projects. The unions would agree not to strike and would form a training program for high school students. Twenty students would get internships with the program next summer, according to a draft of the contract, with 10 more students entering the program the following year.

The school district has $172 million in voter-approved bond funds left to spend on school construction.

Contract supporters said it would provide work force development for the region and assure quality construction on school repairs.

Opponents said it would limit the pool of contractors competing for bids, driving up the cost of projects. They criticized an independent consulting firm hired by the school district, saying its report recommended approval without giving clear evidence of a need for the contract.

Trustees argued over how much information was necessary to vote.

Karen Young said several of her questions to the consultants went unanswered.

“We are moving ahead with a policy issue before we’ve even defined the problem,” she said.

Board member Dawn McCoy said she didn’t see a problem.

“We ask questions that get answered and don’t get answered,” she said, “but we move forward.”

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