April 2009 Vol. 12 No.4

Executive Officer's Forum

Fighting through the tough times

Bob Alvarado, Executive Officer

en Espanol >


"If these measures fail, it will cut off the flow of money for state and local projects that are a vital source of jobs for union carpenters. That’s why we need to support 1A–1E."

The economy continues its rough ride, but there are a few signs of hope. As I mentioned last month, the combination of the passage of a budget in California (after a long delay) and the impact of the federal stimulus package should begin a turnaround for the construction industry. None of this will be immediate, as it will take about three months for the money to hit the street, but there is good news on the horizon.

As a member of, and now Chair of, the California Transportation Commission (CTC), I have been pushing for us to focus on projects that are ready to go, and will quickly put people to work. Now that we have the money, CTC will be awarding projects in the next two weeks, and those contractors should be mobilizing quickly.

I am constantly talking to members, union representatives and contractors, and one thing is clear: certain types of work are less impacted by the recession, but you have to take steps to prepare yourself for those opportunities. Industrial work like the refineries is continuing, as is some work on the airports and port facilities. In order to get on the job, you need to have a TWIC card and/or a BATT card.

We have reported in earlier papers about how to get these cards, and how to get reimbursed for the cost of getting both cards. Contact your local union for information, and invest the time to get these cards. In addition, in light of what we are doing at CTC, I again urge you to take a bridge building class and get your bridge building certification.

None of these steps will guarantee you a job tomorrow, but all of them increase your chances of working in these lean times.

Meanwhile, we are facing yet another special election next month; these have become a regular feature of California’s political landscape. These propositions (1A–1E on the May 19 ballot) adopt key pieces of the budget the state passed in February. Like the budget, this package is a crappy deal, and no one is happy. But we need to support all these measures, or we’re back to square one with the budget negotiations, and we already know how that went last time.

We have had a graphic demonstration of how important the budget battle is to our industry. For months during the budget battle, California couldn’t sell bonds. Last month, after the budget deal was done, the state went to sell $4 billion in bonds, and ended up selling $6.5 billion. The extra money will all go to fund infrastructure projects that are ready to put people to work.

The bottom line is this: If these measures fail, it will cut off the flow of money for state and local projects that are a vital source of jobs for union carpenters. That’s why we need to support 1A–1E.

These are tough, extraordinary times. History tells us tough, extraordinary people like the brothers and sisters who make up this union survive times like these. Someday, we’ll look back and reminisce about this economy, and how bad it was. In the meantime, we’ll support one another through the tough times.

The fact is, our country, and trade unions, survived the great depression, and our country and the trade union movement will survive this as well. We will stand together, and continue the fight for jobs, and good wages and working conditions, and we will emerge stronger than ever.

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