May 2009 Vol. 12 No. 5

Organizers/CIA show significant wins

April Organizing Report

Jay Bradshaw, Director of Organizing

Members of Carpenters in Action (CIA) join members of the Fresno Deputy Sheriffs Association at a press conference in Fresno is support of Propositions 1A – 1E.

Organizers and Carpenters in Action (CIA) members have been busy throughout Northern California, with significant actions and wins in a number of areas. The first priority continues to be turning overall work hours into union hours, creating work opportunities for members. To this end, targeting non-union general contractors remains our priority.
Since January, the Organizing Department has signed 21 new reporting employers. In total agreements, including extensions and/or joint ventures, we’ve signed 43 since January.

We have to stay focused in these rough economic waters. Union membership in the NCCRC dipped this quarter and work hours have also trended down since the start of the year.

STRIKE UPDATE

South Bay Construction remains a major target for the Organizing Department with our escalation of an anti-marketing piece and continued jobsite protests of area standards.

James Reilly Contracting Inc. landed a job with Bay Area Internet Solutions in Santa Clara. After jobsite pickets and handbilling, Reilly overreacted to a health and safety inspection, assaulted an NCCRC organizer and smashed his video camera. Unfair labor practices (ULP) were filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and everything was shifted over to picketing, handbilling and bannering. Since then, organizers have learned that Reilly Contracting has asked signatory PCI to bid the remainder of the work.

COUNCIL-WIDE EFFORTS PAY OFF

Focused NCCRC organizing efforts have paid off on the Kohl’s campaign, which started with the announcement that Reeve-Knight General Construction would be converting a number of the former Mervyn’s stores to Kohl’s. We kicked into high gear in February, hitting all the Northern California Kohl’s stores with handbills and banners for four days straight.

In March, we launched an anti-Kohl’s website, including an online petition asking people to pledge to boycott Kohl’s. After about two weeks, union-signatory Stockham Construction informed us they are starting to pick up the Kohl’s work. We will continue to work toward turning work union in this campaign.

With the help of Carpenters in Action, the organizers will continue to fight for and win work for union carpenters.

SAN FRANCISCO

In the San Francisco area, we’ve picked up two new contracts, Alpha Bay and Zolman, both long-time targets. In addition, the Build Inc. job for 100–140 commercial units at the Fell St. DMV is temporarily dead. Thanks there go to the NCCRC’s research department for dogging the Dept. of General Services (DGC), which controls the project, about prevailing-wage requirements. The DGC heard our message—loud and clear.
The CIA’s been busy—and effective—with a handbill action that swung Quinces Restaurant in The City from non-union subs to union. Arnold & Egan Manufacturing will do the cabinetry and trim; Boyett Construction will handle the general carpentry. That’s about $250,000 in the pockets of union carpenters.
The CIA also held supporting actions at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting on March 17, regarding the 110 Embarcadero Hines Project; the March Port Commission meeting regarding the Seawall Project (it passed); and the April 9 Planning Commission meeting on the 430 Main St. project.

Members of Carpenters in Action (CIA) turned out in San Francisco last month to support construction of the Contemporary Art Museum of the Presidio (CAMP).

MARIN

A picket and handbill action at Northgate Mall may earn carpenters some significant future tenant work on the $80 million Howard S. Wright extension there. The actions against Image Construction at Regis Salon, and Sierra Woodwork, which was installing benches and tables in the food court, got us a meeting with the mall management to talk about future work. As a result of this campaign general contractor Foundation to Finish Construction d.b.a. Fineline Construction has signed the Master Agreement.

EUREKA

Organizers and field reps in Eureka are monitoring Brown Construction at Humboldt State College. We’re also in conversation with a local Calvary Church about its choice of Wells Construction for some work.

EAST BAY

In the East Bay, we’ve also got three pickets going. At the Zcon project, Delaware Court, on San Pablo in Berkeley, we’re targeting S&S Drywall. We’ve also put JDM Construction on notice at 700 University in Berkeley; SCM is the construction manager. Finally, we’re picketing Dorman Construction at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Fremont, and handbilling other cemeteries that are connected through the same national company, SCI.

SOUTH BAY

Citation Homes/SCS Development recently canceled its developer’s agreement, and has brought in non-union framer Bolin Builders from the valley to finish the project. Bolin’s employees are working side by side with union framers from Dixon.

Organizers are handbilling potential buyers on the weekends, encouraging them to get the same discount that Citation is getting on the non-union product. Citation doesn’t like it, and union reps were arrested—a violation of their First Amendment right to free speech—and spent half their weekend in the jail. False arrest charges and an Unfair Labor Practice complaint are being filed. It looks like escalation will be inevitable to keep Citation Homes/SCS Development using signatory contractors.

PENINSULA

Pickets dogged Saarman Construction at Admiralty Apartments in Foster City and the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlingame. Saarman had organizers arrested while picketing at the designated two-gate area, when they refused to be moved to the street. Unfair labor practices have been filed with a false arrest suit to follow. Meanwhile, escalation continues to other Hiltons.

CONTRA COSTA

Organizers led pickets at several locations, including two Starbucks. At the Pleasant Hill Starbucks, two organizers were arrested for hand billing; a false arrest case is pending. In both cases, Wells Construction was the target.

At the Windsor Apartment project in Walnut Creek, NCCRC teams are picketing Michael Roberts Construction. On-site superintendents assaulted an organizer, and an Unfair Labor Practice has been filed. On April 6, organizers held a rally at the project to protest the civil rights violation against an organizer by Walnut Creek police.

SACRAMENTO AREA

Some strategic organizing efforts paid off in $120,000 worth of work for union carpenters here recently. NCCRC teams handbilled at the Best Buy grand opening weekend in Manteca, and picketed Hearn at a new Best Buy project in Woodland. After a call, the rest of the trim carpentry for the Woodland location was let to Channel Construction out of Chino. Channel was resigned to the Master Agreement, and immediately had carpenters dispatched to the project.
Area CIA members attended several meetings this quarter, including the City Council in West Sacramento to protest the city awarding a large project to C&C Construction. Members spoke and got the council to adopt responsible contractor language including apprenticeship and local hire clauses. They also attended a rally at the state capitol on the state budget. This kept construction jobs going and financed billions in future work for members.
In Redding and Chico, locals 1599 and 1240 are beginning to form their own CIAs. Way to go!

Local 35 welcomed five new journeymen to the ranks at its April meeting (left to right): Tim Gallagher, Juan Cuellar, Kevin Agajan, Donnie Keister, Jose Rodriguez.

MANTECA

After a great teamwork effort, we have signed Greg Opinski Construction to the Master Agreement. Thanks to all the Local 25 CIA members who were part of this big win.

FRESNO

The fight goes on with picketing against All West Construction and handbilling at the San Joaquin Senior Gardens project. The fight against major non-union problem Quiring Construction is firing up.

There is more going on throughout the Council. With the help of Carpenters in Action (CIA) members, the Organizing Department will continue to fight for and win work for union carpenters throughout Northern California.

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