Building Our Power, Moving Projects Forward, and Standing Our Ground
LEFT TO RIGHT: Painters Local 913’s Joe Sanders, Rudy Gonzalez, IUEC Local 8’s Greg Hardeman, DC 16’s Frank Hewitt, and Ironworkers Local 377’s Emmanuel Sanchez gather for a photo at City Hall after successfully advocating for the advancement of the 530 Sansome project on Monday, September 29.
I am proud of the business reps and organizers from our affiliate unions who’ve been out in front this month — no hesitation, just action. They’ve shown up at the SF Board of Supervisors, at the Planning Commission, and everywhere else that decisions get made. Their voices have made it clear that the building trades mean business.
When we speak with one strong and unified voice, we get results. Our folks have helped push projects through complicated approvals, backed smart legislation, and reminded City Hall that the path to progress runs through working people. The goal is always to get our members to work and make sure the jobs remain in union hands.
Right now, we’re focused on 530 Sansome, 570 Market, and 749 Toland. These are good union projects, and we’ll stay in the fight until the first shovel hits the dirt.
A Million Hours Strong at SEP Biosolids
Our project labor agreement with the SF Public Utilities Commission is doing exactly what it was meant to do: putting local tradespeople to work on critical infrastructure. On Thursday, October 30, the MWH/Webcor team will celebrate one million craft hours clocked on the Biosolids Digesters Facilities project at the Southeast Treatment Plant with a jobsite barbecue for every trade on-site.
This milestone represents more than simply a metric. It provides proof that when public agencies commit to local hiring and PLAs, workers win, communities win, and the City gets the job done right.
Benioff’s Billionaire Blunder
Let’s talk about Marc Benioff’s call for federal troops on the streets of San Francisco. Outrageous. Unlawful. Dangerous.
This isn’t about safety. Rather, it’s about control. Sending soldiers into our city would trample civil rights and make things worse, not better.
This is a billionaire using fear to protect his bottom line and curry favor with a friendly administration handing out contracts. But working people know better. We know that real safety comes from stable housing, good jobs, and investment in our neighborhoods — not from turning San Francisco into a military zone at the whim of the ultra-rich.
Our city doesn’t need troops. It needs leadership that believes in people more than profit margins.
Stick With the Union — and Vote
We’ve seen what happens when democracy gets hijacked. In Texas, workers lost their voice after gerrymandered districts stacked the deck for the powerful. Here in California, we’re doing it differently by letting the voters decide.
I’ll always side with working families having more food on the table, affordable healthcare, and steady union jobs. None of that is possible without fair representation.
On November 4, vote yes on Proposition 50. Vote for your job, your family, and your future. Stick with the union, and let’s keep on building.