Volume 25, No. 10 Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, Afl-Cio October 2020
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VOLUME 25, NO. 10 LOS ANGELES/ORANGE COUNTIES BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL, AFL-CIO OCTOBER 2020 PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LOS ANGELES CA. Permit NO. 31327 We know how important family is to our customers. That’s why our supplemental insurance is designed with you in mind. As a labor-owned company, we offer policies tailored to union members, that enhance your current coverage so you can concentrate, without worry, on what matters most. WORK UNION, LIVE BETTER: UNIONCARE.COM FROM THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION Building Trades News is published monthly by the Los Angeles/ Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. OF OUR LIVES PUBLISHER Ron Miller When Donald Trump was time President. EDITORIAL DIRECTOR elected, we in the Building “The buck stops here,” Anne-Marie Otey Trades held our breath and said President Harry Tru- gave him the benefit of the man, who led this country SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE doubt. We stood up and re- out of the crisis of World Barry Garfield spected him when, as the War II. When the buck 45th President of the United gets to Trump’s desk, CONTRIBUTING WRITERS States, he came to speak to he puts it in his pocket. Leslie Berkman, Robert Buscemi, us at the annual Legislative The COVID pandemic is James Duffy V, Beige Luciano-Adams, Conference of the Building Trump’s wartime. And he Karen Robes Meeks, Mark Edward Nero Trades. has failed miserably. He We clapped hard when he has let down every Ameri- CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS said he’d bring $1 trillion in can family, including Kenneth Johansson, Victor Posadas, Hector Cruz Sandoval, infrastructure work to our BY RON MILLER many families of Building Mark Savage, Jessica Sterling members. Executive Secretary Trades members. Four years later, we don’t We were not asking for ART DIRECTOR have much to clap for when it comes to this him to make a miracle. I’m not expecting Cynthia Tan President. one man to invent a vaccine overnight. LOS ANGELES/ORANGE COUNTIES BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL 1626 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 P 213.483.4222 • If Trump was 714.827.6791 • F 213.483.4419 on my worksite, “Building Trades News” is a member of the he’d be outta there. International Labor Communications Association, AFL-CIO. OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL Glaziers Local 636 Ron Miller, Executive Secretary Tradeshow & Sign Crafts Anthony Gazzaniga, President Local 831 Eric Brown, Vice President Painters Local 1036 “Replace the union buster in the White But the bottom line is, this crisis is a test Ronald Sikorski, Trustee Resilient Floor Local 1247 House,” says one of our member unions, of leadership. The death rate and the dam- Lupe Aldaco, Trustee Civil Service Local 1991 IUPAT. We couldn’t say it better. age to the economy are far worse than they Luther Medina, Trustee UA Pipe Trades District Council 16 We have given Donald Trump four years should be. That’s on Trump, and he has Tony Olea, Sergeant-at-Arms to prove himself. What has he done? failed to lead. Whether you are a Demo- Plumbers Local 78 • Promised infrastructure investment but crat, a Republican, an independent or any- Steam & Pipefitters Local 250 COUNCIL AFFILIATES hasn’t provided a penny thing else, if you make up your mind based Plumbers Local 345 Heat & Frost Insulators Local 5 • Attacked our joint labor-management on the evidence, you have to give Trump a Boilermakers Local 92 Plumbers & Fitters Local 398 apprenticeship, trying to get apprentices to failing grade. Plumbers & Steamfitters earn $7.25 an hour Bricklayers & Tile Layers Local 4 Local 582 • Packed a Supreme Court that is making Why I’ll Vote for Biden Electrical Workers Local 11 anti-worker rulings in every session, af- If he was on my worksite, he’d be outta Electrical Workers Local 40 Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669 fecting our Project Labor Agreements there. Electrical Workers Local 45 Sprinkler Fitters Local 709 • And worst, truly worst, he is no war- In 2020, we have a clear choice: Joe Electrical Workers Local 441 Plumbers & Fitters Local 761 Biden is the right man to be President of Elevator Constructors Local 18 Plasterers-Cement Masons the United States of America. Operating Engineers Local 12 District Council We hear often from members, “Don’t tell Iron Workers Local 416 Plasterers-Cement Masons me HOW to vote. Tell me WHY I should Iron Workers Local 433 vote for the candidate you endorse.” Local 755 Iron Workers Local 509 Let’s talk about Joe Biden. Plasterers Local 200 I’m a Plumber. I didn’t go to law school. Laborers District Council Cement Masons Local 500 Laborers Local 300 As I became a representative with my local Cement Masons Local 600 Laborers, Gunite Workers union, then the Building Trades Council, Roofers & Waterproofers Local 36 and Executive Secretary for the past eight Local 345 Roofers & Waterproofers years, I have met hundreds of politicians. Laborers Local 652 Local 220 They’re essential to what we do—to win Laborers Local 1184 agreements and protect our workers on the Laborers Local 1309 Sheet Metal Workers Local 105 job. Do I like them all? No. Do I trust them Laborers, Plaster Tenders Sheet Metal Workers Local 170 all? Hell no. It’s a constant back-and-forth Local 1414 Teamsters Joint Council 42 with these folks. They have a lot of voters District Council 36 Painters Teamsters Local 848 to answer to, and sometimes, they’re busy & Allied Trades Teamsters Local 952 President Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here” answering to their own ego. and led the country out of a crisis. Joe Biden will give Drywall Finishing Local 1136 Teamsters Local 986 us that leadership again. SEE MILLER PAGE 9 Change of address: Union members, please contact your local. BUILDING TRADES NEWS 3 9 UNIONS SAY ‘NO’ TO INSIDE PROP. 22 Companies sink $200 million into BUILDING measure to take away workers’ rights TRADES 13 BUILDING TRADES NEWS ENDORSEMENTS: NOV. 3 ELECTION All California voters have received mail-in ballots PG. 17-26 PG. 1 SPECIAL SECTION 1 VOTE UNION FINANCE: • Joe Biden for President of the Design by Milton Glaser CHALLENGE AND United States OPPORTUNITY • Yes on LAUSD Measure RR 17-26 5 ANAHEIM Building Trades partners offer • No on Prop. 21 VOTES FOR • No on Prop. 22 guidance in difficult times STADIUM 17 Washington Capital DEVELOPMENT 3 FROM THE EXECUTIVE 21 Milliman The process to remake SECRETARY 22 BPA 151 acres around Angel We must hold Trump accountable 23 A.J. Longo Insurance Brokers Stadium wins approval for broken promises and lack of PG. 9 24 Activate Healthcare from the City Council leadership 26 Union Insurance Group 4 BUILDING TRADES NEWS ORANGE COUNTY NEWS: ANAHEIM ANGELS HEAD FOR HOME City Council Approves Development Plan with Thousands of Construction Jobs BY LESLIE BERKMAN Support for major projects these days comes from emails and calls, not in-per- son testimony, but when it comes to mak- ing their priorities known, the Building Trades are as strong as ever. On Sept. 29, the Anaheim City Council met online and approved the sale of 151 prime city-owned acres, including Angel Stadium, for a landmark commercial and residential development expected to gen- erate thousands of union construction jobs over the next three decades. As of 10:30 the night of the marathon council meeting, the city clerk said the council had received 152 letters in support of the stadium development project and 106 in opposition. Many of those support letters came from leaders and representatives of Building Trades local affiliated unions. Jack Alvarado, Business Manager of Cement Masons Local 500, enthusiasti- cally listed the good things in the stadium development plan: thousands of well- Under one option, Angel Stadium will be torn down and rebuilt near the Big A. paying construction jobs with local and veteran hiring targets; housing with 15 Agreement. Alvarado said. “It will also provide veter- sell the stadium and surrounding land to percent guaranteed affordable for low- to “This project will provide thousands of ans high priority, allowing them to be re- Angels owner Arte Moreno’s company, moderate-income families; parks and open high skilled middle-class construction ca- warded for their service by earning good SRB Management, for $325 million. At space; a boost in city revenue to pay for reer opportunities for hard-working men wages and benefits.” the September meeting, after eight hours city services and a Community Workforce and women in Anaheim and the region,” The City Council in December voted to SEE ANAHEIM PAGE 6 Let’s turn the tide on opioid addiction Opioid misuse and addiction is a public health crisis impacting millions of Americans each year. But together, we can support those battling addiction and prevent misuse of opioids. At Blue Shield of California, we’ve worked with providers and pharmacists on our Narcotic Safety Initiative, reducing overall opioid use by 56% over a three-year period. To learn more about how we’re transforming the healthcare system into one worthy of organized Labor and our family and friends, visit blueshieldca.com/laborandtrust or contact Tera Brandon Clizbe, vice president, Labor and Trust, or Mark Reynosa, account executive, Labor and Trust. blueshieldca.com/laborandtrust © 2020 Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association BUILDING TRADES NEWS 5 ANAHEIM of deliberation that stretched until 1:30 am, the council by a 5-2 vote approved an CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 amended agreement that transferred near- ly $170 million of the sales price to pro- vision of specific amenities in the project: affordable housing and a public park.