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120th YearOFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL OF SAN FRANCISCOVolume 120, No. 7 July 2020 www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.orgBuilding TradesLeaders DemandWorker Protections inHousing LegislationwProposals by Chiu,Wiener don’t measure upWhile California’s longstanding housing crisisnecessitates bold action on thepart of politicians to expandthe state’s housing supply, theSan Francisco Building andConstruction Trades Council’sleadership has had to ramp upadvocacy for the protectionof workers who will build thatnew housing.Both AssemblymemberDavid Chiu and State SenatorScott Wiener have introducedlegislation this year aimed atincreasing housing densityin more suburban and ruralparts of the state in order toincrease housing supply, buildmore housing near transit andcreate more diverse, inclusive communities. With theCOVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the state’s preexistinghousing crisis, there’s evenmore pressure on legislatorsto get housing built, includingaffordable housing and unitsfor individuals who are experiencing homelessness.Although both legislatorshave enjoyed the backing of theSFBCTC, recently proposedbills have shortcomings froma labor perspective. Chiu’s billwas retracted and SFBCTC of(continued on page 7)COVID-19: GENERATIONAL CRISISBy Jacob BourneApprenticeships Adapt to COVID-19 ChallengeswClasses, When They Return, Will be Smaller and Contain Added Safety MeasuresNote to aspiringjourneymen:you can stilllearn yourtrade, but youwill need to be adaptable.As has been the case withmany facets of society in 2020,the COVID-19 pandemic hasimpacted the Building Tradesability to run its apprenticeshipprograms in the usual manner.Schools have switched to onlineformats this spring to enablelearning to continue amidstsocial distancing. But the curriculum of trades professionsoften requires a high degreeof hands-on learning, creatingDuring the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Laborer’s apprenticeship programs have continued partially in-personand partially online. In-person class sizes were reduced in size and include all necessary PPE equipment.a hurdle for apprenticeshipadministrators to confront.When the shelter-in-placeorder was given on March 16,Pile Drivers Local 34 madethe decision to shut downits training center, said ReidWitmondt, Local 34’s apprenticeship coordinator. Whenthey reopened the center inJune, class sizes were reducedto no more than nine apprentices with the instructor in theroom. Half of our furniture(continued on page 5)As Pandemic Rages, Work Continuesw Building Trades Locals Are Affected but Still BusyThe Building Trades’many local unionshave been impactedin different waysby the COVID-19 pandemic.Since Bay Area countyhealth officials permittedconstruction activities tocontinue more broadly inMay, the work has generallyInsideCarpenters 22.page 8been steady. However, givenrising rates of COVID-19infections in California andnationwide, there is stillwidespread concern throughout the industry over keepingjob sites safe for workers.“For the most part I’mgetting reports from the business agents and the businessLooking up the Hatch.page 13Sprinklers 483.page 14Glaziers 718.page 14Carpet Layers 12.page 15Cement Masons 300.page 15Sign Display 510.page 16Hammers & Leads.page 16Roofers 40.page 18Heat & Frost 16.page 18that most of these caseshave been created becausesomebody is exposed to thedisease outside of work andtherefore when they come towork they expose the rest ofthe workers. We continue toadvise people to be safe onthe job. If you’re sick do not(continued on page 6)School Daysw Clarendon Elementary Gets an OverhaulBy Jacob Bournewriter and photographerElectrical Workers 6.page 10Bricklayers 3.page 12managers that work is doingnothing but improving rightnow,” said Tim PaulsonSan Francisco Building andConstruction Trades CouncilSecretary-Treasurer. “Everybody is still wary aboutwhat happens when somebody is found positive for theCoronavirus. We have foundThanks to a bond programfunded by San Francisco Unified School District, the agingand cramped Clarendon Alternative Elementary School is getting amuch-needed facelift.Clarendon is a kindergartenthrough fifth grade school withinSFUSD. Located in the Twin Peaksneighborhood, the school and its esti- Rodan is the general contractor for the project atmated 560 students have increasinglyClarendon Alternative Elementary School, which includes(continued on page 17) workers from several unions.
BuildingtheTradesBuilding Trades Negotiationsby Tim Paulson, Secretary-TreasurerSan Francisco Building & Construction Trades CouncilThe year 2020 has been a strongone for Project Labor Agreements. We have secured dealswith the San Francisco Giants at Mission Rock for the 11 waterfront buildings planned there; we won an agreement with City College for almost abillion dollars in infrastructure work;the Recreation and Park Land atIndia Basin was just signed; the hugePotrero Hill Power Plant development is being inked; we have letters ofintent (LOI) for the private development of India Basin; the new neighborhood at 3333 California has signedto be union; we have commitmentsfor the new hotel at the Golden GateWarriors arena (the Mission Bay PLAcovers) which we helped get approvedat the Planning Commission; we havea commitment to a union-only highrise at 10 So. Van Ness with CrescentHeights Developers; and an LOI for85 Hawthorne St.And others.And much of the current work thathas restarted up during this pandemicwas secured by the diligence of thisCouncil over the last decade under earlier PLA’s and other commitments.But the most difficult PLA duringmy short time as your Secretary-Treasurer is the one we are finally completing with the City and County of SanFrancisco. We have worked and securedan agreement for all City and Countyconstruction to be executed under theterms of our union collective bargainingagreements. As you have heard, this hasbeen a slow grind. I have worked on thisfor my entire short time with you - first,helping to pass the initial legislationthrough the Board of Supervisors andthen negotiating the final deal for morethan a year.The leaders of your unions wereincredible!Just this morning, I received theapproval from the national buildingtrades in DC and we have collected allthe signatures of affiliates. Again, everySan Francisco Building Trades affiliatecontributed to this team process but Iwant to especially thank our diligentbargain team. President Larry Mazzolaand I were co-chairs of this long negotiation and his partnership to keep our focus on the prize was invaluable. (And westill like each other .) and the othermajor representatives of our leadershipteam who worked so many hours wereVice President John Doherty of IBEWLocal 6, Ramon Hernandez of Laborers Local 261, Vice President VinceCourtney, Tony Rodriguez of SprinklerFitters Local 483, Charlie Lavery ofOperating Engineers Local 3, DannyCampbell of Sheet Metal Local 104,Bart Pantoja of Painters DistrictCouncil 16, Jose Fuentes-Almanza fromIBEW Local 6 and many others whosat in on these sessions over the year. Iwant to give a special shout out to BillBlackwell and RJ Ferrari from UA 38120 YearsTim Paulson, Secretary-TreasurerLawrence Mazzola Jr., PresidentJohn Doherty, Vice President - SubcraftsVince Courtney, Jr., Vice President – Basic CraftsBart Pantoja, Sergeant-at-ArmsOfficial Newspaper of theSan Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO1188 Franklin St. Suite 203San Francisco, CA 94109Ph: (415) 345-9333 Fax: (415) 345-9449Organized Labor is published monthlyPeriodicals postage paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional post officesPOSTMASTER: Send address changes toOrganized Labor/Senders Communications Group, Inc.21201 Victory Blvd. #235Canoga Park, CA 91303Ph: (818) 884-8966 Fax: (818) 884-7706Email: robert@sendersgroup.comExecutive Editor: Tim PaulsonPublisher: Cherri SendersEditor: Robert FultonContributing Writer/Photographer: Paul Burton, Jacob BourneGraphic Designer: Mike KritzerAdvertising: Cherri SendersPh: (818) 884-8966 ex1104Email: cherri@sendersgroup.comPAGE 2In our “day jobs” - and night jobsand swing shift jobs and weekend jobs and some of us who are sometimes toostupid to know when to quit working –I, for the first time in my stint as yourSecretary-Treasurer, had to think for acouple days about what I would print inmy last article. As a construction workerand union representative, I wantedto have a few quick, rueful, accuratepersonal words about what this job hasmade me think about during these lastfew months of turmoil. I wanted to getout some honest thoughts but also berespectful to everyone. I didn’t want tobe so personal as to betray any sense ofprivilege connected to sexism or racismor, frankly, any disrespect to anyone.I wanted to continue a dialogueabout how we are all coping, as unionconstruction workers, with the COVID-19 crisis as well as the marchingthat we see every night on the streetsin response to some recent horribleevents that have included the murdersof our African American brothersand sisters in America.We seem to be at a crossroads. Theeconomy is screwed up; racial angerhas justifiably hit a new peak – (peoplewho think the Chinese created thisvirus are as stupid as the people whorefuse to wear masks. One businessmanager told me, “We’re not askingyou to give blood; if you don’t weara mask we don’t want you on our jobsites, you selfish ignorant #%&@”).We wear hardhats and orange vestsbecause they keep us safe – not becausewe “like” them. Frankly I am proudwhen I see a construction worker inCarhartts, neon vest, mask and hardhat walking to or from the jobsite.That’s what I did, I’m thinking. Thoseare my brothers and sisters. Those folksare the ones who get things done!Be safe. OLOfficers of the Council(USPC 411-860) - (ISSN 00199-6452)Subscriptions 30 per yearAddendum to last monthsarticle “Extraordinary Times”SAN FRANCISCO BUILDING & CONSTRUCTIONTRADES COUNCIL OFFICERS & AFFILIATESPublished Since February 1900www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.org www.SendersGroup.comwho helped us chase down your signatures last week. This was a total teameffort. In San Francisco when we worktogether, it can be a beautiful thing. Nophoto ops or ceremonies yet because ofshelter in place (SIP) but, in the longrun, it’s about the work we do. Thankyou all again.Dan Fross, TrusteeRamon Hernandez, TrusteePat Mulligan, TrusteeTony Rodriguez, TrusteeDanny Campbell, TrusteeAffiliatesBoilermakers, Local 549Bricklayers & Allied Crafts, Local 3Carpenters, Local 22Carpenters, Local 2236Carpet Layers, Local 12Cement Masons, Local 300, Area 580Electrical Workers, Local 6Elevator Constructors, Local 8Glaziers, Local 718Insulators & Asbestos Workers, Local 16International Federation of Professionaland Technical Engineers, Local 21Ironworkers, Field Local 377Laborers, Local 67Laborers, Local 261Lathers, Local 68LMillwrights, Local 102Operating Engineers, Local 3Painters, Local 83Painters, Local 913www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.orgPainters, Local 1176Piledrivers, Local 34Plasterers, Local 66Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 38Roofers & Waterproofers, Local 40Sheet Metal Workers, Local 104Sign & Display, Local 510Sprinkler Fitters, Local 483United Steelworkers, Local 1304Teamsters, Local 665Teamsters, Local 853Teamsters, Local 2785Window Cleaners, SEIU, USWWSubscribers: Please send any change of addressesdirectly to your Local, NOT to the publication. The localskeep their own membership lists current, for ALL of theircorrespondence, including subscriptions to OrganizedLabor. Please contact your local directly with any questions.Thank you.– The PublishersJuly 2020 Organized Labor
ASK THEEXPERTOfficial Minutes of theSan Francisco Building andConstruction Trades CouncilA Century of Excellence in CraftsmanshipBrought to you by:DELEGATES MEETINGMINUTESTHE VEEN FIRM - WE’RE HERE TO HELPWWW.VEENFIRM.COM 415.673.4800FACEBOOK.COM/THEVEENFIRM@THEVEENFIRMQA staffing agency hired me to worktemporarily at a worksite, and I suffereda major injury while on the job. I don’tknow if either of the two companies hasworkers’ compensation insurance. Can I bring acivil suit against the staffing agency, against theworksite employer, both, or neither?AWhen a staffing or “temp” agency hires you andsends you to work for another company, andboth entities retain control over you, this is anarrangement called “dual employment.” In the eyesof the law, both companies are your employer. The agency isknown as the “general” or “regular” employer, and the employerto whom you were assigned is known as the “special” employer.Under the Labor Code, the general and specialemployers cannot be sued in civil court for your injuryif they had previously arranged for you to be coveredby workers’ compensation insurance. (Cal. Labor Code.§3602(d).) That means that, even before you began work,the two companies should have agreed how your workers’compensation insurance would be provided. For instance,they should have decided which company would purchasethe policy, what insurance company would provide coverage,etc. Of course, they should have actually obtained theworkers’ compensation insurance ahead of time and notafter your injury already occurred. If your two employers didall this, then you cannot bring a claim against them in civilcourt—you can only bring a workers’ compensation claimagainst them in administrative court.So what should you do? Immediately report the injury toboth employers, and file a workers’ compensation claim. Youshould consult with a workers’ compensation attorney tomake sure you receive fair treatment and adequate benefits.You should also consult with an experienced civil personalinjury attorney. The attorneys can find out if your “dual”employers had arranged for you to be covered by workers’compensation insurance. If that coverage was not in place atthe time of your injury, then you may be able to bring a civilsuit against one or both of your employers.by Clifton SmootThe Veen Firm, PC, San Francisco, CARead the complete article online atwww.sfbuildingtradescouncil.org/VEENPlease read complete disclaimers online – advice does notconstitute legal relationship.Hurt on the Job? What Next?We’re Here to Help.The Veen Firm, PC is proud to provide legal insightfor the members of Organized Labor.With over 40 years of experience helping those catastrophically injured on the job, we have the creativity,knowledge and skill to help those who need it most.When you need answers, all you have to do is ask.Email asktheexpert@sfbctc.org and your questionsmay be answered, online and in print.–Attorney Advertisement–July 2020 Organized LaborJune 4, 2020, 5 PMZoom callROLL CALL OF OFFICERS:President Larry Mazzola, Jr., Vice Presidents Vince Courtney, John Doherty, andSecretary-Treasurer Tim Paulson present.Secretary or Sgt. Of Arms takes virtual rollof delegatesCORRESPONDENCE: Crescent Heights response to SecretaryTreasurer’s statement to Planning Commission. Letter went out via email.REQUEST FOR FUNDS:NoneSECRETARY’S REPORT: Update on SIP COVID policy, monitoringof pandemic and intense economic andcivil rights crisis. Update of PLA signature gathering, CCSF,India Basin Park. Updates on PLA/s: Balboa Reservoir developers refuse to sign our LOI, contractor/developer Avalon Bay/Bridge states they donot do any self-performing work. Lookingforward to future negotiations. Will mostlyconsist of housing with exception of onecoffee shop. India Basin in private sector.Build, Inc has had a setback due to issueswith Army Corp of Engineers. 95 Hawthornehas new owner. Dates to be set, again, withPark Merced, Whole Foods has reachedout on possibly PLA, Crescent Heights hasmany moving parts, letter sent via email hasbeen sent to Planning Commission and aformal letter was sent back however nothinghas been signed as of yet. Tim requestedformal commitment that only Union GC andsubs will be utilized to move forward onproject. Presentation is next week at Planning Commission. Per Chair, comfortablenot having to stand up to take opposingposition with them. Update on Mission Rock, Port Commissionand Board of Supes being monitored. JackBair of the SF Giants and main lawyerwants to secure the signatures on project,to be completed within the next few days.Ceremony derailed at ballpark due toCOVID-19. Prejobs, 5M held prejob for setup of crane. PUC water and sewer rates can be significantly reduced for those who apply.Commissioners are being rejected. Officers meeting with AssemblymemberChiu, meeting went well. Officers tocontinue to monitor. Senator Scott Wiener was invited to join however couldnot attend. Modular meeting with Kofi Bonner, President Mazzola, and Secretary-TreasurerPaulson to hear new proposals for uniononly modular housing building for all trades.Terry Dunnigan encouraged Officers toexplore this, so our members have the vitalopportunity to be on board and be part ofthis work. Upcoming PEC meeting. SFUSD craft coalition bargaining extensionto possibly extend the contract to avoidfurloughs. Upcoming COPE to be set. Reach outand compare with SF Labor Council. Timto follow up.PICKET SANCTIONS:NoneOLD BUSINESS:NoneNEW BUSINESS: Warriors approached Officers on all unionsmall Hotel to be attached to arena. Theyare committed to union under Mission BayPLA. Chair requested that members support. Secretary-Treasurer to draft letter ofsupport. M/S/CREPORTS OF UNIONS: Bart Pantoja asked for update on Housing MOU. District 16 to meet with themtomorrow. Per Chair, housing reachedout to trades for flexibility and issues ontimeframes already agreed to. MOU statesupcoming raises that may need to bepushed back due to pandemic.ADJOURNMENT:Adjourned 5:42pmBUSINESS AGENTSMEETING MINUTESJune 9, 2020, 10 AMZoom callROLL CALL OF OFFICERS:President Larry Mazzola, Jr, Vice PresidentVince Courtney, and Secretary-Treasurer TimPaulson present. Vice President John Dohertyexcused.CORRESPONDENCE: Crescent Heights response to SecretaryTreasurer’s statement to Planning Commission Bridge Housing Balboa Terrance, letter ofintent received not up to par.REQUEST FOR FUNDS:NoneSECRETARY’S REPORT:tional union to attend. Update of PLA signature gathering, CCSF,India Basin Park, please continue to sendin signatures. Council has created file withindividual signatures. Updates on PLA’s: Balboa Reservoir exclusion, Avalon is not signatory to anyone.Plans to have formal sit down. Modularlanguage in question. They confirmed zeromodular to be included in entire project.India Basin private and Zoom meeting tobe set up soon with team of negotiators,95 Hawthorne now has new owner, working on getting meeting set up. We do havesigned LOI (Letter of Intent.) Park Mercedmeeting has been set for end of June.Whole Foods at Masonic and Geary streethas reached out for PLA. Crescent Heightsrefuses to sign with us, no commitmentmade. Tim went to Planning Commission.Email received from them, post entitlement,all union workers, all union contractorspromised. Vince Courtney asked that officers report back on NABTU union securityclause on public PLA’s and Tim reported onour official position. Jolene to be contactedfor update. Danny Campbell Local 104requested LOI’s from Balboa Reservoirand 95 Hawthorne. Update on Mission Rock. VP of Giants JackBair update. Collection of signatures to goout on PLA. Prejobs; SFPUC tomorrow and A.P. Giannini school on Friday. Officers meeting with AssemblymemberChiu, members asked to monitor workforceprotections and bills that get passed statewide. Senator Scott Wiener has promisedto stand with us and will continue to standwith our skilled workforce and prevailingwages requirement. Modular meeting with Kofi Bonner, President Mazzola, and Secretary TreasurerPaulson to hear new proposals, nothingofficial to report. PEC meeting this Thursday at 1pm. Members asked to add on calendar. UCSF craft coalition bargaining extension.Our side proposing possible extension requested by John, we will continue to monitor. City College workers wage reduction hasbeen put on the table. Caucus to come.Sandra has sent out doodle poll for possiblemeeting dates. Ramon Hernandez asked for citywide PLA,which is done except for one final issueregarding CityBuild. Potrero PLA is alsostill pending, final doc to be signed by Tim,Enrique Landa, and Carpenters, Jolene tothen provide final copy, and then to be sentto affiliates. NABTU still to approve. IndiaBasin also needed for signature, Sandra tosend via email. Update on SIP COVID policy. SIP still in PICKET SANCTIONS: Bart Pantoja requested strike sanction forplace, no meetings in person. NationalLocal 913 against multi-employer group.Building Trades will hold convention in(continued on page 19)person with one rep from each interna-www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.orgPAGE 3
Balboa Reservoir Project Moves Forwardw PUC Sale Enables 1,100-unit Complex to ProgressBy Jacob BourneIn late June, the San Francisco PublicUtilities Commission (PUC) sold the17-acre Balboa Reservoir propertyto the joint development team BRIDGEHousing and Avalon Bay, allowing thelarge housing project to move forward.The project is a public-private partnership between the joint developmentteam, the City of San Francisco, Mission Housing and Habitat for Human-BY THE NUMBERS550Units planned for the BalboaReservoir Project50Percentage designated foraffordable housing low- andmoderate-income residents.150Number of units earmarked forCCSF faculty and staff.ity. The plan proposes 1,100 housingunits contained within eight multifamilybuildings and several townhomes. Akey highlight is that 50 percent or 550units are designated affordable housingfor low and moderate income residents.Other community benefits provided bythe project are four acres of publicly accessible open space, about 150 units ofhousing for City College of San Francisco (CCSF) faculty and staff, publicparking spots, a childcare center andcommunity room. The project entailsworkforce requirements including prevailing wages, local hiring initiative andLocal Business Enterprises criteria.“We are continuing to dialogue withthe joint development team BRIDGEHousing and Avalon Bay to produce thisall-housing project,” said Tim Paulson,SFBCTC secretary-treasurer. “With50 percent of it affordable housing, it’sabout as high of a percentage as the cityhas ever seen. They are committing to useunion workers though the details haven’tyet been finalized. Negotiations on aproject labor agreement are underway.”The project site is mostly a large surface parking area and had until recentlybeen owned by the PUC. It’s locatedright next to CCSF and in close proximity to the Ocean Avenue business districtas well as the Balboa BART station,making it a prime location for TransitOriented Development. After severalJ E R RY NEIL PAULAn Advocate for the Building TradesAsbestos-Related Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer and AsbestosisPlans for the 17-acre Balboa Reservoir site will transform it into a family-friendly andenvironmentally-friendly development with more than 1,000 units of housing, half forlow– and moderate–income residents.years of public outreach, the PlanningCommission amended the General Planto allow for the project on April 9.“This project is unique in that thepackage of community benefits originatedin the community process and the developer team has worked over the last threeyears to shape them,” said Leigh Lutenski, project manger for the City’s Office ofEconomic and Workforce Development.Another notable feature of theproject is that it offers a number ofresidences suitable for families, with 35percent of the total units two-bedroomsand 10 percent three-bedrooms. Developers envision transforming what wasonce an underutilized surface parking lotwith little access to the surrounding areainto a pedestrian-oriented facility withstreets, auto-bicycle circulation aroundthe perimeter with connections to OceanAvenue and an Ingleside Library Gardenpathway. A public parking garage will beavailable to the broader community aswell as to CCSF and residents.With a construction period aimedto begin in 2022 and finish by 2026, theproject will create many good unionconstruction jobs in addition to muchneeded affordable housing.“Any long-term sustainable project,especially housing projects that includeprotections for prevailing wages for theworkforce and also a highly skilled andtrained workforce is something thatwe’re always proud to stand behind,”said Vince Courtney, SFBCTC VicePresident. “And it benefits not just theworkers themselves—the members ofour unions—but their families, neighborhoods and communities as well.”In addition to the PUC, the projectwill go before the Planning Commission,SFMTA and the Board of Supervisorsfor approval. On April 28, Mayor LondonBreed announced the introduction oflegislation to initiate the first steps of theCity review process for the project. OLHave you or a loved onebeen diagnosed with the cancerMESOTHELIOMA?You may be entitled toCOMPENSATIONNO FEES, NO COSTSuntil we collect monies due you and your familyFREE CONSULTATION AT YOUR HOMEPLUS CASE EVALUATION35 years of getting justice,verdicts & settlements for theCalifornia Union Building Trades.The proposed Balboa Reservoir project includes four acres of open space.JERRY NEIL PAUL, ATTORNEY JNP@THEPAULLAWFIRM.COM1.855.88LEGAL 1.855.885.3425 THEPAULLAWFIRM.COMLos Angeles area:3011 Townsgate Road, Suite 450Westlake Village, CA 91361San Francisco:101 California St., Suite 2710San Francisco, CA 94111PAGE 4The 17-acre Balboa Reservoir site sits adjacent to City College of San Francisco andlocated near the Ocean Avenue commercial district and the Balboa BART station.www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.orgJuly 2020 Organized Labor
COVID-19: GENERATIONAL CRISISApprenticeshipsContinued from page 1was removed to adhere to social distancing requirements and the organizationinstalled plexiglass to help stop thespread. Everyone wears a mask thewhole time they’re at the training center,according to Witmondt.“We’re also supplying face shieldsthat apprentices wear here at the training center and also while they’re at theshop area,” Witmondt said.In the past, up to four apprenticeswould be working on a project togetherduring class sessions, but now apprenticeswork on tasks solo to enable proper social distancing. Witmondt said that priorto the pandemic, apprentices would beable to rely on one another to get throughprojects, but current circumstances require them to approach the curriculum ina more independent manner.“They’re developing multiple skills setsand really honing their skills,” he said.While working on getting the apprenticeship curriculum developed intoan online format, Witmondt said thatPersonal Training Zones are employedat the training center providing eachstudent with a 12 by 12-foot area towork in while the instructor teachesfrom a three-foot high platform.Following a brief shutdown of classes,the Local 8 Elevator Constructors Appren-July 2020 Organized Laborticeship Program went fully virtual for theremainder of the school year. Mark Thomas, Local 8 business manager, said that theshift to online learning has insured thatno one has fallen behind in their learningschedule, though he added that the transition to an online format has been a bit of achallenge for some students who thrive inhands-on learning environments. “Classesare scheduled to resume in mid-August,but it has not been determined whetherthey will be online or in person.Leonard Gonzales, executive directorGonzalez said. “As constructionprojects began to open up over the pastfew weeks, many of our affiliates findthemselves with a shortage of apprentices. Many of the pre-apprenticeshipprograms we are affiliated with wereshut down as well, which severed ourpathway temporarily for direct entry.However, those programs are beginningto come back online and Local 1130recently indentured six new apprenticesfrom our Merced College Program.”“In addition to working with the“They’re developing multiple skills setsand really honing their skills.”—Reid Witmondt, Pile Drivers Local 34’s apprenticeship coordinatorof the Laborer’s Training and Retraining Trust Fund for Northern California, said that Laborer’s apprenticeshipprograms have continued partially inperson and partially online. In-personclass sizes were reduced to nine traineesand one instructor, while online coursesfocused on OSHA training, infectiousdisease prevention, hazardous recertification and environmental courses.“The online courses assisted withhelping apprentices keep up with theirRelated Supplemental Instruction,”basic crafts and state building tradesadministering an electronic trainingcurriculum for COVID-19 preparedness,we have been diligently complying withthe governors protocols while managingto continue to train, with those protocols in place, individuals that we’ll allneed in the industry in the near future,”added Vince Courtney, assistant to thebusiness manager, Northern CaliforniaDistrict Council of Laborers. “Keepingthose candidates, our instructors, andadministrative staff safe has been an ab-www.SFBuildingTradesCouncil.orgsolute priority throughout this pandemic and we’ll continue to place the highestvalue on the health and safety of themas we cautiously move forward.”Like many other unions, GlaziersLocal 718 shuttered in-person classes, butprogram leaders continued to accept newapprentices based on an expected high demand for skilled labor. The new apprentices started their field work while takingonline OSHA certifications and COVID19-related trainings in the interim.“We need a good 100 more Glaziersto get through the year,” said Bart Pantoja, Local 718 business representative.Pantoja anticipates that in-personclasses will recommence by late July. Theapprenticeship program leadership hasbeen proactive in inve
Schools have switched to online formats this spring to enable learning to continue amidst social distancing. But the cur-riculum of trades professions often requires a high degree of hands-on learning, creating Apprenticeships Adapt to COVID-19 Challenges Building Trades Leaders Demand Worker Protections in Housing Legislation
