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A funny thing happened on the way to the airport

12.15.10 - 2:50 pm | Sarah Phelan |
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After Steve Kawa, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff, started making noises about local hire’s impact on folks who work at San Francisco Airport, since technically it’s in Millbrae, I asked Sup. John Avalos, the legislation’s chief sponsor, to clarify this point.

“Project labor agreements trump this legislation,” Avalos said.

Avalos’ straightforward answer, coming on the heels of Kawa's grumblings, Sparks claims about the program's costs, and the striking absence of any analysis of the economic benefits of local hire (especially compared to the recent hooplah around the Americas Cup) made me wonder about the connection between the airport , Human Rights Commission director Theresa Sparks and the Mayor's Office, since criticism of Avalos' local hire legislation mainly seems to be coming from these three sources, these days.

Comments

This article is unclear.

This article is unclear.

Posted by The Commish on Dec. 15, 2010 @ 3:21 pm
Is Avalos saying local hiring does not apply to SFO?

I don't think he is correct. Can SFBG clarify...?

Local hiring should not apply since SFO construction projects are either funded by federal dollars or gate fees, let alone the airport is in Millbrae (but City has jurisdiction over SFO).

This should be clarified.

Posted by AGuest on Dec. 15, 2010 @ 8:03 pm
sarah you are amazing

Sarah, thank you for your ongoing coverage of the important and highly complex issue of local hiring and Sup. Avalos' historic jobs legislation. You are providing in vivid detail an important insight into the law-making and political process that many people do not ever see. The community was not supposed to win this policy change, and you are shining light on the forces that are still trying to deny the community a historic victory.

We're all still holding out hope that the Mayor will sign this legislation and give Supervisor Avalos an assist on a Christmas gift nearly 50 years in the making. Certainly the Mayor's Chief of Staff has been relieved of his concern that the City of Millbrae's interests are not protected, not only because as a city with a population only 2.6% that of ours (2000 Census) Millbrae's needs are a bit more manageable, but because as you stated there is a project labor agreement in place for the airport. The explicit carve-out for existing project labor agreements in the Avalos legislation means that workers at the airport (from Millbrae and elsewhere) will not be affected at all.

And on future work at the airport the Avalos legislation contains a clause that local hiring requirements on city-funded work outside of the City scale down to reflect the relative scale of San Francisco taxpayers' investment in the project and the job needs of the locally-impacted community...communities such as Millbrae.

Thanks again for your insightful coverage of this issue, Sarah.

Josh

Posted by Joshua Arce on Dec. 15, 2010 @ 9:07 pm
What projects at the airport are "city-funded?"

My understanding is that none is funded by the City...

Posted by AGuest on Dec. 16, 2010 @ 10:31 am