The Truth About Project Labor Agreements

On Tuesday, December 8, voters in the City of Oceanside, California soundly repudiated the union political agenda by rejecting a union-backed and union-funded recall effort against Councilman Jerry Kern.

As California Republican Party Chairman wrote on December 9 in www.FlashReport.org:

In a crushing defeat that will cause reassessment of labor’s political muscle locally, the union-led recall attempt of Republican Councilman Jerry Kern was overwhelmingly rejected, with a stunning 63% of voters opposed.  Demonstrating just how far union officials would go to put their parochial interests ahead of those of taxpayers, the recall election was forced upon the financially strapped city even though the cost of conducting the election itself would exceed $500,000.

Councilman Kern accurately declared this recall attempt to be a “union power grab.”  Although the recall mainly revolved around the issue of contract negotiations between the city and public employee unions, this failed recall is also a victory for the overwhelming percentage of Oceanside citizens who believe taxpayer-funded construction should be done by the best quality contractors at the best price.

Construction union leaders in San Diego County are trying to blunt the threats of voter initiatives to ban Project Labor Agreements in the cities of San Diego (population 1.3 million) and Chula Vista (population 228,000) that are similar to the newly enacted ban in Orange County.  Winning a union-backed majority on the city council in Oceanside (population 180,000) could have allowed the unions to win Project Labor Agreements on city projects in the third largest city in San Diego County even as they lose their power as a special interest group to cut bid competition and increase construction costs in the two largest cities in the county.