Jan. 29, 2009

Fight the barrage of lies with facts:
School board vote is good for San Diego

Building industry interest groups are financing a desperate attack on the San Diego school board, trying to block an important opportunity to create middle-class careers for students and the low-income San Diego communities that need them most.  

►  Help spread the truth!  Speak out in support of the board by sending letters to the Union-Tribune, voiceofSanDiego.org, San Diego CityBeat, San Diego Daily Transcript and any other local news media.

The democratically elected board members of the San Diego Unified School District had the good business sense to vote to negotiate a Project Stabilization Agreement for all construction projects funded with the $2.1 billion from Proposition S.

In the two weeks since that vote, the fog of lies and misinformation has been thick.  Here are the facts:

• Project Stabilization Agreements have been proven to deliver quality work on time and on budget for school districts and other agencies around the state.  They provide smooth coordination of projects and set high standards for quality work and timely completion.

• The school district's agreement will open a path to middle-class careers for high school graduates not heading to college.  Paid apprenticeship programs and pre-apprenticeship school courses will connect today's students to tomorrow's green jobs.

• The agreement is the only legal way the school board can require local hiring, including specifically that workers come from areas where many SDUSD students live. A double win for the local economy.

Why are some contractors opposed to this smart policy?  They want to continue cutting corners to increase their profits, to the detriment of the local economy as well as the schools that need quality, timely construction work.  

They have been loose with the facts:

FICTION: Only union contractors will get the projects.
FACT:  Bidding on the construction projects will be open to any -- repeat any -- contractor willing to abide by the standards for quality work, safety, fair pay, health coverage and other work conditions.   Rather than shutting anyone out, the PSA will open the door to more contractors who have been underbid when they behaved responsibly.  Under a similar labor agreement used by the San Diego Water Authority, 70% of the contractors have been nonunion.

FICTION:  Nonunion contractors were denied a seat at the negotiating table.
FACT:  This is a phony argument because no contractors belong in negotiations between the school district and the labor unions. Union contractors won't be at the table either.  However, all will have input into what the district brings to the table, and board members are meeting with all interested parties now.

FICTION:  Eric Christen is a concerned citizen heading the "Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction".
FACT:   Eric Christen is a vice president of the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group of nonunion builders and contractors, and a long-time political operative for right-wing causes.  The misnamed coalition is a front group.

FICTION:  "Union bosses" get the taxpayers' money.
FACT:  Money from the school bond will flow back into the pockets of working families in our community, who are also taxpayers and consumers.  The money will do double duty, boosting the local economy while ensuring quality school construction will be done on time and on budget.

Help set the facts straight.  Send your letters today!