I just got a copy of a legal decision that rejects a lawsuit against a labor pact on San Diego Unified school construction.
An appeals court found that the labor agreement didn’t violate California laws about apprenticeships, as the San Diego chapter of the Associated General Contractors had argued in its suit last year.
The labor pact was deeply controversial when the school board agreed to it nearly two years ago. Such agreements typically involve a tit-for-tat in which a public agency sets rules on bidding, such as hiring workers through union halls, in exchange for unions promising not to strike.
The San Diego Unified pact requires employers to provide healthcare largely through union plans, set steep goals for local hiring, and calls for apprentices to come from union programs.
The Fourth Appellate District Court wrote that contrary to what the contractors argued, state law didn’t stop the school district from requiring that contractors use apprentices from a specific program.
Labor leaders trumpeted the decision. You can read the whole court decision here. I’ve left messages with the AGC and will post any updates here on the blog.
Please contact Emily Alpert directly at emily.alpert@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5665 and follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/emilyschoolsyou.