GSBE Business Update 11/25/2019
CA Building Decarbonization Workforce Needs & Recommendations
UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation released their report “CA Building Decarbonization Workforce Needs & Recommendations,” finds that eliminating gas from all residential and commercial buildings in California, which currently account “for 10-15%” of the state’s fossil fuel emissions, in favor of “efficient electric appliances” could “support between 64,200-104,100 jobs annually after accounting for losses in the fossil fuel industry;” recommendations include “create conditions that attract skilled workers” by engaging “local building trades councils and Labor Management Corporations to identify where goals align. Read Executive Summary or Full Report here.
DRAFT 2020 Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) Released
CA Transportation Commission discussed today the DRAFT which funds development and maintenance of state highway systems and other components of state’s transportation network primarily through state tax on gasoline. Report highlights that $625,381,000 in ITIP funding capacity is available for the 2020 cycle. Read ITIP here.
Labor Group Support For California Governor Fades
Gov. Newsom’s support from labor groups in the state is starting to dwindle. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California backed Newsom during his gubernatorial run, but he angered the group by vetoing proposals that would have increased funding for affordable housing construction, boosted union pay on taxpayer-subsidized public works projects and required higher wages for workers building charter schools. Increased tensions occurred when Newsom removed Robbie Hunter, president of the trades, from a coveted committee charged with examining broad shifts in California’s workplace. The trades council paid for social media posts slamming Newsom for dithering on the appointment and not doing enough to protect worker safety. Some suggest that losing the union’s support will have long-term consequences if Newsom, widely known to have national ambitions, does run for president.
DOL Diversions
The Labor Department on Wednesday admitted it wrongly diverted more than $1 million in appropriated funds to a new Trump administration apprenticeship initiative overseen by private businesses. A departmental review of three contracts found that $1.1 million was spent on Trump’s Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Program, IRAP, even though it was supposed to be spent only on DOL-supervised registered apprenticeships. On Oct. 21, the DOL Inspector General said it had opened an investigation into whether the Trump DOL misspent apprenticeship funds.
Can You Spy on Your Employees’ Private Facebook Group?
For years, companies have encountered issues stemming from employee communications on social media platforms. When such communications take place in private groups not accessible to anyone except approved members, though, it can be difficult for an employer to know what actually is being said. But can a company try to get intel on what’s being communicated in such forums? A recent National Labor Relations Board case shows that, depending on the circumstances, such actions may violate labor law. Read entire article here.