Downey, CA– Over the past few weeks, California State Building and Construction Trades Council of California have dove deep into the 58th Assembly District election. Just this past week the State Council leadership have authorized the movement of $425,000 into a political front group known as Working Californians Against Corruption for the sole purpose of attacking one female member of the State Assembly.
This action unfortunately is not that uncommon by the State Building and Construction Trades Council. From communities fighting for environmental justice in Carson, California to devastated homeowners recovering from fires in Northern, California, the State Building and Construction Trades Council have made it clear that they could care less about Californians and seem to be a tool for big polluters and corporations. In contrast Assemblywoman Garcia has been a committed advocate and fighter for environmental justice and communities seeking relief and justice from corporate polluters.
In April of 2014, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers used its incredible political might to advocate for the dirty works of Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Occidental Petroleum was fighting against local residents who opposed the plan to start the drilling of 200 new oil and gas wells in Carson. To help break the ban on new oil drilling, Occidental Petroleum turned to the IBEW Local 11 and used them like a bull in a China shop to overturn the local community enacted drilling ban. The Daily Breeze captured this trampling by IBEW Local 11 of local communities fighting for environmental justice in their story and referred to them using their “powerful political and economic influence” to overturn the local drilling ban.
Fast forward to 2018 and once again we see the rise of a State Building and Construction Trades Council local being used by a big corporation, Pacific Gas and Electric, to attack the wellbeing of average Californians. In 2017, devastating wildfires hit Northern California and caused significant property damage and loss of life. Instead of helping those families rebuild their lives, the IBEW Local 1245 has instead turned into the political attack dog of PG&E and are now actively lobbying to ensure that those families are denied justice and never recover. The Sacramento Bee captured this latest move to work against working Californians by the State Building and Construction Trades Council local in their May 3, 2018 story where they stated the following:
“The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, which represents PG&E employees, is working with PG&E on a controversial pitch asking state lawmakers to reduce property damage liability for utility companies in the aftermath of the devastating 2017 fire season.”
The most shocking attack on the health and wellbeing of working Californians came in late 2017 when the same State Building and Construction Trades Council lobbied the legislature to weaken all attempts to stop efforts to ensure a clean air, clean water and reduce greenhouse gasses. The Los Angeles Times reported on this effort to hurt working Californians on September 20, 2017 and stated that the State Building and Construction Trades
“torpedoed an ambitious proposal to phase out fossil fuels for generating electricity after lawmakers refused to insert a provision limiting clean energy projects that don’t hire their workers. Another group pushed for changes that could stop the state from awarding electric car rebates to automakers involved in labor disputes.
Perhaps most notably, the building and construction trades reinforced oil industry opposition to an early version of cap-and-trade legislation shortly after they forged a new statewide labor agreement with Chevron, which operates two of California’s most productive refineries. The cap-and-trade program, which requires companies to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, was eventually extended by lawmakers in July, but on terms more favorable to oil companies.”
The truth is that in today’s California political climate the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California has become the representative of big oil and big corporate profits. There actions go against the fundamental needs and the wellbeing of all working Californians. Their political attack in the 58th Assembly District is just the latest demonstration of an organization fueled by greed and willing to be the puppet of their corporate bosses.
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