Local Union Accuses Dublin School District of Violating Labor Laws
As part of Measure C, the Dublin Unified School District (DUSD) issued $184M of bonds to fund renovations at the district school facilities. Dublin High School received $120M of the funding for renovations. According to Dublin-based Local Union 595, DUSD enlisted the help of Dublin’s labor unions to help campaign for the additional property tax, which is also known as an ad valorem tax, in order to win support for Measure C. In exchange, DUSD promised to hire union contractors as a means of providing jobs for union laborers in the community. At least one labor union has alleged that DUSD may not have hired union contractors to complete renovations at Dublin High School as it had initially promised.
California prevailing wage laws are triggered, in general, whenever public funds are used on a public works project. Prevailing wage is defined as the median wage paid to workers in a specified locality. A goal of mandating prevailing wages is to ensure that locally-funded projects create jobs in the community. Non-union contractors looking to save money will often ignore prevailing wage laws and hire laborers from lower wage areas like the Central Valley and Salinas Valley.
“The non-union contractors that have bid on all of the Dublin High renovations project so far have come in 30-40% below the union contractors,” said Greg Bonato of Local Union 595. The only way contractors can bid 30-40% below the union contractor estimates, Bonato added, is if they were shirking California’s prevailing wage labor laws.
DUSD Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke does not agree with Bonato’s assessment. “The District maintains a Labor Compliance Program to monitor certified payrolls to ensure subcontractors are paid the appropriate wage rates for the work being performed,” Hanke explained. “The District employs both union and non-union general contractors and subcontractors.”
If the contractors hired for Dublin High School’s renovation are found to have skirted around prevailing wage laws, California’s Department of Industrial Relations would assess heavy penalties against DUSD. “The DUSD Board of Trustees may not even know that this is happening,” said Bonato.
The next phase of the $120M Renovation at Dublin High School, which includes the eagerly anticipated Performing Arts building, will soon be up for bid. How this unexpected controversy involving Dublin-based Local Union 595 will play out remains to be seen. If the serious allegations by Local Union 595 are found to be true, Dublin taxpayers may end up shelling out more than just the $184M that was approved in 2004.
5:35 PM on September 7th, 2010
The overwhelming power of Union is the key of our economy failure.
They are dragging down our competitiveness as a country. Just like many countries in Europe, the unemplyment rate stays high. We are definitely going to the same route.
6:31 PM on September 7th, 2010
This is really old news. Bonato raised this issue at a prior board meeting and the District was found to not have committed any violations.
7:32 PM on September 7th, 2010
Wow, so DUSD staff and board members are trolling John Z.’s website anonymously. They are no better than the rest of us. Too funny.
11:43 PM on September 7th, 2010
how old is this article? the performing arts building is almost complete. lol!
12:31 AM on September 8th, 2010
Yeah, the ploys used by those who campaigned for Measure C are old news indeed. They promised the moon trying to get that thing passed. In East Dublin, they promised that Measure C would mean a second high school. In West Dublin, they promised Measure C would mean that Nielsen wouldn’t be shut down. I haven’t heard about the union’s involvement, but I am not surprised. Revelations like this will teach people to be more careful the next time a parcel tax comes up for vote. Clearly, no one, not even the unions, got what they wanted. Joke’s on everyone.
9:02 AM on September 8th, 2010
Measure C was also supposed to preserve class size reduction–what a joke. I am certainly not voting for any future parcel tax or anything else, for that matter, that is supposed to help out the schools (unless there was some guarantee that the money would actually go for what is supposed to go for).
12:58 AM on September 8th, 2010
Let’s hope the news is old and the big government regulators have already dismissed the case, because we do not have money to pay for the heavy penalties. This article must be getting a lot of views though, because if you do a google search with “Dublin, CA labor” or “Dublin, CA prevailing wage”, this article comes up as number one and nothing from the DUSD website shows up. Definitely NOT a good thing if the labor allegations are news to big government regulators, especially given it’s election season.
5:07 AM on September 8th, 2010
Call me crazy, but god, I wish Politics wasn’t so slimy:
“Ok, we really want to build this new building… How can we get the public behind this project, so they will be ok with paying more taxes? I know, let’s get the group that stands to benefit financially to help us talk the public into it! Yeah, the labor union will help us spread the word on why this project needs to be done!”— I don’t know, just seems slimy to me..
I deal with “the union” at Moscone Center.. Biggest crooks in the business world (and part of the reason so many companies hate to exhibit there)…..
12:07 PM on September 8th, 2010
“Slimy” is so right. It’s how politics very often work in this country, especially local politics, and most especially in Dublin. Just follow the money to see how a culture of rampant corruption is not just a Third World issue:
– Construction unions work on (and help finance) construction bond campaigns to bring themselves more jobs and exclusive contracts.
– Teachers unions and school district employees campaign for school bonds to raise their salaries and retain their jobs.
– Police and fire protection officials use scare tactics to spread the fear of pervasive crime and uncontrolled fires in the community to push parcel taxes to fund never-ending increases in hiring, salaries, and pensions.
– Property owners and developers finance city council campaigns for friendly candidates who will gratefully abide their zoning and building wishes.
And now, bond underwriters finance bond campaigns and school board elections, and get exclusive no-bid contracts in return:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_15988836
Deep Trotra in Dublin
1:51 PM on September 8th, 2010
I think I’m going to start my own campaign- I’m going to try to be elected as the Alameda County Beekeeper… No, we don’t have one yet, but I’m gonna scare the heck out of lil’ old ladies and others with my ads, “If we don’t keep them at bay, the bees will hunt you down and sting you..”- Maybe even have some radio ads with the buzz creating a panic.. “This fall, don’t forget to vote for me.. As your beekeeper, I promise to protect you from bees (unless they really do want to sting you, in which case, I will show up, take a report..”
7:53 PM on September 8th, 2010
Hi Anonymous – what would be your campaign slogan? Don’t bother with the campaign signs. The most effective method of campaigning is door to door. ;-p
Cheers, John Z.
8:28 AM on September 9th, 2010
I’d campaign a litter differently–anything to create a buzz… maybe a picture of Uncle Sam pointing at you, with a tagline that’s something like, “Don’t get stung by insect assault” –or maybe go for the scare tactic, some old woman, in a hospital bed, sting marks all over her face….she’s looking at her husband and asks, “Honey, why didn’t we vote for that beekeeper?”
I’d want to get a swarm of attention going for this…
7:36 PM on September 10th, 2010
I’m not opposed to private sector unions but they need to live or die based on their competitive bid. The PLA agreements afford the unions more protection than is warranted. Public employee unions need to be abolished.
11:28 AM on September 20th, 2010
I will not vote for any more school taxes, ever since I found out that Dublin High has a One Million dollar track. Why does a school need a $1,000,000 track. I was told this, when I complained about the streets being blocked for their HOMECOMING parade. They can’t drive on the track. I figure if they can spend that much of their tax money, they have too much.
3:43 PM on October 1st, 2010
I was also surprised they built the gym first before the other english/library buildings.
1:28 PM on October 1st, 2010
Do you know what a person hanging drywall on the Dublin HS makes????approx 125k a year ( non union but prevailing wage) . Laborers make like 90k for pushing a broom. Out of whack!!!!