Why construction unions are going green

September 16, 2007 02:44 PM

The working men and women who belong to the San Diego Building Trades unions are standing side-by-side with local environmentalists to make sure that the Chula Vista bayfront is developed in the most environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy way possible. This is not empty rhetoric.

No one has a bigger stake in sustainable development than those of us whose next jobs depend on the ability of the environment to support continuing development. If a badly planned project overloads our highways, pollutes our air or destroys our remaining wetlands, future development will be much more difficult. Today’s construction workers are not willing to mortgage an economic future for short-term employment. We can’t take our profits and leave town. We live here and depend on sustainable development for our future livelihood.

This is why we are insisting that Gaylord Entertainment Co. — the Nashville developer that is trying to win public approval for its hotel and convention center on the bayfront — comply with California’s environmental laws. We want Gaylord to make a legally binding commitment to hire qualified local workers. But we need Gaylord to protect the environment. Even if Gaylord makes the commitment to hire local workers, we will continue to insist that the company also make a legally binding commitment to protect our environment. Our future jobs depend on it.

And no one depends more on environmental health and safety than construction workers. Construction is a risky occupation. On a daily basis workers must face exposure to dangerous materials and practices that can lead to respiratory infections, cancers and silicosis. Tens of thousands of workers exposed to asbestos will be diagnosed with mesothelioma during the next decade.

Building Trades members aren’t the only ones who will face these risks as soon as the first shovel hits the dirt in the Chula Vista bayfront — so will nearby homeowners and residents. That is one reason union leaders are insisting that bayfront developers sign a project labor agreement (PLA), which would ensure that the project is built in a safe manner by properly trained local workers.

Over the past two decades, the building industry has increasingly recognized that improved worker training and education are essential to protecting workers and construction site neighbors from hazardous materials and practices. Under a PLA, worker representatives would be allowed to address environmental health issues on the job site. This is particularly vital on a site like the Chula Vista bayfront, which has been used for many years as a toxic waste dumping ground.

But Gaylord refuses to sign a PLA with local unions. Not only has Gaylord walked away from negotiations with labor representatives, they have also turned their backs on community members fighting to protect the environment. This is a slap in the face to all those who worked so hard through the Citizens Advisory Committee and public forums to shape a green vision for the bayfront. That vision included creating good jobs for Chula Vistans, protecting the unique biology of the coast and preserving space for public use. The Port of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista — which have won awards in the past for facilitating the public-input process — have now, along with Gaylord, shut out the community. These local officials are negotiating the fate of the bayfront behind closed doors — with no public input.

In contrast, the Building Trades have joined with the Environmental Health Coalition to ensure that the bayfront development is a green project. Union leaders have worked with environmentalists for years to ensure that the bayfront project will meet sustainability goals. We all want the project to be built with green materials in order to reduce exposure to toxic substances. We want the project to incorporate solar heating systems and other renewable energy technologies because we recognize green solutions are good for the environment and can stimulate new job opportunities. We want to protect wildlife and to protect coastal access and views.

Construction unions practice what they preach about environmentalism. IBEW Local 569's union hall produces its own power from a photovoltaic system engineered and installed by union-trained and certified electrical workers. Through union apprenticeship and training programs, more workers are being taught how to build in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable manner.

These lessons have hit home for construction union members in another way: For decades, west Chula Vista residents — many of them union members — have suffered disproportionately from the impacts of industrial pollution. We realize that pollution, loss of wetlands, traffic congestion and hazardous waste directly affect our families. We are not just union members — we’re community members, parents, surfers, photographers, birders. Just like everyone else, we appreciate and enjoy Chula Vista’s coastal treasure.

We want the City of Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego to protect this precious local habitat for ourselves and for the generations that will follow. And we want our local officials to make this clear to any developer that wants to work on this unique landscape. Workers, environmentalists, community residents – we’re all in this together. Our livelihoods are at stake, as well as the health and well-being of our families.