By Mark Waite
A representative of the Building Trades Council from California, told the California Energy Commission that nearly all the construction workers on the Hidden Hills project on Tecopa Road would come from his state.
BrightSource Energy has applied for a permit from the CEC to construct two, 250-megawatt solar power plants on 3,200 acres of private land just across the state line.
“If the project contractor enters into a project labor agreement with the affiliates of this Building Trades Council, we expect that nearly all of the construction work force would come from California, with a large proportion of those from Kern, Inyo and Mono counties and most of the rest from neighboring California counties,” John Spaulding, executive secretary, wrote in a Jan. 17 letter to the CEC.
The union structure and construction worker dispatch rules ensure Californians get priority in hiring, Spaulding said, similar to the construction of the BrightSource Energy Ivanpah project across the state line from Primm, Nev.
BrightSource had estimated 5 percent of the construction work force would come from Inyo County, Calif., 20 percent from Nye County and 75 percent from Clark County. That would be 207 Nye County workers at the peak of construction, 14 months into the 29-month project.
If 95 percent of the construction work force comes from Clark and Nye counties, BrightSource estimates $153 million in construction payroll will stay in those two counties and $8.1 million in Inyo County.
If there isn’t a project labor agreement and some or all of the project is constructed using non-union labor, it is likely most of the work force would not be from California, Spaulding wrote.
If the contractor uses a four-day work week, most workers would commute to the site, taking lodging for three nights, Spaulding said. The CEC estimates there are 314 rooms available in Pahrump and 766 recreational vehicle spaces, Tecopa and Shoshone have 50 rooms, 243 RV spaces, four cabins and a 13-bed budget hostel.
The operational staff of 120 workers that would be needed once the project is built would mostly come from Las Vegas as well as rural areas in Inyo County, BrightSource Energy states. Some workers would come from Pahrump.
It’s all about the greenie agenda.
It’s all about the union agenda.
It’s all about the Obama agenda.
Taxpayer funded boondoggles. Like Solyndra.
Things that would NEVER be built if not for YOUR tax dollars being dumped down a hole. Nobody in their right mind would build this stuff on their own with their own money. Nope. Only with YOUR money.
“Credits”, “incentives”, and “rebates” is what they call them.
Right Obama? Harry?
“If there isn’t a project labor agreement and some or all of the project is constructed using non-union labor, it is likely most of the work force would not be from California, Spaulding wrote.”
This might be the most blatant misrepresentation by a union business manager in regards to a PLA that I have ever seen. Without a PLA, a vast amount of this work would be done by union workers because the unions have apprentice and journeymen programs in the majority of trades that encompass this type of work. Big Labor wants a PLA because they don’t want efficient and well-trained non-union electricians and Carpenters from a non Building Trades union coming in and getting a piece of the work.
Obama’s green jobs economy will not come to fruition because these technologies are still in their infancy. But it is this type of Big Labor favoritism that is going to insure that private investment in projects of this nature are at a bare minimum thus insuring companies like BrightSource become the Solyndras of tomorrow.
it was the unions that made this country great.
Unions have one responsible act to protect and train the trades with no bipartisan political lobby, but the teamsters ruined that one!
Corruption Abounds and the Bully Pulpit wins.. The Out sourcing is controlled and if the Labor and industries is run by the dems in congress we are Screwed any
way..right to work and unions do not mix well. but we are a democracy right or wrong.
Piracy and unfair practice is from people who are fearful of their masters and they get away with murder,malice, and using fear as Adolf did. God did not say to believe in and Obey Unjust laws..
I will never beg borrow or steal and i will always stand up, when Jesus said turn your cheek twice then what he said to walk away. But if they do not quit you stand and fight.