Powerful unions are at an impasse regarding legislation that could potentially make a dent in the California housing crisis.
behind them. The council, colloquially known as the Trades, represents 450,000 workers in nearly every other construction industry.
In years past, the fight over labor standards signaled early death knells for housing bills. But since the carpenters and a few non-construction labor groups joined hands with developers, this bill plowed through legislative hurdles its predecessors couldn’t.
The Carpenters and the Trades sat down for multiple Zoom calls in recent weeks at the behest of Senate leadership, led by Majority Leader Mike McGuire, to come up with a compromise, according to those at the negotiating table. McGuire’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.“Sen. McGuire is the most patient person in the California Senate,” said Erin Lehane, legislative director for the Trades.
Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, the Democrat from Oakland who authored the bill and leads the Assembly Housing Committee, said she feels confident in the labor language already in the bill. “This isn’t a taking-on-labor fight. This is a solving-the-housing-crisis fight,” Wicks said. “I want to keep trying to reach a deal, and I’ll do everything I can to do that. But if a deal isn’t reached, many of the colleagues I’ve spoken to in the Senate are prepared to support the vote for solving this problem.”Expand for more about this legislator