AGC San Diego CONSTRUCTOR Magazine 2018 - Volume 1 AGCSD CONSTRUCTOR 2018 Volume 1 | Page 14

union-backed candidates get into office. We have
also seen large private sector jobs impacted by the
“Permit Extortion” schemes; some with success -
some, not so much.
The Chula Vista Gaylord Bayfront project was
made economically infeasible with the increased
labor cost, and the 2016 Chargers’ stadium
initiative went down to defeat after a handshake
deal for a PLA was announced with the Building
Trades Council – effectively shutting out 80%
of the county's construction market and giving
Chargers fans one more reason to vote “no.” If
the trend towards forced unionization continues, it
would be easy to foresee a time when San Diego
looks more like the Los Angeles market – where,
coincidentally, most PLA union subcontractors
journey from to meet the requirements of some
San Diego school districts.
However, a pending Supreme Court ruling could
impact the way the state, local municipalities, and
school districts are governed. The “Janus” case
threatens to end automatic public-sector union
dues, which are a large source of Democratic
political donations. They also provide the political
clout to help the private sector Building Trades
Unions push through their anti-competitive
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measures. Nationwide, the Building Trades
combined spend around $40 million on political
contributions each election, a fraction of the $100
million spent by Public Sector Unions, including
teachers. Post Janus, the loss of public sector
unions political power is likely to cause a reversal
of the trend towards government-mandated or
coerced PLAs. The Building Trades, like their
partners in the public sector, would likely return to
their roots of training, organizing and unionizing
contractors the old-fashioned way - for better or
for worse…
Beyond 2028
Writing a “future” article is always risky. How loud
will readers laugh in 2028 at references to Uber
and Lyft, or cars for that matter? Perhaps, the
always promised jetpack will finally be introduced
by then… That being said, unless there is a
major diversion from the current path, the three
trends in Housing, Transportation, and Organized
Labor are undeniable. The next ten years will see
a continued rise in construction of multi-family
housing and mixed-use commercial in bike and
pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, near transit
hubs that incorporate new technology – like ride
sharing from the Hyperloop. Google it.