A New Year, New Leadership, and New Opportunities for Our Unions

As we welcome the start of a new year in San Francisco, we also greet the dawn of a new city. Members of the recently sworn-in administration include a new mayor and newly elected supervisors. This transition brings renewed hope and opportunity for our members as we embark on a journey to strengthen our local unions, advance our legislative priorities, and fortify this council.

A special note of congratulations is due to District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has recently assumed the role of president of the board. We look forward to working with him in pursuit of our shared goals: a robust economic recovery for our city and the creation of good union jobs for skilled workers across all trades.

New Year’s Resolution: A Call for Greater Union Participation

At the beginning of each year, people tend to set personal resolutions. Some aim to adopt a new fitness routine, follow a fad diet, or take a break from alcohol. Personally, I aim to tackle long-overdue home projects and dedicate more time to my children. Wish me luck.

But one resolution we could all benefit from making — and keeping — is a stronger commitment to attending our local union meetings. While they might feel routine or even mundane at times, meetings are crucial to our success. The work we do as trade unionists requires participation in regular meetings, where we forge connections and actively engage with each other to make collective decisions on important matters.

The strength of our solidarity depends on the engagement of every member. Only together can we defend the progress we’ve made and push that progress even further. A simple yet powerful resolution for all: to attend our local union meetings regularly and, in so doing, to contribute to both the advancement of the labor movement and to our own professional and personal success.

Celebrating 125 Years of Organized Labor

This year marks a monumental milestone for the newspaper you hold in your hands.

At the dawn of the 20th century, the visionary leaders of this council recognized the wisdom of connecting with rank-and-file members through a communications platform that would reach them all. Those leaders’ efforts led to the founding of the Organized Labor Publishing Company and to this newspaper, whose first edition rolled off the press on February 3, 1900.

Organized Labor began as a tool for sharing vital information and fostering unity among the City-based affiliates of the recently organized San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council. Today, it serves much the same purpose, but it now does so for a great many more tradespeople who live throughout the Bay Area and beyond. It has become one of the longest-running labor newspapers in the United States and is the longest continuously published labor newspaper west of the Mississippi.

Organized Labor is an achievement that we can all be proud of. As we celebrate its 125th anniversary, we look back at its legacy of advocacy, education, and solidarity, and we look forward to its ongoing contributions to the labor movement.

Fighting for All Construction Workers

Each local union naturally focuses on the well-being of its own members. However, it’s important to recognize how our collective efforts elevate the entire construction workforce, particularly the unorganized workers who remain vulnerable to exploitation.

Take, for example, the Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2022, authored by then-supervisor Matt Haney and co-sponsored by this council. This landmark legislation offers critical protections for unorganized construction workers, especially those in the residential sector, where wage theft and unsafe working conditions run rampant. Many unions lack the density to fully address these issues, but our solidarity and advocacy are helping to safeguard workers who would otherwise be left unprotected.

Recent strikes further illustrate the power of labor solidarity. The glaziers’ strike of 2024 tested the resolve of District Council 16 and Local 718 here in San Francisco. Through the united efforts of the trades, labor stood firm in its support of the workers. The glaziers emerged victorious, raising the tide for all.

Similarly, as ironworkers and sheet metal workers enter negotiations, we know that the outcomes of these talks are influenced by prevailing wage rates and working conditions across other crafts. Our struggles are deeply interconnected, so the strength of one union benefits all.

Moreover, our solidarity extends beyond wages and jurisdictional concerns. The historic support we provided to Unite Here Local 2 members during their recent hotel strike serves as a powerful example of how labor can protect its collective interests. After a 93-day strike, Local 2 members succeeded in their fight to preserve union healthcare and retiree benefits, securing a groundbreaking settlement. This victory sent a clear message to employers that labor will not back down on healthcare protections for San Francisco’s working families.

The Power of Solidarity

The lesson is clear: Our solidarity is not a burden, but an unstoppable force for positive change. It is our collective action that drives progress, improves conditions for all workers, and strengthens the foundation of this city’s labor movement.

As we enter this new year, let us continue to unite in pursuit of common goals and ensure that all workers, unionized or not, benefit from the victories we win together. Solidarity is our strength, and when we stand together, all boats rise with the tide of organized labor.