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Moving Forward!
There is tremendous movement being built in metro
cities all across the country.
Working people are energized about change, civically engaged in
record numbers, and hopeful that 2008 will bring real economic prosperity
and justice for all. Answering
the call for change, our work continues to push the limits of what can
be accomplished to alleviate poverty, build the middle class, and
ultimately shape local economies to promote equity and
sustainability. Building on our
hard-won victories and creating new synergies among key partners and
allies empowers our movement to meet the challenges we face.
This
month we witnessed a groundbreaking victory in Los Angeles when the Los Angeles Community
Redevelopment Agency (LA CRA) approved its landmark Construction Careers
and Project Stabilization policy.
This policy greatly increases the wages, benefits, and working
conditions of construction workers who perform some of the most
grueling and dangerous work in our country. A true partnership between the city,
the construction trades, contractors, and developers will focus on
recruiting among L.A.'s jobless and underemployed to
create real career opportunities.
Our
Partners in Pittsburgh, Orange County, Milwaukee and so many others continue to
debunk the myth that "any development is good
development." As the
stories by Pittsburgh United and OCCORD illustrate, our work assists
communities to understand the detriment of "business as
usual" approaches to economic development. The demand for community voice and
participation in complex development processes is bringing city leaders
and developers back to a table where discussions are proven to yield
better results for cities, developers, and communities.
In
the cities of Oakland, San Jose and Denver we are seeing how thoughtful,
long-term engagement leads to the deeper understanding of regional
budget, transit and land use planning decisions. Raising awareness and expectations
among our constituencies increases the chances that scarce public
investments in public infrastructure reap tangible benefits for workers
and communities. We can be
government's greatest asset in this area.
Finally,
seeing our work become collaborative across regions is truly
inspiring. This month FRESC had
the opportunity to build on the trail-blazing work by the city of Los Angeles by introducing LA CRA Director to Denver's city leadership. And just this week the city of Pittsburgh took a delegation of 20 community
and city leaders to Milwaukee to learn about the Big Step
Program, a creative recruitment, training and mentoring model for their
city as it undergoes new development.
This type of idea sharing and cross fertilization is critical to
changing the conversation in our cities around economic development.
Don't
forget to join us for the "CBAs and Beyond" track at the Good Jobs
First conference in Baltimore, Maryland May 7-8! This is a great opportunity to learn
from each other's fantastic work and meet others working at the state
level to increase transparency and accountability in public-private
partnerships. See you there!
Solidarity!
Partnership Executive Director
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LAANE And Its Allies Celebrate Community Redevelopment
Agency's Passage of Trail-Blazing Construction Policy
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Construction workers win landmark CRA/LA
Construction Careers and Project Stabilization Policy
Los Angeles Alliance for
a New Economy
On Thursday, February 21, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)
joined the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and its allies in
rallying over 100 workers, activists and clergy at a meeting of the Los
Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). After hearing a broad range
of testimony, the CRA Board of Commissioners approved the landmark
Construction Careers and Project Stabilization Policy. This policy
requires CRA-subsidized projects to hire more local and "at
risk" residents from the communities in which the projects are
built, while also standardizing a Project Labor Agreement to ensure
that more of the jobs on those projects lead to middle-class, union
careers.
"Based
on this vote, the CRA Commissioners have shown they recognize that this
industry - a vital engine for the future of our regional economy - must
be a source of both good, middle-class careers and growth for the
communities that the CRA is charged to serve," explained Maria
Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County
Federation of Labor and chair of LAANE's Board of Directors. More
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OCCORD Mobilization Shows Unity, Diversity, and Strength
in Orange County
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Hundreds
of people attend OCCORD march and rally to demand a CBA for city-owned
property in Anaheim
On
Sunday, January 29, 2008, three hundred people braved what the Orange County Register
described as "biting winds and rain" to demand a community
benefits agreement for development on 50 acres of city-owned land next
to Angel Stadium in Anaheim.
This public demonstration came on the heels of a successful
drive to collect more than 2,000 post/pledge cards from Anaheim residents, workers, and churchgoers in support of
community benefits.
The
reaction was swift: Facing public scrutiny and a less hospitable
political climate, the developer pulled back to regroup, and the Mayor
finally agreed to meet with a delegation from our coalition.
The
remarkable thing about these events was not the strong turnout in spite
of bad weather, the number of post/ pledge cards collected, or the
reaction of the Mayor and developer - but the way in which it all
happened. For the first time in Orange County, unions, community organizations, policy advocates,
clergy and faith-based groups have come together in coalition to
develop a common strategy, advance a collective policy agenda, and
share the nuts and bolts work of implementing their combined vision.
More
Click here to view YouTube
video on OCCORD Action
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One Hill Coalition Appeals Planning Commission Approval
of New Penguins Arena Master Development Plan
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Carl Redwood, Chairman of the One Hill Coalition
organizing a CBA for new Penguins Arena
By Natalie Greene, Pittsburgh UNITED Researcher
Pittsburgh UNITED has brought
attention to the need for a CBA around the new Pittsburgh Penguins
hockey arena development in the Hill District and some of the gaps in
the local development process through its recent actions - most notably
the appeal of the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission's decision to
approve the arena master development plan. The events leading up
to this decision and subsequent appeal are quite complex as illustrated
in the timetable below:
Sept. 2007: One Hill CBA Coalition began negotiations with city
officials, county officials, the Sports & Exhibition Authority
(SEA), and the Pittsburgh Penguins using One Hill's CBA "Blueprint
for a Livable Hill" as a template. Negotiations continued
for the next few months, though the Penguins only attended the first
few meetings.
Dec. 13th: One Hill representatives and regional allies
attended the Planning Commission hearing to present their concerns with
the arena master development plan and stress the need for a signed CBA
in place before the plan's approval.
Jan. 3rd 2008: City Mayor and County Executive sent their own signed, sealed and delivered CBA
proposal to One Hill.
Jan. 7th: The One Hill membership resoundingly rejected the
city/county proposal and burned it at a press conference stating the
proposal is vague and general, is not binding on any parties, ignores
many community asks, and simply does not meet the requirements to be a
true community benefits agreement. More
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San Jose Excels! Reflecting the
Communities' Values and Concerns of People in the City Budget
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San Jose residents attend a Community Budget Working Group
meeting
Working Partnerships USA
On Thursday,
February 7th, Working Partnerships USA released the final report of the
Community Budget Working Group and presented it to officials from the
City of San Jose.
San
Jose Excels!: A Recommendation from the Community Budget Working Group,
is the final seven-page document articulating the community's driving
budget principle and ten keys to assure excellence from the City's
budget process. Each key includes specific recommendations that
stemmed from multiple conversations with scores of community members
and suggestions that were submitted through the Working Group's
website, www.MyBudgetIdea.com.
"Silicon Valley is built on a model that embraces the idea that, by
working together, we can generate innovative strategies and solutions
to problems our community faces," says Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins,
Executive Director of Working Partnerships USA. More
Click here to view San Jose
Excels! report
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Community Labor United Explores Green Jobs Campaign
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By Lisa Clauson, CLU
Executive Director
Excitement across the
country has been growing over transitioning towards a sustainable
economy as a means of achieving environmental and economic
justice. Historically, low
income communities and communities of color have borne the brunt of our
economy's unsustainable environmental practices, while benefiting the
least from the vast wealth that it has generated. But now, our communities are leading
the way towards a green and socially just future. And we are being joined by the
growing numbers who believe that climate change demands such a
transition. Who will benefit
from this transition, however, is far from settled.
In Boston, Community Labor United (CLU) sees
the potential of green economic development to lift people out of
poverty while creating healthier living conditions. Together with one of our community partners, a strong
environmental justice organization called ACE, we have begun exploring
a green jobs campaign. We
started with identifying local opportunities, researching national
precedents and models and determining local organizational interest. More
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Empowering Communities Through Deliberation: The Model
of Community Benefits Agreements
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By Murtaza Baxamusa, CPI Research and Policy
Director
Within planning theory, there is an unresolved
debate regarding the significance of participatory processes in making
public decisions. This is due to
a deeper tension between the primacy of process versus the primacy of
power. This article does not
attempt to resolve this power-process tension but finds common ground
to make participation more meaningful.
The solution is to have a dynamic process in which the community
could itself be a part of process design through rational
deliberation. This
self-determination is a critical component of community empowerment.
Community engagement that results not just in input
on physical planning but in social empowerment is critical to serious
planning for sustainable development. Since empowerment by definition
addresses those demographics that have been disempowered by society,
this article argues that community empowerment is a driver of social
transformation. It is thus inextricably linked to community organizing,
which is facilitated by coalition building among grassroots
organizations. The community coalition does not exist in a power vacuum
but in most cases where deeply entrenched interests have created a
paradigm of value-free growth. This "growth coalition" has
driven planning processes to emphasize the need for certainty and with
it, disempowered participation in the planning process.
Click here to view the full article found in
the Journal of Planning Education and Research
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It's Time to Turn Up the Heat! The Port of Oakland is Dragging Its Feet!
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Pastor
Ricky Jenkins of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice gathers
with Port drivers and clergy during a "Drive for Justice"
through the Port of Oakland
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
For the past
year, the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports (CCSP) has been fighting
to fix the broken Port trucking system that has created a public health
crisis in our community and poor working conditions for Port truck
drivers. Environmental, faith,
religious and community activists recently met with Oakland Port
Executive Director Omar Benjamin and his staff to express their alarm
over environmental and health problems caused by diesel pollution
generated at the Port; sweatshop working conditions Port truck drivers
are forced to endure; and the lack of employment opportunities at the
Port for local residents. The East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) played a key role in putting forth a plan
championed by CCSP that provides a sensible solution to fix the broken
Port Trucking System. The Clean
Trucks Program makes industry responsible for cleaning the air; creates
local jobs; and meets environmental and labor standards. The plan would also require trucking
companies doing business at the Port to hire drivers as employees rather
than as independent contractors.
So
far, the Port has failed to act on the Clean Trucks Program, but Port
Commissioners have an opportunity to support it when they are likely to
take up the issue in March. CCSP will be out in full force in
support of the plan. More
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FRESC Protects the Public Interest in Quality Services
and Worker Protections on Transit Project
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Union Station, Denver's major transit hub
redevelopment project, is the focus of FRESC's Campaign for
Responsible Development community benefits campaign
By
Robin
Kniech, FRESC Campaign for Responsible
Development Coordinator & Program Director
In 2007, the
realization of a taxpayer-funded mass transit rail system for the
Denver Metro region known as FasTracks was called into question when
project costs increased from an estimated $4.7 billion to $6.1
billion. Under mounting pressure
to identify new funding to deliver the project, the Regional Transit
District (RTD) decided to pursue a federal pilot project for
privatization of several of the FasTracks corridors. The pilot will allow the agency to
stretch out its payments over a longer period of time, in exchange for
allowing a private entity to Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain a
Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility and two rail lines, including the
important line running from downtown to Denver International Airport. RTD
estimates it will cost $1.9 billion to build these three projects, but
the estimated total cost to RTD taxpayers over the course of the
extended payback period has not yet been disclosed.
FRESC maintains a strong interest in ensuring that
FasTracks is adequately funded, but believes that public infrastructure
works best when it is owned and controlled by the public. While FRESC did not oppose the
privatization of these lines, we will vigorously promote public
accountability and careful implementation to ensure maximum protection
for taxpayers, transit riders, and workers. More
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Rise Up Milwaukee! Rhythm for a Reason
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Neighborhood
leaders discuss plans for "Rise Up Milwaukee: Rhythm for a
Reason," an evening showcasing local music, food and the work of
community campaigns
By
Jennifer
Epps, GJLN Organizer
Milwaukee's
residents are in the midst of a devastating crisis hinged on the lack
of job opportunities, training, and security at work. Taking a cue from
our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh, the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition
(GJLN) created the Milwaukee Unity
Campaign to address these issues in creative and innovative ways. The
Unity Campaign is a coalition of local community organizations, labor
unions, and residents working together to address the economic crisis
facing Milwaukee's residents.
On
March 29th, 2008 the campaign will host its first major
organizing event "Rise Up Milwaukee: Rhythm For a Reason" -
an evening showcasing local music, food and the work of community
campaigns. GJLN is organizing
the concert to unify diverse areas of the city in recognition of the
common need for family-friendly jobs with good wages, safe and healthy
working conditions, and the right to organize in the workplace. More
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SANE: Working to Build a Participatory Economy
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By Mark Spadafore, SANE
Executive Director
On December 13th, the
Syracuse Post-Standard published the editorial, "Development Delays, Upstate's Prospects Compromised by
High Costs, Inefficiency, Neglect." The editorial
argued that the state of New York is not business-friendly, taxes and
energy costs are too high, and onerous "bureaucratic burdens"
are imposed on developers, stifling economic growth in upstate New
York. On the other hand, when
referring to the development of state-funded projects, the newspaper
noted that decision makers in our area must "enlist the support of
the broadest possible spectrum of community interests to ensure that
their decisions are in the best interests of all."
The Board of the Syracuse Alliance for a New Economy (SANE)
agrees whole-heartedly. We are
working to build a
participatory economy that will indeed address the "best interests
of all." SANE will
accomplish this by using community resources and education to promote
and achieve equitable economic growth.
SANE will use Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) to ensure
that we reach that goal. More
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*SAVE THE DATE*
Good Jobs First National
Conference May 7-8
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Registration
is now open for Good Jobs First's national conference, "Reclaiming
Economic Development III" on May 7 and 8 near BWI Thurgood
Marshall Airport, located between Baltimore and Washington, DC.
Come meet the nation's top campaigners, researchers and experts on
economic development accountability and smart growth for working
families!
As part of the
conference, the Partnership for Working Families will lead a track
on "Community Benefits Agreements and Beyond." The workshop will explore
power-building strategies challenging "business as usual"
approaches to economic development at the local and regional level,
development of comprehensive campaigns around community benefits
agreements and policies, and much more.
Click
here for more information
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The Movement in the News
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Center on Policy
Initiatives
Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy
Connecticut Center for a New Economy
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainble Economy | | |
