Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Strength In Numbers: Central Coast Unions

California has long been the place where immigrants arrived from other countries looking to improve their life. In the 1860's, Chinese laborers built much of our state's mountainous railroad tracks and tunnels.

Central coast labor news today often centers on agricultural workers. Fieldworkers are exposed to methyl bromide in the strawberry fields. Many are Latinos and some are labeled "illegal" immigrants.

Other trades have Central Coast union representation, among them plumbers, carpenters, sheet metal workers, painters, engineers, pipe tradesmen and plasterers.

There are labor-related organizations with a state-wide service area which make policy affecting our local labor activity. You may never have heard of some of these before.

The Public Employment Relations Board is a quasi-judicial administrative agency charged with administering the collective bargaining statutes covering employees of California's public schools, colleges, and universities, employees of the State of California, employees of California local public agencies (cities, counties and special districts), trial court employees and supervisory employees of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Unions listed here are located in the Tri-county area:

  • IUPAT representing over 140,000 members in the construction industry, such as, Painters, Drywall Finishers, Glaziers, Floor Coverers, and Sign and Display workers.

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