CARLSBAD: City to consider changing union requirement

By BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | Sunday, July 13, 2008 3:09 PM PDT ∞

CARLSBAD ---- The city could stop paying union-scale wages for large construction projects and change the way it buys office supplies under a proposal that the City Council will consider Tuesday.

Carlsbad has the ability to make these changes and others because it recently become a charter city and, as such, is allowed to exempt itself from some state laws. Voters approved the city charter June 3.

City officials have said recently that the proposed purchasing changes could save Carlsbad millions of dollars, but the proposal is likely to be opposed by construction union members. In the past, union advocates have said that failing to follow the state's prevailing requirement will hurt local families.

Tom Lemmon, business manager for the San Diego County Building and Construction Trades Council, couldn't be reached for comment Friday afternoon. His organization has sued the city of Vista, which is also a charter city, because it has refused to follow the state's prevailing wage requirement.

Carlsbad Attorney Ronald Ball said Friday that there is a difference between the two cities when it comes to the prevailing wage issue.

Vista states in its charter ---- the document that guides the city ---- that it won't follow the state's wage requirement. But Carlsbad is proposing simply to amend its ordinances to allow the City Council to determine whether to pay prevailing wages on a case-by-case basis, Ball said.

Most California cities are general law cities, meaning they are bound by state law and must pay state-determined prevailing wages ---- essentially union-scale wages ---- on municipal construction projects. They also must follow state requirements when it comes to how they purchase office supplies or other equipment.

Among the changes the council will consider Tuesday is a proposal to increase the dollar limit from $5,000 to $30,000 for what's considered "small procurements of supplies, services or equipment."

Purchases of less than $30,000 would not require formal price quotes, though "the best management practice would be to get three informal quotes for all items," the staff report states.

The changes would speed the purchasing process for many city items, it stated. From July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, about 90 percent of city purchase orders for non-construction projects were for things costing less than $30,000, the report states.

When it comes to the prevailing wage proposal, the city will face some limitations. Carlsbad will still be required to pay state prevailing wages for "projects which are of statewide concern, or if state or federal grants are paying for the project," the report states.

Road projects that receive grant funding would be an example, Ball said Friday. But the city's Alga Norte Park project would be exempt, Ball said.

When the council considers whether to pay the prevailing wage, it will look at a series of issues including the nature of the job, the availability of the local labor force and economic factors, he said.

"They're going to decide what's in the best interests of the citizens," he said.

Tuesday's meeting starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.

For a copy of the report and other agenda information, visit the city's Web site at http://www.carlsbadca.gov/chall/4councilmtg.html

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EJO wrote on Jul 13, 2008 3:28 PM:The article headline states "union requirement" There is no union requirement. The current state law requires prevailing wages be paid on publicly financed projects. The wages payable are whatever rates prevail in the locality. The NCT needs to be more accurate in their articles and not have such an anti-union bias. Neutrality would be nice!

Old Timer wrote on Jul 13, 2008 10:42 PM:Maybe City employees should also not be paid at Union scale wages. Cities always pay what they call competitive wages that are set by wages paid within the region. Union wage rates raise the regions wages rates. So again I say, if you are not going to pay Union wages why shoud city employees benfit from higher region wages that won't exist anymore???

Free Will wrote on Jul 14, 2008 7:52 AM:The should eliminate the union requirement for contract and staff wages.

Union member wrote on Jul 14, 2008 8:53 AM:How many general law cities are in financial trouble compared to charter cities? We now have the foxes (council members and their friends) in the hen house.

I suggest a NCT article on this.

city employee wrote on Jul 14, 2008 10:04 AM:old timer, we aren't paid union scale wages. if we were, maybe some of us would be able to live as well as work in carlsbad. get your facts straight, no wonder people look at me the way they do, with people like you spreading lies as fact.

To EJO wrote on Jul 14, 2008 10:46 AM:We are not ignorant. It is obvious what "Prevailing Wages" mean. Unions have worn out their need. Sorry folks, but you should get paid for what you know and do. Also, by what the market will bare. If you don't like it find another profession where demand is higher thus pay is higher. Welfare via union contracts has to go.

Taxpayer wrote on Jul 14, 2008 12:27 PM:The City of Vallejo is a general law city and it recently declared bankruptcy. The City of Vista has repeatedly won against the baseless union lawsuits. Attorney Ball is incorrect. Vista's Charter does not discuss prevailing wage; rather, like Carlsbad, Vista addressed the matter through a procurement ordinance. "Prevailing wage" as define by the State legislature is identical to union scale in order to protect the union tax on union members from being the difference in wage competition.

Andy wrote on Jul 14, 2008 1:38 PM:Both the Cities of San Diego and Chula Vista are charter cities and both are in serious financial trouble. There is simply no nexus between prevailing wage and the financial health of a city. If you took the time to do some research (there are hundreds of studies on the effects of prevailing wage), you would also find no nexus between prevailing wage and the cost of construction. What you would find is increased safety wherever prevailing wage is required.

Save Save Save wrote on Jul 14, 2008 2:31 PM:Carlsbad could also outsource city services to call centers in India. That would REALLY save money!

Taxpayer II wrote on Jul 14, 2008 2:59 PM:Taxpayers should NOT be required to fund union scale wages via "prevailing wage" agreements. In fact, most government procurement requirements are developed so as to ensure the best value for taxpayers.

Build the fence wrote on Jul 14, 2008 3:18 PM:cut out prevailing wage and hire an illegal instead. Which is where this is going. If you want to keep sending our jobs across the border this is the way to do it. Cheep wages always go to the guy on the corner that jumps in the back of the truck. Prevailing wage doesn't go to an illegal as there are too many checks and balances.
Cheep isn't always better.

No City Jobs wrote on Jul 14, 2008 4:59 PM:We should eliminate city employees so that council and management can bid out work to their cronies.

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