YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 11, No. 16
Including Surrounding Communities
Labor issue overtakes civic center
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Harrowing Minutes
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April 17, 2009
THIS WEEK
Parks & Rec pro honored
by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer A political football that’s been kicked around for decades on the national scene dropped into the middle of the Brentwood civic center project this week – and it wasn’t even on the schedule. The contest, in which organized labor is going up against nonunion shops for a shot at work on the $64 million first phase of construction, ended in a tie. At issue is a possible project labor agreement (PLA) for the building of the first phase of the new civic center. PLAs are collective bargaining agreements that standardize work rules for all companies working on large, long-term and complex construction projects involving multiple crafts. The rules are typically drawn from existing union collective bargaining agreements, and often involve goals such as hiring local workers for the project. PLAs also often contain no-strike clauses and establish procedures for handling grievances, all of which are aimed at preventing costly delays in construction. Non-union companies are permitted to bid on projects covered by PLAs, but many won’t. PLAs require that, for the duration of the contract, non-union shops pay initiation
Brentwood’s head Rec honcho has been recognized as the most Outstanding Professional in the state.
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Photo by Stacey Chance/DiscoveryBayStudios.com
eritage High School students discovered a gruesome scene when they returned to school following their four-day holiday break. As part of the Every 15 Minutes program, juniors and seniors watched as local law enforcement and safety crews helped five students involved in a mock car crash. Above, a captain for the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District tries to help one of the drivers as student Steven McIntosh lies lifeless on the hood. Every 15 Minutes is a program designed to educate students about the risks and consequences of drunk driving. McIntosh was the first of 29 students to “die” during the April 14 presentation. For full coverage of the two-day event, including a video and slideshow, visit thepress.net.
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and dues for all of their workers, as well as contribute to union pension plans. Workers must report to union halls for dispatching, with the possibility that they could be sent to another job instead, and that different workers could be sent to the former non-union
shop’s job site. Organizations such as the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of California vociferously oppose PLAs, calling them a
Bowling for big bucks An ingenious solution to a common domestic dilemma has earned a local entrepreneur fame and fortune.
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Installed in the Hall
see Labor page 21A
Summer school cancelled in Brentwood by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer The bad news – at least for some parents – is that summer school will not be held this year in the Brentwood Union School District (BUSD). The good news is that ongoing student intervention programs will most likely be retained. The state’s ongoing budget crisis has taken a big bite out of school operating budgets everywhere, including Brentwood, so when BUSD officials realized that utilizing the standard 14-day summer
“ If they can save some of our intervention programs, then I think it’s worth it. We’ll just work on our skills at home this summer. It’s OK.
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Amber Baer school program for elementary students would put the district $75,000 in the red, a tough decision was made. “We know that summer school has had a positive impact for many students,” said Dana Eaton, director of student services for BUSD. “How-
ever, we believe we can better support students during the school year, and this change will allow us to offer more support classes, with smaller class sizes with more targeted intervention support.” In the past, state funding allowed the district to hold
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summer school using funds provided by the state, and still have enough left over to support intervention programs for at-risk students. But because of the cuts to school budgets made in February, the district felt unable to offer both summer school and the intervention programs. Eaton said the elimination of summer school – which typically serves approximately 750 students – was the logical choice: “Study after study has validated that the most sucsee School page 21A
For some athletes, fame is fleeting. For others, it’s as permanent as a place in history.
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FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A