As far back as 1998, unions were lobbying the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to require contractors to sign a Project Labor Agreement in order to work on city construction projects. Minority business groups in San Francisco aggressively opposed the proposal over the years, and it was never implemented. But as 2018 comes to an end, it appears that the practice of fair and open bid competition on San Francisco construction contracts is over.

On December 6, 2018, the Budget & Finance Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will vote on an ordinance that requires construction companies working on city contracts to sign a Project Labor Agreement with trade unions.

The mandate will apply to public works or improvement projects with projected costs over $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 (depending on the year in which the advertisement for bid is released) or over $10,000,000 if the project is funded by a source other than a general obligation bond. It would also apply to projects in which "delay in completing the project may interrupt or delay services or use of facilities that are important to the City's essential operations or infrastructure."

Here is the agenda item: Administrative Code - Citywide Project Labor Agreement - Public Work or Improvement Projects