The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 569 in San Diego has become so cocky it is exposing itself to the public. They posted the annual speech of their chief boss on their website: 2018 State of the (IBEW 569) Union.

(If the IBEW Local Union No. 569 has removed their State of the Union post by the time you go to their website, go to this link: 2018 State of the (IBEW 569) Union.)

Here’s what we learn from it:

1. “Those are going to be our jobs!”

Now that Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez has managed to get Assembly Bill 805 through the state legislature and signed by Governor Brown, the unions are open about the purpose of the new law: to get monopoly control of all work funded by the county’s regional transportation agency. Are you aware of this plot?

2. “We’re finally making progress at the Port and developers are taking notice as they reach out to us to ask for our support and skilled workforce on their projects…Also at the Port – we signed a PLA with RIDA…”

Unions are getting their people appointed to key offices in order to obtain monopoly control of work. And they are having success at it, using legislative power and the threat of extortion using the state’s environmental laws such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

3. “securing work through SDG&E to install” … “Our long term goals are to…capture 50% of electric vehicle charging and distributed generation energy storage work and 90% of utility-scale renewables and energy storage projects.”

The local investor-owned utility SDG&E is surrendering to union pressure. And the IBEW expects the new proposed San Diego-based community choice aggregation public power agency to give them a monopoly on work too, down to the installation and maintenance of rooftop solar panels on people’s houses.

4. “Elect pro-union majorities in schools, cities and transportation agencies throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties.”

Unions don’t win their agenda of control through common sense or through love. They win it through power. Many small and medium-sized businesses in San Diego are “uncomfortable” with politics. Too bad their detractors are very comfortable with politics.

5. “We’re known throughout the region and the state as being a progressive powerhouse” … “I also want to thank our IBEW 569 staff. Much of our accomplishments are attributed to their hard work – which greatly exceeds 40 hours a week.”

Question: does that union staff get overtime after eight hours in a day or forty hours in a week? We don’t know, but we do know that union leaders are committed and dedicated to change the world through government coercion and “collective community impact” (and a bit of corruption when they deem it appropriate). Their work is backed by ideological principles. By the way, what are your principles? What do you believe should be the relationship between the government and the governed?

6. “I, as an example, serve on the Sweetwater Union High School District Board of Directors, and on the California State Association of Electrical Workers, the executive boards of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council and the San Diego Building Trades Council, the National City Park Apartments Association, and the Statewide LMCC” … “I was honored last year as the 80th Assembly District's 2017 Outstanding Latino Community Leader.”

Union leaders get involved in their communities and their organizations to change the world. They have the right to do that, but be aware that their goal is to change your business and your employees. You should know that ordinary Latinos did not vote on who deserved the Outstanding Latino Community Leader award - Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez selected him.

7. “work of our EWMC [Electrical Workers Minority Caucus] members conducting weekly outreach to youth in our local schools”

The California public educational system is where future leaders are learning about alternative models of economic and governmental organization. Democratic socialism is portrayed as superior to a moderately-regulated market economy in a constitutional republic. Employees need to be in a class struggle against employers over control of capital. The “Progressive powerhouse” is in the schools, preparing the next generation.

The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction has been warning California business owners, employees, and the general public for 20 years about the vision of construction trades unions. It is a vision that does not include fair and open bid competition, freedom of personal choice for workers in employment and training, or fiscal responsibility. It is a vision that is ultimately destructive to the construction industry and to the people of San Diego and Imperial counties.

Yours in the fight for freedom,

Eric Christen - Executive Director, CFEC