Guest View, Miguel Villa: Trade one box for another

After time with the criminal justice system in 2010, I experienced the job rejection that many like myself deal with upon re-entering the workforce. While I was more than qualified for job after job, as soon as they saw the box checked for a felony conviction, my resume went straight to the trash. 

Now, years later and with a national craft competition win under my belt, I am experiencing another kind of box-checking rejection. As a non-union roofing construction worker, I will not be able to work at Gavilan College if a Project Labor Agreement is adopted.

Community Voices: Senate Bill 419 puts Central Valley workers out of work

California’s Central Valley has some of the highest unemployment rates in the state and it’s the reason Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his first State of the State Address in 2019 that he was committed to unlocking the enormous potential of the Valley. Coming out of the pandemic, the Central Valley is working hard to get back on its feet and we’re encouraged that the state Legislature recently passed a host of bills to protect workers from facing unemployment amid the pandemic. Yet it’s baffling that a legislator would introduce Senate Bill 419 authored by Sen. Henry Stern of Los Angeles — a bill that puts Central Valley workers in the state’s oil and gas industry out of work in the most disadvantaged region of the state.

New Santa Ana: Santa Ana’s Hope Builders is all about second chances

New Santa Ana, April 30, 2021

The White House Proclaimed April as “Second Chance Month,” citing that incarcerated individuals after serving their time should have the opportunity to fully reintegrate into society – lifting up those who are committed to rejoining society and making meaningful contributions. Californians are taking that mission seriously and have success stories to prove it.

NATIONAL RELEASE: Construction Companies Can Be 655% Safer With These Best Practices, Says ABC Report

Sacramento, Calif., April 30—Today, Associated Builders and Contractors announced the findings in its 2021 Safety Performance Report, an annual assessment that furthers the construction industry’s understanding of how to achieve world-class safety by deploying its STEP Safety Management System. Published to coincide with Construction Safety Week, May 3-7, the annual report details the drastic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 85%, making the best-performing companies more than six times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average.

Opinion: Male-Dominated Construction Industry Offers Women Opportunity and Pay Equality

Opinion Editorial by Diane Koester-Byron, Published in Times of San Diego on March 31, 2021

In March we celebrated women’s accomplishments from business, politics, and sports. Women across the globe are already breaking the glass ceiling hundreds of times over. There is much to be learned from these inspiring accomplishments as we move forward in our personal lives and careers.

RELEASE: Associated Builders and Contractors of California Sponsor Assembly Resolution to Raise Awareness on Suicide Prevention in Construction Industry

Sacramento, Calif., March 18, 2021 – The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of California today applauded the California State Assembly’s bi-partisan passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution 23 (ACR 23) to proclaim March 18, 2021 as Construction Suicide Prevention Awareness Day in California – an important health problem impacting the state’s construction industry.