Building Trades News

Developer Offers Innovative Community Benefits, Unique Partnership with West LA Infill Development

By Roy San Filippo
Staff Writer

The Building Trades has worked closely with developer Genton Barth to win approval for The Wetherly, a 12-story, 95-unit luxury condominium complex located on Third Street and Wetherly in West Los Angeles. The City Council approved the project last September. It will be built all-union and under a project labor agreement with the Building Trades, a rare occurrence for a privately-funded residential project.

Construction on Middle Harbor Redevelopment to Start in 2010

In December the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved a project labor agreement on a $150 million phase of the Middle Harbor redevelopment project. The project is one part of a larger $750-million plan to revitalize and modernize the Port of Long Beach and to make it one of the greenest ports in the world.

Building Trades craft unions from Orange County stepped up their support of the United Labor Agency of Orange County (ULAOC) this holiday season after over $100,000 in food and toys were stolen from the organization over the Thanksgiving holiday. The organization runs a food bank and provides limited financial assistance primarily to union families. They also give out toys during the holidays to needy families.

• Wind Turbine, Photovoltaics Could Generate 100 Percent of Campus’ Electricity

By Beige Luciano-Adams, Contributing Writer

In a promising addition to LAUSD’s historic, $27-billion construction and modernization program, a new high school development in San Pedro may become one of the country’s “greenest.” South Region High School #15 (SR HS 15) will be built to accommodate wind turbine and photovoltaic systems that could generate nearly 100 percent of its own electricity.

• Project Providing Steady Work in Tough Times

More than a year after starting construction, Trades members are working on schedule to deliver Kaiser Permanente’s new $500 million hospital complex in Orange County.

Heralded as a “godsend” by union reps during one of the worst periods of the downturn – and in an area that was particularly hard-hit – the project is still providing jobs for a large number of members.