Employment Advisory Committee Meetings
EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE MINUTES
December 4, 2003
Members Present
Commissioner Larry Lee, Leo Chi, Greg Marutani, Jerry Jones, Guillermo Romero, Judy Starbuck-Sorro, Norma Tecson, Len Vetrone
Members Absent
Rodney Hampton, Stan Warren
Staff Present
Kabir Hypolite, Mary Gin Starkweather
Guests
Catherine Powell, Outreach Archivist for the Labor Archives & Research Center
Panetta Scott, MUNI Contract Compliance Officer II
Call to Order/Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 1:40p.m. A quorum was present.
Adoption of Agenda
The agenda was adopted.
Adoption of Minutes
The minutes of the November 6, 2003, meeting were adopted with amendments reflecting comments by Judy Starbuck-Sorro.
Report of the Chair
No Report.
Staff Report
Kabir Hypolite requested that committee members consider whether they will be reapplying for Employment Committee membership following the mayoral election results. No immediate changes to the Commission’s make-up are anticipated as of the meeting date.
New Business
- Panetta Scott, MUNI Contract Compliance Officer II reported on MUNI’s progress on meeting employment goals for the Third Street Light Rail Project for the January – September 2003 reporting period. Ms. Scott pointed to apprenticeship programs as a means of increasing local minorities and women residents in the union labor pool, especially in higher paying jobs such as electrical and operating engineering positions. Job retention is the current focus of the program, but is impacted by the sporadic nature of the work, the project component length, and the level of training and certification required for participation. She also shared with the committee a merchant directory published by MUNI for residents and business impacted by the project. Employment Committee member Judy Starbuck Sorro noted favorable unions support for directing local residents to community based hiring halls such as hers to find employment. Greg Marutani offered some suggestions to improve accuracy in the statistics provided in the report and questioned the Administrative position statistics and the lack of explanation for terms used in the report. Member Norma Tecson expressed concern over the absence of Filipinos employed on the project and requested to meet with Ms. Scott to discuss her concerns. Commissioner Lee offered to facilitate an open meeting with the Building Trades and noted that the Plumber’s Union has Affirmative Action provisions in its bargaining agreement and will work with pre-apprenticeship programs wherever possible.
- Catherine Powell Labor Archives & Research Center Outreach Archivist reviewed the major milestones of the history of the labor movement in California with particular attention to events occurring in San Francisco beginning with the California Gold Rush to the mechanization of union labor and the contributions of Harry Bridges. The Center collects photos, records, artifacts, and oral histories concerning the labor movement.
- Discussion of the Employment Committee mission statement was postponed until February 5, 2004 by Commissioner Lee.
Public Comment
There was no public comment.
Announcements
There were no announcements
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.
Next Meeting
Thursday, December 4, 2003
1:30pm to 3:30pm at the HRC offices.