Economics

San Francisco Releases Report on Local Construction Hiring

Published

9 years ago

August 3, 2017

San Francisco´s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) released its sixth annual report on the Mandatory Local Hiring Policy for Construction.

The annual report, submitted to the Board of Supervisors, shows the outcomes of the local workforce initiative since its signing into law in 2011. The Local Hiring Policy for Construction was established to ensure contractors are employing local residents on public works projects.

“Connecting San Franciscans with local construction jobs gives all our residents the chance to enjoy the prosperity of this city,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “We are proud that the individuals who built their lives and raised their families here in this city are now helping to build the future of San Francisco.”

“One of the priorities of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development is to create more opportunities in the private sector for San Franciscans. This policy allows the city to connect local residents to the construction market in partnerships with our local unions—helping to put our residents in good-paying, sustainable jobs,” said Michael Carr, director of Workforce with the Office of Economic and Workforce Development.

The 2016-17 Local Hire Report includes hours performed by construction workers on city construction and capital projects led by the Port of San Francisco, Public Works, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Recreation and Parks. Highlights include:

456 capital projects totaling more than 8.4 million hours were subject to the Local Hire Policy;
38 percent or more than 3.1 million hours of construction were contributed by local residents; and
57 percent apprenticeship participation

Local residents represent a range of trades in this report including: asbestos removal workers, carpenters, cement mason drywall installer/latherers, electricians, glaziers, iron workers, laborers, operating engineers, painters, pile drivers, plaster tenders, plasterers, plumbers, roofers, sheet metal workers, and many others.

“I grew up in San Francisco so I have seen a lot of changes in the city. Now I’m proud to say that I’m building things that others can also see. It means a lot that there are programs to help people who grew up in this city to stay working and living here,” said Meg-Ann Pryor, Operating Engineer with Local 3 and CityBuild Academy graduate.

The annual report includes demographic and other data indicates that the San Francisco construction workforce maintains high levels of diversity according to available data.

The hours performed by local residents represent capital improvements projects including the repair of water and sewer lines, renovation of parks and recreational centers, repaved streets, rehabilitation of the city’s infrastructure and buildings, and the construction of new housing citywide.

A six-year assessment of the policy’s impact and the availability of qualified workers led the Board of Supervisors to set a 30 percent local hire mandate within the San Francisco construction market. OEWD will continue to respond to the changing workforce needs of the construction industry and ensure that the Local Hiring Policy for Construction benefits local workers and the San Francisco economy as a whole.

The full report is available at: www.oewd.org/local-hi

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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

February 16, 2026

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Business

California Launches Study on Mileage Tax to Potentially Replace Gas Tax as Republicans Push Back

Under current law, California depends heavily on revenue from the gas tax to fund roads, highways, and infrastructure, but those revenues are projected to shrink as electric vehicle use grows and overall gasoline consumption drops. The mileage study would look at a “road charge” system where drivers pay based on how many miles they drive, rather than how much gas they buy.

Published

6 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City is the author of AB 1421. File photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

California lawmakers are moving forward with a study to explore a mileage-based tax as a potential replacement for the state’s traditional gas tax — a shift supporters say is driven by declining fuel tax revenues as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and electric vehicles.

The research, tied to Assembly Bill (AB) 1421, would extend and support work by the state’s Road Usage Charge Technical Advisory Committee through 2035.

The bill does not yet enact a new tax. Instead, it extends the study and advisory work until 2035 and would have the Legislature receive findings and recommendations, with a report due by Jan. 1, 2027.

Republicans in the California Legislature have been vocal in their opposition. Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora criticized the proposal.

“We already pay the highest gas taxes in the nation. Now Sacramento is talking about adding a new tax for every mile people drive,” Flora said. “Piling on another tax right now shows just how out of touch politicians in Sacramento are with the reality working families face.”

The plan has drawn broader GOP criticism from leaders outside the Legislature as well. California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton called a mileage fee “absolutely outrageous” and said, if elected, he would veto the tax, adding that tracking and charging drivers for every mile is unacceptable.

Supporters say the study is a pragmatic response to long-term funding challenges.

On the Assembly Floor on Jan. 29, Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D–Suisun City), the bill’s author, said that California’s transportation funding is “becoming less stable, less equitable, and less sustainable as more drivers switch to fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles.”

“Drivers using the same roads often pay different amounts for that use,” Wilson continued. “Low income and rural commuters who must drive farther and less efficient vehicles can pay more while others contribute less despite roadway impacts.”

Wilson and other supporters contend that a per-mile road charge could ensure that all drivers contribute fairly to the costs of maintaining roads, regardless of the type of vehicle they drive.