The California Construction Academy launched July 18–19, 2008, at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center. The focus of the conference was on local hire and project labor agreements (PLAs), and the impact of “green” jobs on the construction industry. Both are key topics that will impact the construction industry in the coming years.

Academy Director David Sickler opened the conference along with Robert Balgenorth, director of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, and Kent Wong, director of the UCLA Labor Center. María Elena Durazo of the L.A. County Federation of Labor provided the opening for the second day.

The opening panel focused on the new Construction Careers Policy adopted by the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (CRA/LA), and featured Deputy Mayor Larry Frank, Cecilia Estolano and Board Member Madeline Janis from the CRA/LA, and Richard Slawson from the L.A./Orange County Building Trades Council. The Construction Careers Policy

requires that contractors on most CRA-subsidized projects hire more local and “at risk” residents from the communities in which the projects are being built and comply with a PLA that ensures more jobs on these projects are middle-class, union jobs

The second day focused on “green” jobs and was led by a panel with Robert Balgenorth, Tim Rainey from the California Federation of Labor, Jonathan Parfrey from Green L.A., and green contractor Ed Smeloff. A special workshop addressed the impact of California Assembly Bill 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act, which addresses greenhouse gas emissions.