February 13, 2015 – Following the lead of the Governor, the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California (SBCTC) strongly supports the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) to ensure a reliable supply of water, and is supportive of Californians for Water Security (CWS), a group of diverse California interests that agree on the need for rapid, decisive action to move forward with the BDCP.
Building Trades unions and their members have many reasons for supporting action to fix California’s aging water supply system. Water shortages are a direct threat to good paying jobs and economic growth. State law requires new construction projects to identify the source of water to be utilized during and following construction. BDCP secures that reliable water supply. Without it, the necessary water won’t be there. The existence of a reliable water supply means an additional one million or more jobs created or preserved across the state. Additionally, the construction, restoration and operations carried out under the plan are expected to directly create over 177,000 jobs, mostly union jobs.
If you are approached about the BDCP, SBCTC urges affiliates across the state to show their support for it. This is an urgent, once in a generation opportunity. California must move forward now to ensure reliable water supplies to boost our economy, and create and preserve jobs.
Some of you may have already been contacted or signed on in support. This will be an item on the agenda for the Executive Board meeting on March 11.