Community Corner

Local Construction Workers Condemn Safeway's Hiring Policies

City council postpones approving Safeway project.

San Mateo County union workers packed Tuesday’s city council meeting to urge Safeway to hire locally when it rebuilds its grocery store next year on El Camino Real.

Currently, both San Mateo County Safeway development projects, in Daly City and , are run by non-unionized general contractors.

“This project could help significantly in Millbrae and San Mateo County, unfortunately not for union construction workers making decent wages,” said William Nack, business manager of the San Mateo County Building Trades Council, which represents about 12,000 union workers in the area. “Safeway is not committed to paying wages that allow our workers to live in San Mateo County.”

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Safeway typically selects the lowest bidder, according to documents it provided to Millbrae staff. Local union workers, who sometimes aren’t even asked to bid on projects, lose to Central Valley and out-of-state workers that don’t require the higher salaries needed to live in the Bay Area.

After four study sessions spanning almost a year in the Millbrae Planning Commission, the city council requested a project review and took public input on Tuesday.

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“I am very sympathetic,” said Sam Lee, Safeway director of construction for Northern California. “We are not just taking the lowest bidder. We’re seeking quality contractors.”

Lee said he talked to Nash to identify local contractors that may be interested in bidding and ensuring they receive requests for proposals.

But, many union workers think Safeway’s low-bidder policy undermines their ability to successfully bid.

“By soliciting the lowest bid, they automatically exclude any union workers from working in the communities where these stores are being built,” said Tony Rodriquez, who represents Local 483 Sprinkler Fitters Union.

Vice Mayor Marge Colapietro wondered why the Millbrae Safeway, which employs union workers inside the store, could not do the same for the outside.

On April 5, council members sent Safeway a letter reminding it of the high unemployment rate in the local construction industry.

“We are compelled to advocate for our constituents in the hope that the leadership of Safeway will continue to make the best possible investment in our community,” the letter said.

In addition to union concerns, council members worried about the traffic congestion the 59,000 square-foot store would create. Previous planning commission meetings had discussed overall design and traffic analysis, among other issues.

Unsatisfied with Safeway’s analysis, they postponed approving the project 4-1, with Councilman Paul Seto dissenting.


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