| DRIVING THE DAY: After a scorching weekend across the state, crews in Southern California are battling wildfires. Death Valley, the hottest place on earth, has approached 130 degrees during the heatwave, which has firefighters on high alert and California residents scrambling for relief. THE BUZZ — HOUSING HANGOVER: One of California’s most powerful unions is under new management — just as it faces a challenge to its clout because of the state’s housing crisis. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California announced on Monday that Chris Hannan will be its new president. He replaces Andrew Meredith, who said he would depart late last month after less than two years on the job. The previous president, Robbie Hunter, held the post for almost a decade, growing the union to nearly 500,000 members and leading it to a position of prominence in a state where pro-union Democrats have a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature. “The Trades,” as the union is known, is a formidable player in California. It has long managed to ensure that certain major construction projects in the state are built with skilled, union labor. That approach has long faced opposition from developers and many housing advocates, but it didn’t matter given the organization’s clout in the Legislature. The Trades’ became famous in Sacramento for aggressive tactics that were successful — until they weren’t. Its influence has been strained lately due to fracturing within labor ranks. Last year, the California Conference of Carpenters broke with the Trades over a major housing measure, Assembly Bill 2011. The carpenters argued the union had been too protectionist when California doesn’t have nearly enough construction workers to build the housing it needs. For years, the Trades aggressively went after lawmakers such as state Sen. Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks for backing legislation that aimed to fast-track construction and ease labor requirements. Wiener was hit with a flurry of negative ads. But the effort to paint their foes as anti-labor was undermined when the carpenters sponsored AB2011, which was carried by Wicks and Wiener. The bill made it easier to build urban infill projects that have often been held up by local regulations that discourage density — in part by eliminating the Trades’-favored requirement that projects use “skilled and trained” workers, a de facto requirement to use union labor. The carpenters, who aren’t the only union to buck the Trades, and pro-housing groups say Hannan’s leadership signals the larger union is ready to pivot to a more collaborative approach. “We’re hoping for a new day from the Trades,” said NorCal Carpenters Union chief Jay Bradshaw, “and right now that door is open.” Wiener, one of the Trades’ most frequent targets in the past, said he’s also optimistic. “I’m hoping that we can move past this conflict and link arms and focus on really strong housing policy,” he said. The Trades’ hardball tactics also wore thin with some legislators, said former Speaker Anthony Rendon, a labor ally. “There was a point at which the governor of the state, the mayor of the biggest city in the state and the speaker were not talking to him,” Rendon told Playbook. “By the time Andrew (Meredith) came to power, I think Californians were pretty frustrated with housing and homelessness issues. The Legislature was frustrated with the Trades standing in the way of a lot of the things we wanted to do.” On top of the housing clash, the Trades also fought with progressive lawmakers and environmentalists over bills that aimed to limit production of fossil fuels in California. Hannan may represent a friendlier approach. Environmental and housing advocates alike said they hope that Hannan’s leadership could mean more negotiating and less jousting. He is a “really smart and collaborative leader,” said Mary Creasman, head of the advocacy group EnviroVoters. Even Dana Williamson, chief of staff to Gov. Gavin Newsom, nodded to the change in leadership style Monday night, tweeting, “it’s a new day…congrats Chris!” Hannan, who previously led the Trades’ Los Angeles and Orange County branch, isn’t criticizing his predecessor but struck a conciliatory tone: “My role is to unify the Trades and to work to move an agenda for working people,” he said. “I bring in a set of fresh eyes to be able to work together with people.”
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