1. Sites Reservoir Project Faces Major Labor Relations Crisis The Sites Project Authority's selection of Barnard Construction as the Construction Manager at Risk has triggered significant controversy, with multiple labor organizations raising concerns about the contractor's qualifications and lack of unionized workforce relationships in Northern California. Governor Newsom sent a letter to the Sites Project Authority board, which commissioners discussed, expressing concern that the selection process did not fully consider the importance of maintaining strong labor relations. The Commission heard extensive testimony from carpenters and laborers unions noting Barnard has only 30,000 work hours with NorCal Carpenters over 15 years compared to competitors like Kiewit's 5.3 million hours, and lacks existing collective bargaining agreements despite needing to manage a $6-7 billion project requiring self-performance of major dam components.
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