The San Francisco Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth

OVERVIEW

The Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth, a coalition of business and labor organizations, was formed in April 2010. Its aim was to explore whether local businesses, labor and community based organizations might benefit by creating a working relationship to encourage economic development in San Francisco.

On the national level we have seen increasing attacks from the political right on labor and the role of government in providing safety-net services. In San Francisco we have seen attacks from the far left on projects that create jobs and strengthen the city's tax base. While San Francisco's population has grown to an historic high of 805,000, the number of people working in the city over the last ten years has fallen. We need to find a middle ground that produces jobs, balances government spending and protects the neediest among us.

Members of the Alliance have no illusions about being able to significantly impact national political and economic trends. But, a new approach to local politics and policy, focused on economic and environmental health, can produce jobs and needed revenue for San Francisco. In the recent past our local government, particularly our Board of Supervisors, has consigned too low a priority to good jobs and a strong sustainable economy.

Realizing this, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, BOMA San Francisco, the San Francisco Committee on Jobs, Golden Gate Restaurant Association, the Small Business Network and the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California joined with several labor organizations in an effort to improve our local economy, while preserving and creating good jobs. These business entities, together with the United Healthcare Workers-West, LiUNA Laborers Union Local 261, the San Francisco Police Officers' Association, Carpenters Union Local 22, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 5, Operating Engineers Local 3, the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs' Association, ILWU Local 6, IATSE Local 16, LiUNA! Laborers Local 67, Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 300 and Hod Carriers Local 166 have formed an alliance in an effort to move our City toward having as a top priority the creation and maintenance of good jobs and sustainable economic growth.

Several community organizations including A. Philip Randolph Institute, Coalition for Responsible Growth, Mission Housing, Mission Language and Vocational School, Laborers Community and Training Foundation, Plan C and SPUR share in these goals and have joined with the Alliance, having recognized the need to have a coordinated effort if we are to succeed in making economic opportunities available to all San Franciscans.