Economic & Workforce Development Committee Meeting - December 16, 2025

The Economic and Workforce Development Committee convened for a meeting focused on establishing frameworks for a new Trades Advisory Board, enhancing local construction trades apprenticeship requirements, and reviewing global engagement and bioscience industry updates. The committee heard extensive public testimony balancing open-shop contractor desires for inclusive representation with labor union arguments for worker-centered advisory structures. Staff presented a recommendation to form a single, diverse stakeholder group to design the specifics of these initiatives. The meeting concluded after reviewing the Economic Development Department's international activities and the Bioscience sector's contributions to the local economy.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes from the previous meeting was moved, seconded, unanimously adopted, and carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lauren Mandel (President, San Antonio Chapter of Associated General Contractors): Expressed full support for the Trades Advisory Board but advocated for equal representation reflecting the entire industry, noting that 98% of the Texas construction industry is open shop. She emphasized the need for balanced representation including both union members and open-shop contractors, asserting the board must remain advisory to avoid legal conflicts.
• Tom Friend (President, American Subcontractors Association): Stated his organization and the broader construction community have successfully managed workforce issues for 40 years without a mandated board. He expressed the position that a small percentage should not dictate industry progression, arguing instead for continued cooperation between open-shop and labor shops on job sites.
• Chris Morales (Local President, CWA Local 6143): Expressed full support for the Trades Advisory Board and the Local Construction Trades Council Consideration Requests (CCR). He argued that institutionalizing worker input ensures public accountability and equitable outcomes, aligning public projects with workforce expectations.
• Charles Fuentes (CWA, San Antonio Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO): Expressed strong support for the initiatives, stating that current worker input is often uneven or non-existent. He advocated for the Trades Advisory Board as a formal, reliable, and intentional space to embed worker expertise into city planning, ensuring safety and workforce stability.
• Melina Espiditu Asocar (Second Vice President, San Antonio AFL-CIO): Expressed full support, describing the Trades Advisory Board as a long-overdue step to ensure workers have a real voice in decisions affecting their livelihoods. She urged the committee to support the board as championed by Councilmembers Castillo and McKee Rodriguez to ensure public dollars support the local union workforce.
• Dale Hansen: Expressed support for establishing an apprenticeship program and the advisory board. He argued that registered apprenticeship programs yield superior craftsmanship and that having workers at the table creates a necessary equilibrium of power between workers and management.
• Daniel Vagueda (IBEW Local 60 Union Member): Expressed full support for items regarding the apprenticeship program and the advisory board.
• Alejandra Lopez (President, San Antonio AFL-CIO Central Labor Council): Expressed full support for both CCRs, invoking the principle "nothing about us without us." She supported the creation of a worker-centered body similar to those in Harris County and Durham, emphasizing that it would protect labor standards and prioritize local workforce development.
• Brady Williams: Proposed cross-training for construction workers as a practical method to improve efficiency and reduce costs. He expressed support for funding cross-trade training to address labor shortages and improve safety, noting that waiting costs more than training costs.

Discussion Items

• Trades Advisory Board (CCR) & Enhancing Local Construction Trades (CCR): Director Mike Shannon (Capital Delivery Department) presented on two CCRs. He noted that while the city has existing labor compliance and "Ready to Work" programs, there is no mandatory requirement for apprenticeships on city contracts. He highlighted practices in Austin, Chicago, and Denver as comparisons. His staff recommendation was to establish a single, diverse stakeholder group to define the structure, mission, and metrics for both a potential Trades Advisory Board and an apprenticeship requirement policy. He suggested a timeline to return with recommendations in Quarter 3 of the fiscal year (April-June 2026), though he agreed to provide cost and preliminary timeline updates by February.
• Councilmember Galván: Expressed the expectation that the new board must be a "working board" that serves as a national model. He requested a balanced stakeholder group including all specific unions (e.g., IBEW, Carpenters, Elevator Constructors) and open-shop contractors, emphasizing that representatives must be "boots on the ground." He sought a recommendation that includes a clear plan for potential state-level advocacy.
• Councilman Castillo: Expressed support for the staff recommendations, highlighting Project Marvel and the need for high-quality work resulting from apprenticeship programs. He noted the goal is to ensure a robust, inclusive committee that produces results and improves the quality of life for residents.
• Councilman Galván (Discussion): Asked specific questions regarding the number of hired "Ready to Work" participants (noted as ~47 pre-apprentices hired), starting wages ($18/hr average), and the capacity of existing programs to meet a potential 35% apprenticeship requirement. He confirmed that direct conversations with benchmark cities (Chicago, Denver) would be part of the stakeholder group's work.
• Councilman Spears: Expressed concern regarding cost impacts and the capacity to fulfill apprenticeship requirements solely through existing "Ready to Work" programs (staff confirmed current capacity is very low for registered apprentices). He asked for metrics to measure the Advisory Board's success, to which staff agreed metrics must be developed by the board itself. He acknowledged the board would be purely advisory initially.
• Councilwoman Via Gran (Chair): Emphasized the need for "San Antonio solutions" that account for local climate challenges (heat, flooding). She stressed that the stakeholder group must include all specific trade unions and that attendance and productivity in meetings will be strictly monitored to avoid wasted time. She directed that the stakeholder group must address bonding issues and vertical construction trends.

Key Outcomes

• Motion Passed: The committee unanimously approved the motion to establish a single, diverse stakeholder group consisting of industry representatives to further develop an apprenticeship requirement policy for City of San Antonio construction projects and to design the San Antonio Trades Advisory Board.
• Next Steps: Director Mike Shannon is directed to convene the stakeholder group and provide the committee with a preliminary timeline and cost estimate via email before the next meeting, with a full recommendation to be returned by Q3 of the fiscal year (April-June 2026).
• Briefing Items:
  • BiomedSA: Heather Hanson presented on the bioscience industry's $8.4 billion annual economic impact and the organization's role in business retention, investment (BioFest Invest raised $85M), and workforce pipelines (Life Science Career Marketing booklets).
  • Global Engagement: Sherry Dolat Shohi presented that the city engaged with 97 countries in FY25, maintaining 13 sister cities and 4 friendship cities. In FY26, priority markets include Korea, Japan, Germany, Canada, the UK, Australia, Taiwan, Spain, and Singapore. A major focus will be on consistency in international relationships and involving elected officials in trade missions.