Lead organization: Working Partnerships USA
Preliminary partners: BlueGreen Alliance, UC Berkeley Labor Center, New Energy Nexus, Working Partnerships USA, California Federation of Labor Unions
Counties of operation: Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Alameda
Awarded amount: $1,500,000
Sectors: Manufacturing, Battery Storage & Other Renewable Energy Technologies
This project is a regional effort to develop a high-road manufacturing ecosystem by combining landscape analysis with three high-impact pilot projects and a stakeholder-developed code of conduct. It will test new strategies, build consensus around workforce and community standards, and marshal new resources to grow a Bay Area manufacturing sector centered on job quality, equity, and sustainability that drives the state toward achieving climate goals.
Catalyst funding will enable the initiative to complete research and landscape analysis, develop a Code of Conduct and regional high-road manufacturing action plan, and design and launch three pilot projects. The pilot projects will:
- Provide technical assistance to manufacturing employers and stakeholders applying for state or federal funding with approaches and strategies for incorporating high-road partnerships and agreements;
- Pilot strategies for improving job quality in existing manufacturing industries in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, collaborating with 3-5 initial high-road employers on design of equitable outreach, recruitment, and training, and the creation of clear career paths for incumbent manufacturing workers to advance to higher-level in-demand positions; and
- Lay the groundwork for cultivating high-road battery manufacturing in Contra Costa County, engaging employers, labor unions, community groups and other stakeholders to assess needs and design a concept and implementation plan for development of a green industrial campus for battery manufacturing in alignment with the county’s just transition efforts.
Committed Partners
Employers & Business:
- SEMI Foundation
- Applied Materials
- Coreshell Technologies
- GILLIG
- Sylvatex
Unions & Workers:
- International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 190
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245
- Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) Local 104
- United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 6
- United Steel Workers (USW) District 12
Impacted Communities:
- Services, Immigrants Rights, and Education Network (SIREN)
- Pilipino Association of Workers and Immigrants (PAWIS)
- Step Forward Foundation
- East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)
- CHIPS Communities United
Economic Development:
East Bay Economic Development Alliance
- Silicon Valley Economic Development Alliance
Workforce Development & Education:
- Work2future (workforce development board)
- NOVAWorks (workforce development board)
- Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa
- Bay Area Community College Consortium (BACCC)
- Center for Manufacturing a Green Economy
- Machinists Institute
- JobTrain
- Rising Sun Center for Opportunity
- West Oakland Jobs Resource Center
