Millions for Ball Parks, Peanuts for Workers

SAN DIEGO — On June 16, about 85 members of Local 127 (Council 36) and their supporters rallied at Qualcomm Stadium here to prevent the privatization of stadium services. The issue arose when the San Diego Padres convinced the city to build them a baseball park — and to allow the team to hire maintenance staff at the new Petco Park.

About 150 city employees, represented by Local 127, have maintained Qualcomm for years. Most are part time; but they were busy year round, earning good union wages plus the opportunity for promotions.

Local 127's Stanley Harvey took a part-time job at Qualcomm 10 years ago and moved up. Today he works in Metro Wastewater and is in line to become a water utility supervisor.

"It has been a wonderful experience," says Harvey, "to start at the bottom and move up." The planned privatization would destroy the type of employment that has given Harvey a career, not just a job.

After the stadium rally, union members climbed aboard the San Diego Trolley and — signs in hand — crowded into the city council meeting where privatization was on the agenda.

The council got the message. One week later, it voted to fund — not privatize — the Qualcomm jobs and to use its leverage with the Padres to contract in work at Petco Park.