In an unusual move, the Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO began its endorsement process for upcoming Sacramento City Council races four months earlier than in previous election cycles – this time, eight months ahead of the June 2012 elections. “The redistricting process stirred up a lot of interest in people, especially about who is running the city,” said Bill Camp, labor council executive secretary. “If people are interested, that makes this the best time to endorse (candidates).” As part of the labor group’s stated goal of “promoting a voice for workers through active participation in the political process,” the labor council endorses candidates for office in every election ye

A prominent labor group in the Sacramento region has endorsed Mayor Christopher Cabaldon’s opponent, Greg Potnick, in the West Sacramento mayoral race. The Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, this week endorsed Potnick to become the city’s mayor. Potnick, a former City Council member of 12 years, said he will advocate for working families as part of his campaign. “I’ve been a union member and supporter my entire life,” Potnick said. Cabaldon said Wednesday that he had not yet heard from the labor council on its decision. He said he did not want to comment until he talked to the labor council and learned why it endorsed Potnick. Bill Camp, the executive secretary of the labor cou

A proposed measure to tax Sacramento property owners to pay for youth job training was derailed Tuesday night. Councilman Ray Tretheway removed the proposal from the City Council’s agenda, which means that it won’t be placed on the November ballot. Tretheway told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting he removed the plan from the agenda because council members were not interested in advancing it to the ballot. The City Council faced a Tuesday night deadline to move the proposal onto the ballot in November. “I think that the respect for the process trumped what I believe is a chronic problem of lack of resources and investment in our youth.” Tretheway said he thought his colleagues were conc

The accusations are flying at City Hall. Councilman Ray Tretheway is accusing Mayor Kevin Johnson of quid pro quo in his endorsement process, while Johnson’s Special Assistant R.E. Graswich said that Tretheway’s allegations are lies. Tretheway held a press conference Wednesday to announce that some of Johnson’s most influential supporters told him that if he voted to place a strong mayor proposal on the November ballot, then Johnson would endorse him. Johnson has endorsed Tretheway’s opponent Angelique Ashby. “Threats and quid pro quo offers may be commonplace these days,” Tretheway said, “but I want no part of it.” Tretheway named names at the press conference. He said the following

Lawyer Patrick Kennedy described himself as a rare City Council candidate because local business and labor groups are backing his campaign. Kennedy is endorsed by the Sacramento Central Labor Council and the Sacramento Metro Chamber. “Both (organizations) have worked with me,” Kennedy said. “They see that I’m fair.” The Sacramento Press is interviewing City Council candidates in advance of the June 8 election. Kennedy, 42, is running against four candidates for District 5, the seat held by Lauren Hammond. She is running for Assemblyman Dave Jones' seat. Oak Park, Curtis Park, Colonial Heights and Tahoe Park West are among the neighborhoods in District 5. Kennedy, a fourth-generation S

A proposed measure to fund jobs and other services for young people in Sacramento is being supported by a coalition of labor and religious groups and some local elected officials. A $29 annual tax on parcels of property in the city would be set up to pay for programs provided through Youth Jobs and Opportunity Act. Property owners would be charged the tax. The proposed initiative could appear on the November ballot. Supporters say they intend to collect 30,000 signatures from residents. Proponents say several kinds of programs could be funded through the program, including after-school programs, apprenticeships and street outreach services. Groups supporting the proposal include the Yes

The union that represents Sacramento police officers is supporting Mayor Kevin Johnson’s “strong mayor” initiative, saying it would give the mayor the power to guarantee sufficient public safety funding. Meanwhile, Bill Camp, the plaintiff who challenged the initiative in a Dec. 1 lawsuit, said a strong mayor form of government could lead to job insecurity for police department employees who are not represented by unions. Camp is the executive secretary of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. He filed the lawsuit as a private citizen. Sacramento residents will vote on the initiative on June 10. The initiative would give the mayor many new powers and would change the city’s existing coun

A measure to provide funding for jobs and other services for young people in Sacramento has been proposed for an upcoming ballot. The funding for youth would come from a $29 annual tax on parcels of property in the city, which would be paid by property owners. The Youth Jobs and Opportunity Act is endorsed by the Sacramento Central Labor Council, said Bill Camp, the council’s executive secretary. The proposal was filed with the City Clerk's office Dec. 22. “We’ll come out of this recession,” Camp said. “The point is: Do we come out of it with young people prepared to go after the jobs that are going to be created in this new economy?” The proposed initiative aims to deliver services to

 A group that opposes the “strong mayor” initiative says that a citizen is challenging the initiative through a lawsuit. The group SAVE Sacramento announced it will hold a press conference about the lawsuit Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall. Detailed information about the lawsuit was unavailable at press time.  Mayor Kevin Johnson backs the initiative, which would provide him with many new powers. Matt Kelly, executive secretary of the Sacramento-Sierra Building and Construction Trades Council, talked about the lawsuit Monday. Kelly, who is affiliated with SAVE, said the plaintiff is Bill Camp, executive secretary for the Sacramento Central Labor Council. He added that Camp is suing as

Hours before Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was forcefully exiled to Costa Rica on June 27, he met with seven delegates from Sacramento. The seven were: Bill Camp, executive secretary for the Sacramento Central Labor Council (SCLC); Bud McKinney, a sheet mill worker; Chris Bender, a union representative; Greg Larkins, president of IBW Local 340 and a political organizer for the SCLC; Arturo Aleman, a consultant, Kate Allen, a graduate student at UCLA and summer intern for the SCLC and Dion Archuleta, a canner at Campbell Soup in South Sacramento. The following is an account of their experiences in Honduras over a three-day period in which an alleged coup d’état took place. Background