The North Coast Restoration Jobs Initiative (NCRJI) is organizing workers and environmental proponents to build a living wage Restoration Economy along California’s North Coast region by advocating for the creation of quality jobs to restore the area’s damaged watersheds, streams, and forests.

Restoration Economy

Our working definition is “a Restoration Economy is a transition to a sustainable economy where a significant investment is made in human and natural systems.” We plan to bring others interested in sustainable economic development together to a meeting on the North Coast in 2007 to better define a restoration economy, identify what it would look like, and map out a strategy to get us there. We are talking to Wildlands CPR about cosponsoring this.

Restoration Jobs Study

We are creating a study “A Comparative Economic Analysis of Ecological Restoration in Humboldt County, CA, 1995 -2005” that is designed to quantify the scope and scale of the local Restoration Economy. It will build upon the research previously done for the report we sponsored called “Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Natural Resources Restoration System in Humboldt County” (Baker 2003).

The results of the study will be used to demonstrate the existing capacity of the restoration sector and to explore legislative policy options to bring in greater funding for restoration on the North Coast and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Initial results indicate more jobs are now created in restoration than in logging in Humboldt County, potentially a very significant change in the local economy. Our ability to successfully share this information in the local and regional media will be an important step in countering the corporate propaganda dividing our communities. Project methodology will be documented and distributed to allow other rural communities to duplicate the analysis. The collective action of our members will bring these results to local public officials and other decision-makers to advocate for living wage jobs that restore the environment.

Union Organizing and Apprenticeship Programs

The restoration workforce is made up of many individuals, usually working project to project, often with only limited seasonal employment and without insurance or benefits. For several years we have been investigating the most effective ways to develop union organizing and apprenticeship programs for these workers to ensure they receive needed training and skills, along with the many benefits that would result from potential union membership. One model would be to integrate interested restoration workers into existing unions and apprenticeship programs (e.g. the Operating Engineers and Carpenters). Another possibility is to develop a new classification for restoration workers with their own union and apprenticeship program. A related concept is creation of a Hiring Hall. Individuals could become members of the Hall and after a certification or apprenticeship program be eligible for receiving work and benefits through the Hall. The Working Partnerships program in San Jose is a good model for the Hiring Hall concept.

Providing Benefits to Restoration Workers

Very few natural-resource restoration workers enjoy any benefits packages, whether that be health insurance, sick leave, vacation time, or a retirement plan, as many are seasonal independent contractors. Given what we’re learning regarding the scope of this blossoming industry, this means a lot of people in our community are without benefits. We are interested in examining other models such as those used by the San Francisco taxi drivers and Salinas Valley farm workers.

Developing Revenue Sources

ASJE recognizes that natural-resource restoration requires a significant social investment. Most funding for restoration is government based, and most of those programs require local matching funds. We have been working with Assemblywoman Patty Berg’s staff to identify potential revenue sources to fund restoration over the long term. Possible revenue sources would include a voluntary 1% tax at the cash register of local businesses, and rate roundups on local water and power bills. The Humboldt Area Foundation has expressed interest in housing an endowment for these funds. We would create a board or committee to oversee disbursement of funds. This would include developing a list of criteria to be met by fund recipients, likely restoration practitioners who both take care of their workers and carry out high-quality, ecologically based restoration.

Prevailing Wages

Two year’s ago we found ourselves in a statewide leadership position regarding prevailing wages for natural resources restoration. As both the environmental and labor communities were struggling with how to implement prevailing wage on state-funded restoration contracts, we provided guidance to both to develop an acceptable solution. Since then we have led several workshops to restoration practitioners regarding how to translate prevailing wage requirements to their work. We continue to advocate for prevailing wages for all publicly funded programs.

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