building representation. there was good reason for that. the geologist who did the studies for the foundations of the bridge, the professor at of the california university, he went outside of the scope of his assignment and said that that bridge will have to be replaced once or twice a century. he was going around and telling people that the bridge is eternal, don't worry. they were both correct. instead of the bridge having to be replaced, it is undergoing constant replacement. there is a constant need for the building trade on that bridge. some of the chains were change the outcome of the southern arts has been strengthened, the workers on the bridge are constantly changing.

-- some of the chains the souths been strengthened. there are structural rivets that you look at and question their yield strength. the kind of knowledge that we bring to network. this is not represented on the board. we are different aspects of the same -- it is importance to have an understanding represented on the bridge board. i am an iron worker. that brigitte is our signature project here in san francisco for local 377.

we are devoted to that bridge. we have accomplished a great deal. that bridge is our symbol. we believe in it, we want to make sure it succeeds in every possible way. i would not ever presume to call myself a bridge man, which is a particular honorific, i am knowledgeable about structural steel. there are bridge men in the audience behind me who are supportive of my presence on the board. with the building trades, over the years they have come to represent the other workers on the bridge. as the bridges mission expanded to include buses and ferries, our presence was expanded to include them as well. that is important as well,

particularly as the bridge over goes -- goes through its economic challenges in the future. i am not a transit expert. my primary means of transportation is a mix of public transit and my own two feet. my secondary means of transportation is a bicycle. i have a 1993 dodge dakota which is my vehicle for other purposes but i primarily drive it to get away from street cleaning. there are some considerable challenges, structural challenges the financially that the bridge will face a. when i last participated in negotiations on behalf of the coalition of unions on the bridge, -- at the start of every

public sector to negotiation, the public agency comes and tells you what an awful situation it is in. sometimes this is true, sometimes it is not so true. come over the past decade, it was certainly true. we rebuilt the medical plan for the employees of the bridge. in the course of hearing the comptroller's presentation, we heard something that interested me. at that point in time, the bridge district was providing local bus service to one of the richest counties in california. the county was not doing for the bridge district and its buses

what san francisco does for muni. i don't know how that has been altered. i know that bus service has been cut back. i would be interested in exploring that further. there was in -- another issue that deals with the bridge long term and that is that we are actively trying to cut back on automobile use in this country, state, region. yet, the bridge district depends on tolls from automobiles to sustain all of its other missions and areas. at some point, we will have to look at what is involved in those two different ads on a collision course. -- path on a collision course. i hope you'll give me the chance to represent workers and others

on the board. >> as someone who represents building trades, what ideas do you have in terms of insuring that we see some of the jobs for many of these jobs going to the residents in our county? >> you have several counties. buthat makes it somewhat easier, actually. the structure of those involved insures that as well. if you are talking about underserved communities, i will stand on my record. in the eye and workers' union, 377, we had taken a local which have had about 1500 members. through an organizing program in which i was involved, we nearly doubled the size of local. we did that by reaching dyou

are talking about. you do this by concentrating on specific barriers that have to be overcome, by working hard to overcome those barriers. my complaint with the approach that has been taken recently here is that it is attempted to do this with the requirements from above rather than analyzing what actually has to happen in terms of removing the barriers and getting people to work. i will be supportive of every means of doing that. in the history of this bridge, there was just what you're talking about in the construction of the bridge, strict requirements for residency and the workers. ultimately, they had to acknowledge -- and they had not prepared to the work force in

advance. they had to back off of that in order to get the bridge build. if you take that approach, the approach taken here, this is an incomplete approach at the very least. you have to take the other approach as well. >> as a director, what can you do to increase local workers on these projects? >> i think it is necessary to work with the workers to make sure they have vowed reach programs and means of helping workers in the trades. -- to make sure that they have outreach programs and a means of helping workers. >> to support charging a toll for pedestrians and cyclists across the bridge? >> no. >> thank you very much. there's no comment from my colleagues, i will open it up for public comment. we have two minutes per speaker.

>> hello, i am with -- supervisors, i appreciate the opportunity to speak. i sent a letter, i am not sure if you got it, but basically i am supporting the appointment of michael theriault. i support labor unions at the bridge. we have had two years without a voice of labour on the bridge. we want a labor representative.

bodman donald from labor was a director. -- bobby mcdonald from labor was a director. i think for us, some of the comments that you heard from the directors, the times are not the best for workers who and decisions are made by the board that impacts lives and i am sure that everyone is heard about the toll operators that will be replaced. those are tough issues and it is really important to the 15 unions at the bridge to have someone that speaks for us and that we can go to. also, i want to let you know that i have worked closely with michael. he is honest, reputable, and a

hard-working person. >> good afternoon, supervisor kim. i am a senior field agent for local carpenters 22. it is strange to be here supporting an iron worker but i am. we have two people today but i'm speaking as an individual now. i have worked with him all the time and i know him and i trust him and i think that he should be the guy on the board turned down -- the guy on the board. i also support janet.

>> i support michael on the board. he has been very active to the environment issues. he also joined jack morrison who was a member of the 1960's board of supervisors. he put initiatives on the ballot to which the voters said yes.

they have been representing labor unions and other members. >> could afternoon. i would like to speak in support of -- -- good afternoon.

he has a keen analytic mind, i again and a concern for the welfare of people that use the bridge as visitors. he is a labor attorney, and the time and dedication he has dedicated has also been an invaluable asset. i want to say that miss reilly has an encyclopedic knowledge of the hall operation -- of the operation. and miss seagal has a kind- hearted mind. all three of these people have taken a stand oneterrent when ir

to do that. when people believe to the myth that someone would kill themselves any way, just elderly white men that were thought to be jumping from the bridge and not worth saving. we learned it was our children who were jumping. it was young people -- [chime] and the courageous stance that was taken to save everybody. president kim: thank you so much for being here today. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am a board member of san francisco tomorrow. i would like to read a letter into the record from our president to was unable to be here today. she is, and we are in support of

the reappointment of richard. san francisco tomorrow is pleased to support the reappointment of richard. he has shown himself to be a highly competent board member who represents the interests and concerns of both bridge users an san franciscans. we have a role to play and overseeing the operation of the district and responding to the public. he he has shown themselves to be skilled in balancing these rules. he is a professional in his actions, respectful of the public, and responsible in his representation of san francisco on the district. he is extremely well qualified for this appointment and we urge you to recommend him to the full board, respectfully, the

president. >> i am speaking as an individual, i am recommending dick grossball. he has been an active community leader. not only has he been involved in many issues, he is currently chair of the north beach citizens. over the past four years, a supervisor elsbernd will confirm that he is respectful of other points of view. he comes to a balanced decision. i highly recommend kick -- dick

grosboll. >> and the executive director of the san francisco labor council. we represent 100,000 workers. there are 15 units that are represented here. i am here on behalf of mike theriault. his knowledge of the industry's are paramount. he will be closing a gap that disturbs a lot of us in organized labor for the first time in decades. there is not a full-time working representative that serves on that very important board. i think this is extremely important that we do have

somebody that works full time on that board. thank you very much. >> good afternoon, supervisors. i am here in support of mike theriault. he is well aware of the issues facing the district continues his labor district and knowledge to ensure the building trades workers are well represented. his experience with labor and negotiations will be beneficial to the bridge district.

this will help him when contracts come before the district members for approval. i know him to be hard-working, dependable, and dedicated. he is not afraid to work long hours. in the building trades workers would get the stuff they deserve. some people may not know much about the golden gate bridge, but mike does. thank you for your consideration. >> i told larry, i might say ditto. my name is tony rodriguez. myself and my family reside here in san francisco.

i found him to be a hard, dedicated worker. a very honest person. he takes his responsibilities very seriously. and for the residents of san francisco. i am here to show my support for the board of directors of the golden gate bridge. >> i am and iron worker. i have known my for quite some time. i believe he will be a big asset to the board of directors, not to mention his insight into background. it would be very much appreciated out there. his open door policy is a big step forward not only in

relations, but a different insight into their budget problems. the voices that could help them has not been heard for quite some time. i urge you to put mike theriault out there for us. >> my name is dennis, i rise to support the appointment of dick grosboll. i also support janet reilly. i served with him as a fellow member of the board of san francisco tomorrow. i think the first memory i have led him back in the '70s was that he was one of the early and very effective advocates for transit first.

he has advocated for that position in similar positions for all of these decades. i know him to be a person of great integrity, and i think probably the thing that impresses me most about him is that he is never out for himself. he is a very strong advocate for the public interest and does not put himself of for that interest. that is the greatest reason why he should be appointed in addition to his knowledge and experience. >> i have a business representative with ironworkers local 377. as a labour candidate for the appointment, he brings something unique that no other candidate has. he has a working experience of

the work. as other people are professionals, if you have a project going on there, and a rollout a set of prints, mike can read them. i urge you to appoint him. thank you. >> my name is dan prince, good afternoon chair kim, supervisors elsbernd and farrell. i have known mike for many years, decades. i knew him when he worked in the field, i knew him when he worked as an apprentice in the field as well. i had the privilege of working with mike when he was working as an organizer.

i can back up everything he has said about his progress of perspective about reaching out to the community and recruiting people into the ironworkers union. he also served and excelled in his position as a business agent. they took the skill, discipline, and the leadership with secretary of san francisco trade. also at this point for his progressive leadership, a leader within the labor movement. i would also like to mention our support for janet reilly who has reached out to our union in the past.

>> my name is charlie lovely, i am a senior business and executive. i first met like about nine years ago as i was working on the golden gate bridge as a crane operator. he was the business representative for the iron workers at that time. he was held in high esteem. i, as a delegate, now that he is seldom the same high esteem. he has the safety and well-being of the workers on the bridge. i think it is critical that we have somebody that has those concerns on the board. >> i represent the operating engineers local 3.

we represent thousands of heavy equipment operators in san francisco that communicate using the golden gate bridge. i am here today to urge you to appoint mike theriault and janet reilly. i have known my for many years. i have seen him handle very delicate situations in here from all sides. -- and hear from all sides. i think michael be an excellent candidate and i urge you to appoint her janet reilly. thank you. >> i am a resident and i have worked over 30 years. i don't want to repeat what others have said.

i want to speak from a different point of view. mike theriault is a lifelong resident and came from the school system here. i am trying to support public high-school is by bringing industry professionals and professors from various universities to visit schools like lincoln and balboa. mike is dedicated to that same goal. what we are working on right now is to bring people into lincoln high school to explain the solar project. his qualifications speak for themselves. more than that, he is a symbol for young people that see his work in that gesture. besides being a great individual, he represents a large sector of our population.

>> although we are not with the san francisco building trade, we support my brother mike theriault's appointment to the board. someone mentioned a previous board member that was a previous agent. i find that not only a symbol of hope -- not only symbolic, but appropriate. i urge encourage your support for this appointment. i also support janet reilly. >> i am also a