Supervisors press Rec and Park, Laborers Local 261 to resolve disputes over gardener apprenticeship program

The Budget & Finance Committee held an extended hearing May 1 on the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department—gardener apprenticeship program, called by Supervisor John Avalos to review program outcomes, hiring pathways and concerns raised by Laborers Local 261.

Phil Ginsberg, general manager of the Recreation and Park Department, said the department champions the apprenticeship program as part of a broader workforce-investment pipeline that helps maintain the city's parks, supports local hires and builds career ladders. He described the department's scope and staffing pressures and noted several workforce metrics showing program growth and improved park maintenance scores.

Anna Alvarez, superintendent of Parks and Open Spaces, said the state-certified gardener apprenticeship began in June 2010 (first apprentices deployed December 2010). She said there are 25 budgeted apprentice positions (22 currently filled) and the department has invested $2,200,000 in the apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship requires 4,000 hours of on-the-job training and 360 hours of classroom coursework delivered through City College; the joint apprenticeship committee includes Rec and Park, Public Works and Local 261 representatives.

Ginsberg and department staff explained a recently negotiated hiring approach designed to value apprentice time within the civil service system: under the agreement with the Department of Human Resources, apprentices who have completed 2,000 hours (50% of the program) can be eligible to be placed into budgeted gardener vacancies (classification 30417) without competing externally, subject to civil service procedures. The department said it has placed eight apprentices into gardener positions to date and expects further placements as apprentices meet the qualifying hours and coursework.

Local 261 and speakers representing the union told the committee the program is valuable but reported operational concerns. Union witnesses and representatives said hiring practices have at times favored pre-apprentices or other new hires over certified apprentices, and they alleged examples of "gaming the system," cronyism or nepotism in some hiring decisions. Ramon Hernandez, Business Manager for Local 261, said the union had organized a rally and urged supervisors to "fix this problem." A trainer and apprenticeship administrator described performance and placement statistics, noting 22 total hires into the department from the program and five promotions to gardener, while also calling for more apprentices, additional field captains (supervisors) and equipment (trucks and materials) to support the work.

Community groups and nonprofit partners (the Sierra Club, the Trust for Public Land, America SCORES and others) largely expressed support for both the department and the apprenticeship program, saying it helps local residents and improves park maintenance citywide. Commenters urged the department and the union to resolve their differences and recommended a concrete progress report.

Vicki Callahan, representing the Department of Human Resources, described civil service constraints and said the DHR and Rec and Park negotiated a novel substitution approach that allows the apprentice experience (2,000 hours) to be credited toward eligibility for permanent gardener appointments while preserving external applicants' rights under civil service rules.

Phil Ginsberg acknowledged disputes and said the department is working with Local 261 and DHR on placements, equipment needs and the next apprentice class. The committee voted to continue the hearing to the call of the chair and asked for a report back during the budget process when Rec and Park next appears before the committee.

Next steps: the committee will receive a follow-up report during the budget process; no formal ordinance or department-wide hiring rule was adopted at the hearing.