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I come from a Unix background where we are taught that programs should do one thing and do it well. Seeing all this bullshit makes me seethe in a way very little else does.
Union construction labor does not come with the same issues as say, the UAW. It is simply more expensive by using barriers to entry which effectively exclude the lowest-quality providers(and lots of others, it needs to be acknowledged. A 100% unionization rate would not be a good thing). This is a perfectly reasonable trade for some customers, and mass transit systems may well be one. Exempting counties also makes sense; presumably this stuff isn't really needed in certain inland counties. I can't really defend below-market set asides but ferries and high frequency bus routes might just not be what this is aimed at.
Ah, but it does. If it were merely paying 2x the salary, that is something that can be budgeted for and just passed along.
Instead, you get the guy that you are paying to do the plumbing refuse to cut a hole through the floor for a shower drain because that's not in his trade specification. So you have to get someone from the carpenter's trade to come do that (for more money) while the plumber is sitting there being paid to fondle his balls. A half day later, you might have a shower drain. Or not, maybe the hole is in the wrong place (because what does a carpenter know about plumbing anyway). Everything moves at a snail's pace when someone won't do a tiny job that's blocking their progress just because it's not on a list somewhere.
A whole headquarters for Steph Curry's new outfit wasn't built in the Dogpatch because of this insanity.
Do you think non union tradesmen get out of their trade very often? A non union plumber will not cut a hole in the floor, redo Sheetrock/tile, penetrate a roof for a vent, etc. Just like his union counterpart, he’ll write a quote to have it subcontracted and he comes back to do the job.
José and his crew will do whatever the guy paying them needs.
If they're actual plumbers/electricians/whatever, then no they won't.
You are correct that illegal general laborers will do whatever they're paid to do, often quite badly. But they are not actual licensed tradesmen, and the state requires licenses for plumbers and electricians and the like for reasons relating to insurance regulations and not unions. I won't tell you not to use an undocumented handyman to change a faucet but for a major plumbing job, there is a reason your insurance company and city permitting department expect a plumbers license.
And that's why people hire general laborers or do it themselves. If you have to hire an electrician, a plumber, a roofer, and a drywall contractor to put in a simple bathroom fan, it's going to cost you thousands.
Yes, I won't tell you not to have Jose from the home depot parking lot/Oaxaca put a fart fan in your bathroom instead of having an HVAC company subcontract an electrician, roofer, and a drywall contractor. But for a major job there is a reason you want a licensed contractor. If you have drainage problems or need an entire HVAC system replaced or you need a new circuit on your panel and you aren't comfortable with DIY you need somebody with experience in that particular trade.
Jose can replace a p-trap. I'm not saying every job that requires a license needs to require a license. But licenses exist for a reason.
The lawful system is supposed to be able to handle all the situations; after all, by definition, going outside it is forbidden. If it can't handle many common situations (and indeed getting a licensed contractor to do a small job is often simply not possible or feasible), it's broken, regardless of "we live in a society" defenses like "licenses exist for a reason".
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