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AGC San Diego Members Take Home Top Honors at National Convention

By Dustin Steiner, Executive Vice President

Last week, over 20 AGC San Diego members descended upon Orlando, Florida, for AGC of America’s Annual Convention. Our member firms won major Build America, Culture of Care, and Construction Safety excellence Awards, including the Grand Award. We're proud to have these firms representing AGC San Diego!

Build America Awards:



Turner-Flatiron

Merit Award – SAN New Terminal 1 and Roadways - Design-Build: Building 

Culture of Care:



Stacy Witbeck: Attracting Talent Award

Construction Safety Excellence Awards:

Heavy Division

Sundt Construction, Inc.: 
1st Place – Over 1 million work hours

Granite Construction Company: 
2nd Place – Over 1 million work hours

Highway and Transportation Division

Hazard Construction:

2nd Place – Under 450,000 work hours



Building Division

BNBuilders:

3rd Place – Over 1.5 million work hours

Specialty Division

Dynaletric: 

1st Place – 450,000 – 1 million work hours

Helix Electric:

2nd Place – Over 4 million work hours 

Grand Award Winner:

A special congratulations to Sundt for also taking home the top honor: the Grand Award!

Thank you to AGCSD’s Safety Committee Chair, Justin Dempsey (Stacy Witbeck), and Vice Chair, John Stickney (Harper Construction), as well as AGC’s Safety Director, Vince Hundley (SMART Safety Group), for getting these safety winners to the finish line. 

AGC San Diego’s Board of Directors was one of only six chapters nationwide (and the only one in California) to achieve 100% Board Participation in AGC of America’s Political Action Committee (PAC) for 2026. This is a personal donation and a testament to the leadership we have here in San Diego! 

Congrats as well to former AGC San Diego Presidents Thomas L. Brown (Sierra Pacific West) and Jeff Harper (Harper Construction) for their respective anniversaries (20 years for Tom, 15 years for Jeff) in the 535 Club. The 535 Club is an exclusive donor circle highlighting the ultimate goal: having all 535 Members of Congress supporting infrastructure.

Mark your calendars for April 6-8, 2027, for next year’s convention, which is conveniently located in Phoenix, AZ. 

Congratulations to all of our award winners! 

California Transportation Spending is Not for Highway Expansions 

By Mike McManus, Director of Engineering Construction & Industry Relations

Last week, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) held their monthly meeting in Malibu. Large allocations of funds were once again dispersed across the state for transportation projects of all types and sizes. But not without some controversy.

A relatively new element is showing up at the CTC meetings: climate activists and environmental advocates who vocally oppose all congestion relief projects. This is in the name of climate change. They advocate measures to improve walking and bicycling and investments in transit, that, in their minds, will reduce the number of cars on our roads and how far they travel. According to these advocates, if implemented, this will then reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are causing our extreme weather. They also suggest that widening roads increases congestion by inducing new demand and new car travel, contributing to climate change.

The problem with these theories in car-centric California is that they do not support our economic health and the ability of our citizens to make a living, get their kids to school, or make it to their appointments. You just can’t get from here to there by bus, bike, or walking; it’s silly.

Also, the facts on transportation spending in California do not bear out these outcomes. The vast majority of the funding goes toward maintenance and rehabilitation of state highways and local roads. This is a relatively new thing in transportation. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in 1993, across the country about 50% of transportation spending went toward maintenance and rehabilitation projects versus 50% that was spent on system expansion projects. By 2019, the percentage of funding going toward maintenance and rehabilitation rose to 80% with only 20% going toward road widening and other system expansion projects.

Transportation for America put out some statistics by state in 2019 comparing maintenance type projects to expansion projects; this report used FHWA data and has since been archived; however, California was dead last in percentage of new capacity projects versus total spending, coming in at only 1.74% of total transportation spending on new capacity projects. By comparison, Iowa spent 44% on new capacity projects and Arizona spent 31%.

The CTC did report on what it has allocated to various types of projects this fiscal year, starting in July 2025. The grand total of allocations for projects this fiscal year to date is just under $10 billion. Our highway contractors like that number.

At last week’s meeting, the CTC allocated about $850 million. It appears about $453 million has been allocated to system expansion projects so far this year, a little over 4% of the total. Another 4% or so is going toward transit expansion projects. The remaining 92% is going toward maintenance, safety, and/or operations of the state highway and local road systems. 

PLA Playbook: Who's Who Under a PLA

By Adrianna Lopez, Director of Labor Relations

Public works projects covered by Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) run smoother when you know exactly who the players are, what they do, and when to call on them. Think of it as your jobsite roster... as each person has a role, a lane, and a specific job in keeping your project compliant, staffed, and moving.

Here’s your PLA sideline guide to who’s who and the role they play.

The Union Hall Dispatch Team

These are the folks who fill your workforce requests. They manage:

• Dispatch requests
• Replacements
• Specialty classifications
• Apprentices

Local Union Representatives (“Reps”)

Your primary point of contact for:

• Jurisdiction questions
• Worker issues
• Dispatch clarification
• Interpreting craft-specific rules

Essentially, they’re the ones who can help resolve small misunderstandings before they turn into full-blown grievances.

Stewards

They’re the on-site eyes and ears for their union, tracking:

• Start and stop times
• Break compliance
• Dispatch legitimacy
• Ratio requirements
• Proper classification usage
• Adherence to the PLA and union rules

Workforce/Outreach Coordinator

Manages project-specific workforce goals, such as:

• Local hire
• Disadvantaged worker requirements
• Target categories

They help keep you aligned with the community benefit goals embedded in the PLA.

Arbitrators/Grievance Panels

The “officials” who:

• Interpret PLA language
• Resolve disputes
• Issue final decisions on contested issues

The Project Labor Coordinator

The individual (or team) responsible for:

• Overseeing compliance with the PLA
• Central point of contact between the awarding body, contractors, unions and workers
• Facilitates pre-job conferences
• Provides training on PLA requirements, forms, and procedures

Core Workers

Core workers are the limited number of your own employees that you’re allowed to bring onto a PLA job before the dispatch rotation fully takes over.

• They bring continuity, experience, and familiarity with your processes.
• But they must still be dispatched through the union and meet qualifications defined in the PLA

Your Coach: Me!

As the Director of Labor Relations at AGC San Diego, I am committed to helping contractors win the PLA game with clarity, confidence, and the right playbook.

Join me as I host a PLA Fundamentals e-webinar on April 1.

Now suit up, stay sharp, and go win the job!

Building a Better Future, One Page at a Time: The 2026 AGC Book Drive Starts Wednesday!

This April, the Build & Serve Charitable Alliance is proud to launch the 2026 AGC Book Drive, a month-long initiative dedicated to constructing a stronger foundation for the next generation of San Diegans.

At the San Diego Book Project (SDBP), the mission is to promote literacy as a foundational life skill. They provide free books to children and families in need, fostering a love for reading, improving literacy, and promoting educational equity. By reaching under-resourced communities, the SDBP works to eliminate barriers to literacy, ensuring that children have access to the transformative power of a book.

From April 1 through April 30, AGC member firms are encouraged to drop off new or gently used children's books at designated locations throughout the county.

What We’re Looking For:

• Picture books and early readers
• Chapter books for middle and high schoolers
• New or gently used condition

A special highlight of this year’s drive is partnering with the Future Construction Leaders' Little Free Library project. On April 2–3, teams of volunteers and middle school students will be on site at our headquarters to construct these custom-built libraries. A portion of the books collected during our April drive will go directly toward stocking these libraries, which will then be placed throughout the community to promote literacy.


Book Drive Drop-Off Locations:

AGC San Diego Headquarters: 10140 Riverford Road, Lakeside, CA 92040 (East County)

Sundt Construction: 1660 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108 (Mission Valley, Central San Diego)

Erickson-Hall Construction: 500 Corporate Drive, Escondido, CA 92029 (North County)

T.B. Penick & Sons: 13280 Evening Creek South Drive, San Diego, CA 92128 (North County)

Together, let's show San Diego that the construction industry doesn't just build structures, we build communities.

Still Looking for General Volunteers for Special Olympics Event

We are seeking a dedicated “A-Team” from AGC of 10–15 volunteers to support the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) basketball tournament on May 16 in Santee.

We are still looking to fill 10 more spots with volunteers who can assist the SOSC staff for the afternoon shift (12:15 PM - 4:30 PM) with various tasks. All volunteers receive a t-shirt and lunch ticket.

Interested in joining the AGC volunteer team?

Please contact Marcy Knopman at marcy@agcsd.org to receive the registration link and more details. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old.

Build San Diego Scholarship Applications Extended Through Tomorrow!

Know a student in construction at SDSU in CEM or CM? Know someone in the Diesel Tech group at San Diego Community College District?

Let them know about this scholarship. The application deadline was extended to tomorrow, March 31. Apply now!

2026

April 1 - 30 - AGC Book Drive - Download Flyer
April 16 - Meet Your GC - McCarthy Building Companies - McCarthy San Diego HQ

May 19 - Bags & Brew: Meet Your GC Cornhole Tournament - AGC Lakeside HQ

June 1 - Build San Diego Foundation Golf - The Heights Golf Club

June 23 - AGC Baseball Bash - Petco Park

April 1 - Safety Committee - 7:00 AM - Lakeside

April 7 - Affiliate Members' Council - NOON - Lakeside

April 9 - Meetings & Events - NOON - Lakeside

April 15 - Port District Liaison - 11:30 AM @ Port office

April 23 - Airport Liaison - 11:30 AM @ Airport Design & Construction office

April 30 - H.R. Practices Committee - 11:30 AM - Lakeside

About Monday Morning Quarterback

AGC San Diego Chapter's Monday Morning Quarterback is a "hot off the press" and to the point Monday morning briefing on the important issues facing San Diego's construction industry. It is prepared by AGC Chief Executive Officer, Eddie Sprecco, and Vice President Government & Industry Relations, Dustin Steiner.

Please contact Eddie Sprecco or Dustin Steiner with your comments, or with information that should be conveyed to the industry through this service. Well over 3,000 individuals employed by AGC member firms are part of this system.


Disclaimer: Information and advice provided by AGC San Diego staff is general and not a substitute for legal counsel. Before applying any recommendations or policies to your business, consult a licensed attorney familiar with your specific circumstances.

AGC San Diego Chapter, Inc.

The VOICE of Construction

(858) 558-7444

agcsd.org

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