Unions Pressure Board Over Jail Bidders : Jobs: Labor leaders support a Pasadena company that vows to hire local workers. Alterations in the plans for the new facility near Santa Paula would be necessary.

Stung by staggering unemployment, local construction workers are pressuring the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to award the contract for a new jail to a Pasadena builder they say would hire the most local workers.

Construction trade unions are urging the county to award the contract to Perini Building Co. of Pasadena, which has vowed to give local workers at least 90% of 150 jobs that it anticipates for the project. About 350 more workers, most of them local, are expected to be employed by subcontractors.

A Phoenix firm has submitted the low bid of $33.2-million--about $400,000 less than Perini’s--but it has not indicated how many local workers it will hire, county officials said. The company could not be reached for comment.

County supervisors could get around hiring the Arizona company if they alter the project by eliminating a maze of covered walkways.

Perini said it would spend $33.5 million if the walkways were dropped, compared to the $34-million bid by Huntcor of Phoenix for a project excluding walkways. State law requires that the low bid be accepted.

Bob Guillen, president of the Ventura County Building & Construction Trades Council, said some workers are fearful that if Huntcor is awarded the contract, it will bring in outside workers to build the 752-inmate jail near Santa Paula.

“Arizona will come in and bring 100 people with them,” said Guillen, spokesman for the county’s 13 building trade unions and local contractors. “That doesn’t help the local employment at all.

“We have a 30% unemployment rate for construction workers,” he said. “I want to put my people to work.”

County supervisors are set to decide the issue at their Aug. 11 meeting.

Responding to a barrage of phone calls and letters from local workers, two supervisors said Monday that they favor the Perini proposal because it promises more local jobs and is supported by the Sheriff’s Department, which will operate the jail.

“I’m a real believer in providing jobs for the people of this county whenever it is possible to do that,” Supervisor Maggie Kildee said. “I will be looking very closely to make sure that the one we choose is able to provide more jobs and still do the job required.”

Supervisor Susan K. Lacey agreed.

“I’m in favor of hiring local workers,” she said. “That’s a win-win-win situation. It puts money back in our economy.”

Lacey said the county can live without the covered walkways, a change that would place Perini as the top contender for the 18-month project. The new jail, which will relieve overcrowding at the Central Jail in Ventura, is scheduled to be completed in 1994.

Art Goulet, public works director, said the county received 11 bids from builders, almost all from California. The only Ventura County bid came from Merco Construction Engineers Inc. of Camarillo.

Merco proposed spending $34.3 million for the full project and $34.2 million without the walkways--putting the company out of contention.

He said the county has received dozens of phone calls from local union members urging officials to choose the company that would hire the most local workers. Their fervor has caught some officials by surprise. “I’ve never seen the unions work harder on an issue as they have on this one,” said one top county official, who asked not to be named.

Guillen said that if the county does not pick the right contractor, the unions will consider picketing the job site. “A project this big doesn’t come around often,” he said.

Larry A. Jones, who monitors local building contracts, added: “This project is the biggest thing since sliced bread. . . We want to keep it local.”