DATE: November 17, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Luis Chavez, Supervisor, District 3
SUBJECT: Community Workforce Agreement / Project Labor Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Direct staff to prepare, negotiate, and return for approval of a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA), also known as a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), for construction of a County project to be known as the “Ag Building.”
REPORT
A Community Workforce Agreement (CWA), also known as a Project Labor Agreement (PLA), is a contract between the County, as owner, and labor unions and trades that would govern many aspects of a construction project, including employment and training opportunities that build pathways into high-quality, sustainable construction careers for local workers, to create a pool of skilled construction labor for future County construction projects, to develop the regional workforce and economy, and to combat unemployment and underemployment in the region. A CWA is designed to promote the efficiency of construction operations through the use of skilled labor resulting in quality construction outcomes, and to provide for the peaceful settlement of labor disputes and grievances without strikes or lockouts, thereby promoting the public interest in assuring the timely and economical completion of County projects covered by the Agreement. An example of a CWA entered by the City of Fresno is included as Attachement A.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Move forward with construction projects without a CWA.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost. More predictable costs and completion times can result from a CWA, as labor agrees in advance to wages and not to strike or otherwise delay a construction project. Since California law requires payment of prevailing wages on public construction projects, labor costs are similar whether contractors use union or non-union labor. There are consequential financial benefits to the County and community, as a CWA promotes training newer workers, development of skills, and apprenticeships, which can result in local workers obtaining higher wages and less poverty in the community. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget for Org 8857 Agriculture Capital Projects and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
There are many benefits to a CWA to the County itself and the community. Initially, three to four months may be required to draft, negotiate, and approve a CWA, but then subsequent additional agreements can be completed more quickly. The overall timeline for completion of construction may actually be shorter, as labor agrees to staffing levels and wages for the duration of the project, with no strikes or lockouts by any party.
Community benefits result from the training opportunity assurances agreed upon in the CWA. Long term, it can result in more local workers having higher skills and resulting higher wages. This benefits the entire community.
Experienced outside legal counsel would be retained to assist with the preparation and negotiation of the agreement.
The proposed initial construction project is the Agricultural Commissioner and University of California (UC) Cooperative Extension Building (Ag Building), with preliminary construction costs estimated at $32 million. The project consists of constructing a new 45,000 square-foot office building, plus storage building, and parking lot on County-owned property at the Juvenile Justice Center to support the delivery of agricultural services and programs throughout Fresno County, including services provided in partnership with UC Cooperative Extension. The building will provide modern office space, conference rooms, research laboratories, commercial and demonstration kitchens, and shared facilities to support agricultural research, education, outreach, and collaboration with the County’s agricultural community with the storage building providing equipment and supply storage space. The project will modernize County agricultural operations, strengthen the partnership with UC Cooperative Extension, and enhance services to the County’s agricultural industry. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2029.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - Example CWA
CAO ANALYST:
George Uc