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 promo...
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