California Construction News staff writer
A new partnership between the Housing Authority for the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) and the LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council will create pathways for public housing residents to begin careers as union tradespeople, earning good wages with healthcare and retirement benefits.
“Learning a trade is much more than just getting a job. It’s an investment in yourself and into your community,” said Ernesto Medrano, executive secretary of the LA/OC Building & Construction Trades Council. “This historic agreement enables us to create more pathways to middle-class careers for our neighbors and ensures quality results on future redevelopment projects.”
The partnership establishes a five-year framework to ensure at least 25 percent of labor hours on HACLA construction projects are performed by low income Angelenos or public housing residents, offering an opportunity to start careers in the construction industry. This partnership is expected to connect 20,000 participants with good-paying jobs.
One construction projects involved in the partnership is the redevelopment of Rancho San Pedro, which will be transformed into a mixed-use project of more than 1,500 apartments and 130,000 square feet of commercial space.
“This historic labor agreement does more than build housing; it builds futures,” said Lourdes Castro Ramirez, President & CEO of HACLA. “By formalizing our partnership with the skilled trades, we are securing a guaranteed labor pipeline to accelerate HACLA’s affordable housing production goals for Los Angeles.
“Most importantly, we’re ensuring that our residents are first in line for the life changing, career-sustaining jobs that foster generational wealth for Angelenos.”
Key highlights of the Community Workforce Agreement include:
- Priority Hiring: Prioritizes the recruitment and entry of HACLA residents into construction trades with highest priority for residents of the sites at which the work is taking place.
- Labor Stability: Includes strict “no-strike” and “no-lockout” provisions, removing the risk of work stoppages and ensuring critical housing projects remain on schedule and on budget.
- Unified Industry Standards: Levels the playing field by standardizing wages, benefits, and working conditions for all contractors and subcontractors engaged in HACLA’s redevelopment portfolio.
