City council unanimously approves labor agreement. Who will benefit?

Construction workers who live in Merced will gain higher wages and shorter commutes through a contract approved recently by Merced City Council.

“These are life-changing opportunities,” said Will Kelly, executive director of the National Valley Labor Federation, a collective of labor unions representing more than 75,000 public service employees in healthcare, construction and education. “It’s a pathway to a thriving wage, family-supporting job that doesn’t require a college degree.”

Under the Project Labor Agreement, construction workers in Merced gain priority on contracts worth at least $1 million. Workers said more work locally would be helpful because it would reduce their need to travel to the Bay Area for work. The average daily work commute is about four-hours round trip, impacting the time they spend in their communities and with their families.

“I grew up here, went to school here,” Francisco Gonzalez, 33, told council members during public comment. “I have 10 years driving to the Bay Area, waking up at two in the morning to get ready.” Gonzalez told Merced Sun-Star that all he wants after a long day of installing building insulation is to see his wife and two children. Instead, he drives two hours back home — three hours if there is heavy traffic and five hours if it’s a holiday weekend.

The item was moved up on the agenda after unionized workers at the Oct. 21 meeting said they needed to get up early for their commute to the Bay Area for work.

“Everybody that stood up and said that they are so tired and want to spend time with their family said they’re Merced residents,” said Council member Bertha Perez before voting in favor of the agreement. “They’re here. They have my support.”

This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 6:00 AM.