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Building trades back modular factories with training but seek 'good jobs' conditions
Summary
The State Building and Construction Trades Council told the board it supports modular construction when it creates stable, unionized jobs and apprenticeship pathways; the council endorsed examples of factory projects with labor agreements and called for job‑quality requirements on incentives.
The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California told the State Board of Equalization on July 29 that unions will work with modular manufacturers if factories and projects preserve high‑quality careers, apprenticeship training and prevailing‑wage jobs.
Chris Hannon, president of the council, said modular construction ‘‘can present opportunities to introduce the trades’’ by offering predictable hours and set workplaces where apprentices and journeymen can train. Hannon pointed to Fullstack Modular’s Carson factory as an example where unions and management reached agreements and the factory is dispatching union members for production and on‑site rigging work.
The building trades said they are not opposed to modular innovation but want state incentives conditioned on job‑quality standards. Hannon recommended that any tax credits, loan programs or grant funding tied to modular expansion include compliance with training standards, prevailing wage rules and neutrality or labor peace agreements where appropriate.
Hannon argued that modular factories can expand apprenticeship access: the trades run more than 115 apprenticeship readiness programs in California and can supply trained workers if factories commit to on‑site training and hiring. The council offered to partner with the state on workforce development tied to modular manufacturing pilots.
The board heard that modular factories can reduce site theft and variability in build quality because much work is done in a controlled environment; the trades said that manufacturing can be a path to stable, well‑paid careers when developers and manufacturers adopt formal labor agreements.
No formal board action was taken; the council asked to be involved in the design of any state incentives to ensure they produce local career pathways and prevailing‑wage jobs.
