Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Salton Sea Workforce topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves bill requiring skilled-trade workforce for Salton Sea restoration projects
Summary
SB 369 would require use of a local skilled and trained workforce on Salton Sea restoration projects to protect worker safety and create a local pipeline of skilled trades workers; the committee passed the bill and re‑referred it to Appropriations.
Sen. Richard Padilla (presenting) introduced SB 369 to require that restoration work at the Salton Sea use a skilled and trained workforce, including workers who have graduated from registered apprenticeship programs, and that local hire and prevailing‑wage standards apply to create a workforce pipeline and protect workers from hazardous exposures.
Supporters including the California Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers, State Building and Construction Trades Council, electrical and pipe trades councils, and local Imperial Valley groups said the projects expose workers to toxic substances in the lake bed and that a statutory requirement is needed to ensure worker training and safety regardless of procurement method. Speakers emphasized the region’s high unemployment and the opportunity to provide living‑wage jobs and build a durable local skilled workforce.
No opposition witnesses were recorded. The committee voted to pass SB 369 and re‑refer it to the Committee on Appropriations with a reported 6–0 vote.
Why it matters: supporters said statutory skilled‑and‑trained workforce requirements will reduce health risks to workers, protect wages and benefits, and lock in a local pipeline for long-term restoration work.
