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Unions press county for stronger raises and labor protections as building trades seek tougher Good Neighbor standards
Summary
Teamsters Local 542 warned county negotiators that a 2.5% offer is insufficient and indicated members are prepared to strike July 1; the Building Trades pushed the board for stronger, enforceable labor standards in the Good Neighbor program.
Ruth Duarte, business agent for Teamsters Local 542, told the board that her members received a county counterproposal of 2.5% in labor negotiations and said that is inadequate to keep up with inflation in the Imperial Valley. "2.5% is not going to do it," Duarte said, and she said union leadership has told members they are prepared to strike starting July 1 if negotiations do not produce a satisfactory offer.
Duarte said negotiations would continue later in the week and that the union expects the county to negotiate in good faith. She also raised a separate personnel concern: a complaint filed in February 2020 was only resolved in 2025, and the union argues that prolonged investigations represent poor use of resources and harm employees.
Earlier in public comment, Rene Felix, speaking on behalf of the Imperial County Building Trades Office, urged the board to strengthen labor standards within the county's Good Neighbor program. "Without stronger language, these standards leave too much room for loopholes and do not guarantee quality jobs or fair treatment," Felix said. He asked the board to adopt clearer, enforceable protections that lift working families.
Board members did not take formal action on the contract or the Good Neighbor policy during the May 20 meeting. The board acknowledged both speakers and noted negotiations and policy development will continue.
Why it matters: County contracts and local procurement policies affect employee pay, benefits and job quality. A strike by a large bargaining unit could affect county services; stronger enforceable requirements in local procurement programs can change which contractors qualify for public projects.
Provenance: Public comments recorded May 20 include Rene Felix (Building Trades) raising Good Neighbor labor standards and Ruth Duarte (Teamsters Local 542) criticizing the county's 2.5% counterproposal and warning of a potential July 1 strike.
