Cerritos council approves community workforce agreement after disclosure and recusal

The Cerritos City Council voted to approve a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) with the Los Angeles & Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council on March 9, 2026, with the motion passing 3–1 and one recusal.

The agreement—negotiated by city staff and the trades council—applies to larger capital improvement projects (multi-trade projects estimated at $750,000 or more; single-trade projects estimated at $250,000 or more) and sets a hiring goal of approximately 30% local participation, subject to good-faith efforts and legal limits. Director of Public Works Alvin Papa told the council the CWA “establishes a goal of approximately 30% local hire participation” and includes a tiered hiring priority: Cerritos residents and local graduates first, then workers within a 15‑mile radius and thereafter a 50‑mile radius.

The agreement emphasizes apprenticeship pathways: it encourages state‑certified apprenticeship participation and defines labor‑stability and dispute‑resolution provisions intended to reduce the risk of work stoppages. Papa said the CWA does not set wage rates; public‑works pay remains governed by state prevailing‑wage rules.

Representatives of labor and trades urged approval during public comment. Andrew Gonzalez of the Los Angeles & Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council said the agreement would expand training and local hire, arguing that “every worker… deserves the benefits of union representation” and that the CWA creates pathways for residents to enter apprenticeships. Several union speakers told the council the agreement would support safety, training and local economic benefits.

Council discussion focused on project cost, impacts on non‑union contractors, and term length. Council members asked whether CWAs increase project costs or timelines; staff and union representatives said costs depend on many market factors and that available local studies do not prove a consistent large cost increase. On the five‑year initial term, union and trade representatives noted that many registered apprenticeship programs take four to five years to complete, and that a longer initial commitment helps apprenticeship placements mature into journeyman work.

Council Member Mark Pledo disclosed receiving contributions from multiple trade‑affiliated organizations and recused himself from the item under the Levine Act (SB 1439). The city attorney confirmed the recusal requirement when officials receive contributions of $500 or more tied to matters they must decide within 12 months.

Outcome and next steps: the council approved the CWA and authorized the mayor to execute the agreement. Staff said it would return to implement compliance monitoring, including issuing a request for proposals to retain a consultant to administer verification of local‑hire and apprenticeship participation and to prepare compliance summaries, with those administrative costs assigned to the individual projects subject to the agreement.

What this means: If implemented, the CWA will apply only to projects that meet the stated dollar thresholds and excludes routine maintenance, professional services and projects with conflicting state or federal requirements. The council’s action does not change prevailing‑wage obligations already set by the California Department of Industrial Relations. The city will retain discretion to review the agreement before its five‑year term expires.