City of Palmdale CWA Sets Foundation for New Union Jobs in Antelope Valley

Palmdale CWA Comes on the Heels of $442-Million CWA With Rio Hondo College

IBEW 11 notched another victory for members this month when it joined with the LA/OC Building Trades Council to sign a landmark Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) with the City of Palmdale that will ensure that citywide improvement projects will be performed by 100-percent union labor.

The new City of Palmdale CWA, which runs for four years, ensures employees represented by unions will be hired to perform work to support the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Covered projects include all multi-trade prime contracts over $750,000 (and their subcontracts) and all specialty prime contracts over $150,000 (and their subcontracts). This a win for the Local Community.

“We’re delighted with the new Palmdale citywide CWA,” said IBEW 11 Business Manager Robert Corona. “This agreement will mean hundreds of good jobs in the Antelope Valley for our members for years to come. This is a good example of how long-term relationship building can pay off. We have invested years in our relationships in the AV with both Republican and Democratic elected officials. They understand the skilled and trained values our members bring to projects there. It’s all about good jobs that lift up the entire community.”

This new Palmdale CWA comes on the heels of the landmark CWA the Building Trades Council signed with Rio Hondo College in August that will ensure the $442-million bond measure (Measure RH) passed last year to fund campuswide renovations, upgrades and new construction, which is expected to create thousands of new jobs, will be performed exclusively by union members.

“This agreement is a powerful example of what union solidarity can achieve,” said Ernesto Medrano, Executive Secretary, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council. “CWAs ensure that local residents have access to family sustaining careers, that projects are built to the highest standards of safety and quality, and that every dollar invested is strengthening our communities. The Palmdale CWA reflects what happens when we work together to make sure opportunity and fairness are at the heart of every project.”

And, like the Rio Hondo College CWA, this City of Palmdale CWA sets goals to hire local residents and veterans.

Among the high-priority projects in Palmdale that are covered by the CWA and will be built with union labor are a series of renewable energy facilities, including electric vehicle infrastructure, solar photovoltaics, battery energy storage, microgrids, and hydrogen electrolysis.

“This is a win-win for the people and leaders of the City of Palmdale, who know that every taxpayer-funded project to improve their city will be built by the best-trained and highest-skilled union workforce, and for our IBEW 11 members, who can count on a steady pipeline of good-paying jobs to support themselves and their families,” said Local 11 Business Agent Alberto “Beto” Gonzales, whose district includes Palmdale. “This CWA is another step in our long-standing commitment to work with elected leaders in Palmdale and provide them with the dedicated teams they need who can help them transform their vision for their city’s future into reality.”

The City Council’s strategic investment priorities also include enhancing citywide mobility through impactful improvements such as the Rancho Vista Boulevard grade separation project; upgrading key infrastructure such as facilities, streets and vehicles; and partnering with key agencies to restart air service at Palmdale Regional Airport.