LOS ANGELES—On July 11, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion of support for a $468 million Project Labor Agreement for the Rancho Los Amigos South Campus Project in Downey.
The motion was submitted by Supervisor Janice Hahn, who has long advocated for PLAs as a means of investing in good jobs and guaranteeing fair treatment of workers.
Ron Miller, LA/OC Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary, testified in support of the motion.
“The Building Trades has had a long and fruitful partnership with the County,” Miller said. “We are very proud to partner with Supervisor Hahn on the project to put local people to work, including veterans and the disadvantaged workforce living in the County.”
The site has not been used for 30 years. Planned construction includes a Sheriff’s Crime Lab, a Probation Department Headquarters, Internal Services Department Headquarters and other building projects.
“Not only do Project Labor Agreements help keep projects on schedule and on budget, they are a tool that helps us to protect workers and create a pipeline of good-paying jobs,” Hahn said.
“Let’s not just think about building projects,” said Alex LaFarga of Laborers Local 1309, who testified at the meeting. “Let’s think about building careers. That is what these PLAs do—they provide us with opportunities to build careers.”
The Board of Supervisors approved $17 million of initial construction at Rancho Los Amigos South Campus in 2016. A fire destroyed two buildings at the site in 2017.
Original buildings were constructed in 1888 as the Los Angeles County Poor Farm to offer employment to disabled workers.
