By David Taub, Senior Reporter
April 2, 2025
The SCCCD board agreed to study a prior PLA but won’t change its committee to negotiate labor contracts for construction projects.
The board of trustees representing the Fresno area’s community colleges rendered a split decision on the future of labor contracts for construction projects.
“I am opposed to re-litigating matters that were already decided by a majority of the board literally just one month ago.” — Robert Fuentes, trustee, State Center Community College District
At Tuesday’s meeting, the State Center Community College District board agreed to study a pilot Project Labor Agreement but refused to change the makeup of a committee to negotiate labor deals for future construction.
At stake is how to spend nearly $700 million for construction projects. Last year, voters approved Measure Q, funded through bonds and paid by property taxes.
PLAs, contracts between a government agency and union representation, spell out hiring practices and other parameters. Unions say this helps keep projects on time, and on budget, with quality workers. However, PLAs do not dictate labor rates, as those are set by state policy.
Last month, the SCCCD board started the PLA process on a 4-3 vote. Technically, the board instructed staff to start negotiations between unions and the district and bring a proposal back to the board for a vote.
The board also named trustees Danielle Parra, Magdalena Gomez and Robert Fuentes — the trio who proposed the PLA — to sit on the negotiating committee.
A vote to change the membership failed by a 4-3 vote Tuesday evening during the meeting at Fresno City College.
However, the board unanimously approved a proposal from Trustee Deborah Ikeda to form a study session to examine the pilot PLA — in place for the recently-built Fresno City College west campus.
Related Story: State Center Starts Down the Road of Requiring Union Labor for Projects
Committee Membership to Remain
Ikeda proposed placing Austin Ewell on the committee to provide a “balanced perspective.” He would have replaced one of the current three members.
“I think that we piss away the trust of the community if we don’t do things in a way that’s transparent and open.” — Nasreen Johnson, trustee, State Center Community College District
They were joined by Nasreen Johnson in the failed effort.
Parra, Gomez and Fuentes all received previous campaign contributions from union interests.
Destiny Rodriguez joined Parra, Gomez, and Fuentes in keeping the committee as is.
Fuentes, who is running for Fresno City Council in 2026, found no reason to revisit the issue.
“I am opposed to re-litigating matters that were already decided by a majority of the board literally just one month ago,” Fuentes said.
Johnson objected to the process of creating the committee. She called for a “diverse level of voices.”
“I think that we piss away the trust of the community if we don’t do things in a way that’s transparent and open,” she said.
Fuentes objected to the premise of a lack of transparency, as he did last month.
The vote against changing the committee followed along the lines of last month’s vote to establish it in the first place.
Construction Industry Opposes
PLAs are generally supported by labor, and opposed by many contractor and business groups. Since the March 4 vote to establish a PLA at the district, both sides held internal meetings on how to best advocate for their positions.
The construction industry said PLAs increase costs and shut out employees from working on projects without joining a union.
Several speakers — including Clint Olivier, CEO of BizFed Central Valley (and an elected member of the Clovis Unified school board, which does not have a PLA policy) — spoke against PLAs at Tuesday’s meeting.
John Morris, president/CEO of industry group Associated Builders and Contractors Northern California, said his group is “preparing to file multiple lawsuits against this district to block the PLA.”
A recent progress report for the city of Fresno’s PLA showed the agreement failed to meet local hiring goals.
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed SB 984, which would extend PLA requirements to the Judicial Council and the California State University system.
“While I am generally supportive of PLAs as an option for public works projects, the new requirements proposed in this bill could result in additional cost pressures that were not accounted for in this year’s budget,” Newsom wrote in his veto message.
No pro-PLA supporters from the public spoke at the meeting.
