05/12/2026
Hello Local 206 Members and Family,
BIG NEWS in the IMPERIAL VALLEY!
As you all know, Local 206’s jurisdiction includes both San Diego and Imperial Counties. For decades, Local 206 officers have attended Building Trades meetings, career fairs, and job site actions throughout the Imperial Valley. While our contractors have performed some of the larger projects in the region, we have not historically seen a large amount of work there. That may soon be changing.
After three years of dedicated work by the Imperial County Building and Construction Trades Council, the Lithium Valley Construction Workforce Ordinance was presented to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors for the required first and second readings over the past two weeks. Your Local 206 officers were proud to attend and speak in support of the ordinance to the Board of Supervisors at both meetings.
The proposed ordinance contains some of the strongest labor standards language in the state, if not the entire country. This land ordinance would establish critical workforce protections and create high-quality job opportunities across approximately 50 square miles in Lithium Valley. Its success could also pave the way for future expansion countywide, including potential data centers, renewable energy production, battery manufacturing, and other major industrial development projects.
Today, following the second reading, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (5-0) to adopt the ordinance into county law!
This means that any company or corporation looking to purchase land and build within Lithium Valley will be required to pay current prevailing wage rates and utilize a Skilled and Trained Workforce, meaning trade journeymen who have graduated from state-certified apprenticeship programs along with active apprentices will be the only workers allowed on these projects. And yes, this includes privately funded construction projects.
The ordinance also establishes local hire requirements and mandates that workers must be residents of California. These standards strongly favor local Union contractors and Union members, who continue to set the standard as the best-trained, safest, and most productive workforce in the construction industry. In addition, the ordinance includes incentives for developers to enter into Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on construction projects within the zone.
This historic ordinance promotes workforce development, expands apprenticeship opportunities, and supports responsible economic growth throughout the entire region.
This is a BIG WIN for the Building Trades and for our members. This is what happens when Unions represent and fight for their members!
We look forward to sharing more updates as additional opportunities develop.
