Reasons to celebrate this Labor Day

By Kevin Ferreira 
Executive Director, Sacramento-Sierra’s BCTC

Happy Labor Day to every hard-working member of the Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council. This is our day, a day to be proud of what our work has built.

For more than 100 years, union tradespeople have shaped this region. We built the Capitol, our schools, our workplaces and our homes. That legacy keeps growing every day because of you.

Let’s start with some good news about how our members get their start. California now trains more registered apprentices than any other state in the country, with about 60,000 people enrolled in 170 programs across 30 trades, including thousands here in Sacramento. Here’s something worth bragging about: construction apprentices finish their training at a higher rate than students finish four-year college degrees in this state.

That training pays off. Construction workers in California already earn about 20% more than the average worker in the state, and those who finish an apprenticeship can earn up to 33% more than construction workers without that training. That’s the real value of the apprenticeship path. It builds skill, and it builds paychecks.

Right now, our union-trained members are hard at work on some of the biggest projects in the region, including Sacramento International Airport, the new UC Davis California Tower and the Bosch semiconductor facility. These are the kinds of projects that will shape Sacramento for decades.

And our project labor agreements are stronger than they’ve ever been. We just renewed our deal with Natomas Unified School District, stretching it from four years to five. That’s steady, reliable work close to home for years to come, and steady work is what lets our families plan ahead, pay the bills and build a good life.

Our agreement with Sacramento Regional Transit is also paying off big. There are 15 projects moving forward under that deal, worth about $6 billion in construction work—years of jobs and countless chances for our members to grow their skills.

And for the first time ever, our state council signed one agreement covering the entire University of California system. That means union hands will build the student housing, research labs, classrooms, and hospitals the UC system needs across California, including right here at home. It’s a deal that never existed before, and it opens the door for the next generation of apprentices.

We’re also making sure our members have a seat at the table. Not long ago, we sat down with Xavier Becerra, who is going to be our next governor. Afterward, he wrote online: “Great conversation with leaders of Sacramento-Sierra’s Building and Construction Trades Council. Together let’s make sure every California worker secures livable wages, affordable health care, and respect on the job.” That’s the kind of support we need, and we deserve. The leadership here at the SSBCTC will always fight to make sure we have it.

None of this happened by luck. It happened because our members show up, do the work right, and prove union labor gets the job done on time and on budget.

This Labor Day, thank you for everything you build. We’re not done. We’ll keep fighting for the wages, safety, and respect every union member has earned.