September 23, 2025
City Council
DATE: September 23, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda
Subject:
Presentation from the Contra Costa County Building
Trades Council to expand opportunities in Richmond
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact on receiving this item.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The construction industry provides a path to middle-class careers for individuals without advanced degrees or
facing barriers to quality employment. It is a crucial
component towards building economic opportunities for
local residents, local high school graduates, veterans, and re-entry populations. Hiring and training local
residents helps to uplift community members and
provides support to surrounding economic development.
The Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades aims
to work in close collaboration with the City of Richmond so that Richmond residents are trained and hired to build construction taking place on City-owned land.
Establishing a Public Lands Policy, an agreement
between the City of Richmond and the Contra Costa
County Building Trades Council, would provide additional workforce/hiring standards for construction on City-
owned land and opportunities to increase local hiring,
AGENDA
REPORT
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September 23, 2025
provide family-sustaining wages, and State-approved
apprenticeships.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation from the Contra Costa County
Building Trades Council to expand opportunities in
Richmond by way of a Public Lands Policy; and DIRECT
staff to establish a Public Lands Policy to close
loopholes, raise job standards, ensure enforceability, and provide more opportunities for career pathways - Vice
Mayor Cesar Zepeda (510-620-6593).
DISCUSSION:
The construction industry provides a path to middle-class careers for individuals without advanced degrees or facing barriers to quality employment. It is a crucial component towards building economic opportunities for local residents, local high school graduates, veterans and re-entry populations. Hiring and training local residents helps to uplift community members and provides support to surrounding economic development.
The Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades aims to work in close collaboration with the City of Richmond so that Richmond residents are trained and hired to build any construction on City-owned land. Establishing a Public Lands Policy, an agreement between the City of Richmond and the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council would provide additional workforce/hiring standards for construction on City-owned land and opportunities to increase local hiring, provide family-sustaining wages, and State- approved apprenticeships.
The Contra Costa County Building Trades Council wishes to provide this presentation to the City Council regarding a potential Public Lands Policy that seeks to expand construction job opportunities in the City of Richmond.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Presentation from the Contra Costa County Building Trades Council to expand opportunities in Richmond
Attachment 2 – Letter of support from WCCUSD
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PARTNERSHIP:
CITY OF
RICHMOND AND
CONTRA COSTA
COUNTY BUILDING
TRADES COUNCIL
583
AGENDA
• Introduction
• Current Picture
• Expanding Opportunities for Richmond
• Public Lands Policy
• Further Benefits
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Intro
• 20 Affiliate Unions within the construction industry
• In Contra Costa County:
• Approximately 35,000 members
• 1,611 apprentices
• 70% minority, 5% women
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Current Picture
Since 2023:
• 241 new apprentices via MC3 programs
• 94% minority, 13% women
• MC3 programs: RichmondBUILD, Future Build,
Cypress Mandela, Rising Sun
• Kennedy High School program
• Multiple Public Works construction projects covered under a Project Stabilization Agreement, successful
• Private development success where Labor standards exist • Housing
• Distribution Centers
• Future work with Labor Standards
• Richmond Campus Bay
• El Cerrito BART station
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EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES
• Public Lands Policy
• An agreement between the City of Richmond
and the Contra Costa County Building
Trades Council
• Workforce/Hiring Standards for City-
owned land
• Local Hire
• Family-sustaining wages
• State-approved apprenticeships
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PUBLIC LANDS POLICY
• Places workforce and hiring standards on construction projects when publicly owned land is leased/sold for the purposes of development
• Applies/Enforces Richmond’s already-set policies regardless of developers funding sources
• Richmond Business Opportunity Ordinance
• Procurement Ordinance
• Enforcement provisions
• Enhanced project oversight for projects not directly
contracted with the City.
• Current policies don’t require family-sustaining wages or state- approved training for workers on these projects.
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FURTHER BENEFITS
• Richmond’s “Ban the Box” helps with barriers to
employment, the Public Lands Policy ensures
actual pipeline entry into construction careers.
• Requires developers to partner with programs
like RichmondBUILD to ensure local residents
are prioritized
• Current workforce/jobsite standards
enforcement relies solely on Staff; this policy
would include the Building Trades Council for
assistance
• In short: Richmond has strong equity-
focused ordinances. But this type of
agreement closes loopholes, raises job
standards, ensures enforceability, and
guarantees more career pathways.
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THANK YOU
Tim Sbranti
Contra Costa County Building Trades
[email protected]
EJ Cire
Sheet Metal Workers’ Local 104
[email protected]
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