Sources: International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Washington, D.C.; CP staff
Drivers delivering ready mixed concrete to building and infrastructure sites using state or local funds are covered under California Assembly Bill 219, which stipulates prevailing wage terms for contractors and suppliers, and was signed earlier this month by Governor Jerry Brown.
“We are pleased the governor chose to recognize the important role these drivers play in the execution of publicly funded projects in California. Drivers will be compensated in an equal manner and on a level playing field,” contends Teamsters Joint Council 7 President and IBT Vice President Rome Aloise. “No longer will companies be able to charge the same price for concrete and pad their profits by way of paying drivers lower wages.
“While many other states are seeing prevailing wage laws attacked, diluted and eliminated, it is encouraging to see a reversal in that trend, with California actually expanding coverage for those toiling to improve public infrastructure.”
With assistance from Teamsters Joint Council 7 Political Director Doug Bloch, union members throughout California engaged in the legislative process behind AB 219. “[They] participated in multiple visits to elected representatives in order to explain the important role mixer drivers play in the construction process, which had been downplayed in the past,” says IBT Building and Construction Trades Division/Western Region International Representative Stu Helfer. “They got the message.”