When you contract with the Northern California District Council of Laborers, you’ll see that our schedule of wages is keyed to skill levels. Unskilled, semi-skilled and highly skilled laborers are compensated at separate rates. You will determine the crew mix that will most effectively meet the requirements of your project within the context of a competitive bid.
Pay scales based on proficiency
When new members join the Laborers’ Union, we immediately enroll them in our innovative apprenticeship program through which they learn their trade by working under the instruction of experienced journeyman workers.
- Wage rates are competitive with industry averages
- Private work agreements and specialty agreements are created for specialized industries
- Total wage and fringe benefit increases are negotiated in advance for the life of the agreement
- Employees are paid equitably, based on work classification and area of employment with fringe benefits including health, dental and vision care for employees and family members; pension, annuity and vacation
Our wage schedule will help you avoid overpaying inexperienced workers, while fairly compensating everyone on the job site.
On a public works project, each employer is obligated to pay not less than the prevailing wage rate — whether you are union or non-union. Doing so puts all employers on a level playing field, irrespective of union affiliation.
The economic landscape is rapidly changing. Private commercial and residential markets are facing significant financial difficulties. Public work construction is anticipated to be a stable source of opportunity in the current economic cycle.
As a union employer, you’ll have significant financial advantages when working on a public works project. Signatory employers pay fringe benefits to the union’s qualified fringe benefit trust funds instead of directly to the employee. And the portions of the prevailing wages that are remitted to these qualified fringe benefits are not subject to the employer payroll taxes or workers’ compensation payments. This fringe benefit trust fund structure results in a significant savings benefit to signatory employers.