Industry Spotlight: 2025-2026 Negotiations Cycle

UCON recently completed negotiations with the S. CA Teamsters and OE12 on the terms that will govern the industry for the next three years. This cycle has been unlike any other cycle before and represents a new era of collective bargaining.

What is the state of collective bargaining collaboration? 

The most notable development this cycle has been the industry collaboration and commitment to better bargaining and better outcomes. Contractors understand that we are in turbulent, uncertain times and bargaining from a position of strategic weakness due to market conditions, inflation, tougher regulatory standards, immigration, tariffs, and union politics. 

This led contractors from across the state and across association lines to come together to collaborate on bargaining. The result was joint bargaining sessions with the Masons and Teamsters as well as coordinated bargaining with OE12. Although the process had its challenges, it resulted in more industry collaboration and partnership than ever before. Weekly meetings between bargaining groups; exchanges of proposals; association chair-to-chair dialogue; and mutually beneficial status updates from bargaining sessions set the tone for joint association collaboration. 

UCON is proud to have participated and led the way in making this partnering a reality. The final agreements reached were done with buy-in from all associations and their chief negotiators, which represents significant industry progress and a new era in bargaining. 

What happened this cycle? 

Each Union agreement presented its own challenges and issues that needed to be addressed. Issues range from better funding trusts to clawing back market share in largely lost sectors. UCON proposed and acquired many bargaining items including: expanded PAGA and statutory claims language, better working conditions for a modern workplace, guaranteed funding on struggling trust fund programs, and side letters offering cost savings to employers.

This isn’t to say that bargaining was perfect. Contractors are facing the steepest increase in economic packages in history resulting from inflation and cost of living, Trust Fund program shortfalls, and labor shortages. The days of the 3% average increases have given way to economic packages that account for the aforementioned issues. Additionally, employers are now faced with some of the most aggressive and dangerous proposals from Labor that they have ever seen including proposals to: double working premiums, removal of PAGA protections, expand work scopes to include new technologies, enhanced travel pay, and specialty rates for specific scopes. This led to sometimes contentious bargaining sessions, but in the end deals were struck that the bargaining teams could accept under the circumstances.

What is next? 

With the first cycle of Southern California wrapping up after the S. CA Cement Masons negotiations, UCON will shift focus to Northern California. OE3 negotiations are complete with a deal covering 2026-2029. Informal discussions could begin as early as Q3 for the N. CA Laborers and Cement Masons. Keep on the lookout for UCON surveys, and don’t hesitate to contact the Labor & Member Services with your concerns and ideas.

UCON is always looking for motivated contractors to join our craft committees and bargaining teams to help negotiate the various collective bargaining agreements UCON is party to. 

If you are interested joining a UCON craft committee and being an active participant in the negotiations prep or the bargaining process, reach out to UCON Director of Labor Relations Derek Borghi, (925) 775-5874 to learn more about how you can get involved.