Labor’s Legislative Hero - El Centro Mayor Ben Solomon

El Centro Mayor Ben Solomon

El Centro Mayor Ben Solomon has been named Labor’s Legislative Hero for August for leading the fight to ensure the city continues to abide by California’s prevailing wage laws should voters approve the creation of a city charter in November.

The City of El Centro recently adopted a plan to place a ballot initiative that would change the city from a general law city to a charter city. The change would give El Centro more local control and autonomy from the state by creating a voter-approved city charter.

While several other cities across the state have used the guise of becoming a charter city to avoid complying with California’s prevailing wage laws, Mayor Solomon was instrumental and outspoken in ensuring that any city charter passed by voters abide by the state’s guidelines for construction wages.

“I believe the economy must work for everyone,” the Mayor said of the need to protect the use of prevailing wage on public works projects.

If passed, the initiative before voters will require the city to keep the payment of prevailing wages on El Centro public works projects in the same way as is required of general law cities in California.

The 189,000 union members of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council thank Mayor Ben Solomon for ensuring that local workers get a fair shake on public works projects in El Centro.