The San Diego County Board Board of Supervisors on Wednesday unanimously voted to codify an ordinance that would establish minimum wage requirements for traffic control workers on privately funded projects in the region.
The vote came as a part of a second reading of the ordinance dubbed, “Right of Way Done Right”. During the first reading on Jan. 25, supervisors voted 3-2 to advance it with opposition from Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond.
Supervisor Nathan Fletcher and Terra Lawson-Remer brought forward the minimum wage proposal, citing more than 800 road workers are killed per year, according to federal statistics.
Supervisors directed Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer to develop the ordinance, which covers forepersons and other on-site staff and also features improvements that would expedite permit issuance, according to the county.
Hourly wages for traffic control workers range from $62.80 to $64.04, with contractors responsible for paying the prevailing wage based on the project. The county Department of Public Works received input from labor organizations and business groups on the prevailing wage ordinance, according to the agenda.
According to the Supervisor’s agenda, the state Department of Industrial Relations “determines the general prevailing rate of per-diem wages for a particular craft, classification or type of worker by geographical area.''
