Title
Approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UAPP), Local Union No. 412, Covering the Period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031
Recommended Action
I move that the Board of Public Utilities recommend approval of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the County of Los Alamos and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UAPP), Local Union No. 412, for the Period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031, and forward to County Council for approval.
Utilities Manager's Recommendation
The Utilities Manager recommends that the Board of Public Utilities endorse County Council approval of the Agreement as requested.
Body
Los Alamos County and the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 412 entered into negotiations on April 24, 2026, for the purpose of developing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), as the current Agreement is set to expire on June 30, 2026. Negotiations were conducted over five (5) sessions and resulted in a tentative agreement reached on May 19, 2026. The Union ratified the tentative agreement on May 26, 2026. Attachment A shows the proposed collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The highlights of the CBA include:
The significant changes to the contract include:
1) Term of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031.
2) GWS Alternate Standby has been added to provide supplemental support to the Primary Standby. Employees assigned to Alternate Standby are not required to remain within Los Alamos County but must be fit for duty and able to report to work within sixty (60) minutes. Alternate Standby compensation will be twelve (12) hours of straight-time pay for each full standby week.
3) Rest periods were extended from eight (8) hours to ten (10) hours after working a 16 hour shift.
4) Salary adjustments are structured as percentage increases by job classification over the five-year term. The cumulative increases are:
• Trainee: 9%
• Apprentice I: 10%
• Apprentice II: 17.5%
• Operator: 12.5%
• Senior Operator: 15%
• Pipefitter: 12.5%
• Senior Pipefitter: 21.5%
5) No Change to PERA contributions.
The salary structure increase over the next five (5) years will keep Los Alamos County competitive with LANL and other surrounding areas.
Alternatives
The alternative is to not approve the negotiated Agreement and direct the County to return to the negotiations table.
This proposed CBA is the result of good-faith negotiations between the County and UAPP. Although the parties could continue to negotiate different terms, the staff believes that approval of this contract is in the Parties’ best interests.
Fiscal and Staff Impact
The FY27 costs of the CBA add approximately 2.9% to wages based on the classification-specific salary adjustments scheduled for the first year of the contract. Across the full five-year term, the contract results in an overall average wage increase of approximately 14% for the represented classifications.
Attachments
A - UAPP Agreement 2026-2031