Authorizing City Council's Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to investigate, and to hold hearings on, the issue of diversity within Philadelphia's Building and Construction Trades, and further authorizing the Committee to issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents and other evidence.

WHEREAS, The $ 1 billion construction of Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Ballpark did not meet the projects’ employment goal of providing at least 45 percent of workforce hours to people of color, who comprise a majority of the City‘s population; and

WHEREAS, The $700 million Convention Center Expansion Project has established an employment goal of at least 40 percent of workforce hours for people of color; and

WHEREAS, Training and employment initiatives for unemployed and underemployed adults appear to have failed to significantly increase diversity within Philadelphia’s building and construction trades; and

WHEREAS, Recent analysis suggests that membership in Philadelphia’s building and construction trades may be as much as 99 percent male, 80 percent white, and 70 percent non-Philadelphia resident; and

WHEREAS, Efforts to have correct information disclosed regarding the demographics of Philadelphia’s building and construction trades were a major part of City Council‘s consideration of the $700 million Convention Center Expansion Project, resulting in an ordinance that requires disclosure of those demographics; and

WHEREAS, The ordinance also requires a long-term Diversity Plan from those unions within Philadelphia’s building and construction trades that wish to participate in the convention center expansion project, in order to effectively move greater numbers of unemployed and underemployed adults into the building trades; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development is hereby authorized to investigate, and to hold hearings on, the issue of diversity within Philadelphia’s Building and Construction Trades.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That in furtherance of such an investigation, the Committee is hereby authorized to issue subpoenas as may be necessary or appropriate to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.

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