WHEREAS,
The City of Philadelphia is a racially and ethnically diverse city of 1.5 million people, with racial and ethnic minorities comprising approximately 55% of the City’s Population; women comprise approximately 55% of the City’s population; 12.4% of the working age population of the City of Philadelphia and 40% of residents age sixteen to nineteen years old are unemployed, a condition having direct impact on increased criminal activities and recidivism; and
WHEREAS,
City Council understands that the issue of diversity and inclusion in the building trades is a complex and challenging issue; and
WHEREAS,
Pursuant to Bill No. 070994-A (approved December 21, 2007), Council authorized the Finance Director to execute a Convention Center Agreement among the Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (“Authority”) and the City for the Convention Center expansion project, provided the Convention Center Agreement includes provisions: (i) requiring the Authority to enter into a Project Labor Agreement; and (ii) stating that “No labor union shall be permitted to execute the Project Labor Agreement unless it has entered into a Diversity Plan approved by Council by resolution, which Plan sets forth long-term inclusionary goals for minorities and women to the extent permitted by law, and providing sanctions for non-compliance”; and
WHEREAS,
Diversity Plans for labor unions who wish to execute the Project Labor Agreement have been submitted to Council for approval, which Plans set forth long-term inclusionary goals and provide for sanctions in the form of the imposition of fair and reasonable remedial actions, and these Plans include signed commitments from labor unions to work with the Mayor’s Advisory Commission to increase the diversity in their unions; and
WHEREAS,
The Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Construction Industry Diversity (Mayor’s Advisory Commission), created by the Mayor’s Executive Order attached as Exhibit “B” shall collect, analyze, and verify the demographic data and shall report its initial findings and recommendations to the Mayor and Philadelphia City Council no later than September 1, 2008. Such report shall include, among other components, detailed statistical information on minority and female Philadelphia residents in the building and construction trades; a five-year strategic plan for the full inclusion of minorities and women in employment opportunities in construction projects; an effective structure for implementing, monitoring and enforcing the recommendations of the Advisory Commission and any other legal and practical strategies for the successful accomplishment of these important and compelling objectives; and
WHEREAS,
The labor union’s have committed to actively support the activities and efforts of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission and also have acknowledged that the long-term inclusionary goals may be revised based on the findings of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission; now, therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,
THAT Pursuant to Section 1(c) of Bill No. 070994-A (approved December 21, 2007), the “Philadelphia Building And Construction Trades Council - AFL-CIO Diversity Commitment And Plan” attached as Exhibit “A” is hereby approved for the Asbestos Workers Local #14.
End