LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a local worker policy Tuesday that calls for contractors to fill 30 percent of construction jobs on county-controlled projects with local residents and 10 percent of such jobs with workers who face high barriers to employment.
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Supervisor Hilda Solis co-authored the motion. Read it here.
“When we offer these opportunities in the construction trades to local workers and residents facing challenges finding work, we are not just keeping families from falling through the cracks, we are supporting the careers that we need as a region to build new bridges and invest in our collective future,” Solis said.
Ridley-Thomas has long championed hiring workers in the community where county projects are being built. However, such programs have historically been instituted on a project-by-project basis.
The 10 percent goal for “targeted workers” is aimed at training and employing veterans, former foster youth and residents facing particular hardships, including single parenthood, the lack of a high school diploma, long-term unemployment, homelessness or a criminal history, as well as those living below the federal poverty line or receiving government benefits.
The percentages will be mandatory for county-controlled projects costing $2.5 million or more, while contractors on smaller projects must agree to use their best efforts to hit those goals.
Affordable housing projects that receive some county efforts will also be directed to make their best efforts to comply.
–
Michelle Egberts says
As Founder/Executive Director of AV-East Kern Second Chance I want to personally thank Sup’v Mark Ridley Thomas and Sup’v Hilda Solis for bringing this motion to fruition. It’s through your listening to your constituents in your districts that their cries didn’t fall on deaf ears as they do here in the 5th District when it comes to former offenders who paid their debt to society and want to become law-abiding citizens and contrubte to society.
My next suggestion is for ALL cities in LA County to adopt a “Ban the Box” ordinance on private sector employers from violating the law (SB530) as we have successfully sued numerous background check companies and major employers here in California are ready to set example with local companies. However, I’d rather educate employers and put them in compliance when it comes to former offenders regarding pre-adverse/Adverse notifications before they fall prey to employment lawyers looking for a quick buck.
Since “Ban the Box (AB218) applies to all the cities, county, special district’s, state/federal applications, should set as an example to all city Mayor’s to adopt an ordinance for private sector employers.