Historically, careers in the construction trades provided a reliable path to the middle class for a wide array of workers. But over the past few decades, the quality of jobs in the construction industry has eroded, in part because of new public policies that reward low-road, low-bid contracting and make it harder for high-quality construction firms to win public work. Federal, state and local government decisions that reward poor-quality job creation undermine wages and benefits across the regional job market. With enormous public resources directed towards the construction industry, decision-making around this spending should open doors to careers for new workers have access while creating family-supporting jobs with benefits that include safety and skills training and provide real credentials.

Together with the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the Partnership launched the Construction Career Opportunities Project at a major national conference in 2009. The Partnership network has pioneered organizing and advocacy for construction careers agreements—innovative public policies that combine job quality standards with mechanisms that increase low-income workers’ access to construction careers. At the core of the construction careers model is an emphasis on relationship building among community members and organizations, congregations, job training providers and building trades unions. These relationships anchor our policy campaigns and establish the foundation for successful programs.

In local campaigns on the ground, and now as part of a coalition that is working to shift federal policy, the CCOP focuses on identifying and developing policies and practices that link improved job quality to new career opportunities for low-income people, especially women and people of color. The emphasis on job quality standards is essential for all low-income job seekers, especially those coming off of public assistance or who have criminal convictions. These job-seekers often have difficulty finding work and are vulnerable to exploitative employers. Instead of maintaining a system in which “any job is a good job,” the construction careers model seeks to create job opportunities that provide portable credentials, access to good wages, and a career ladder.

Current Campaigns
LAANE led the pioneering effort to pass a construction careers policy at the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles. The policy requires all subsidized projects to be constructed under the terms of a project labor agreement with the LA and Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council. Among the components of the PLA is a requirement that 30% of work hours be performed by targeted hires. Following on the heels of that victory, LAANE is now organizing for a construction careers policy to govern the modernization of the Port of Los Angeles.

The Center on Policy Initiatives convened a coalition effort to pass a Project Stabilization Policy for new school construction financed through a public bond at the San Diego Unified School District.

Working Partnerships USA helped pioneer the construction careers model, working with the San Benitez and Santa Clara Counties Building and Construction Trades Council to develop an agreement with local technical colleges that college construction would be contracted to firms that hired workers from the college’s ranks. WPUSA is now also working on developing standards for energy efficiency retrofit programs across the bay area.

Puget Sound Sage, Good Jobs Livable Neighborhoods and GANE have initiated campaigns to ensure job quality and job access measures be incorporated into residential weatherization programs in Seattle, Milwaukee and northern New Jersey, respectively.

Georgia Stand-UP is working to incorporate construction careers into the construction of the multi-billion development of the Atlanta Beltline. This innovative construction careers model includes a responsible contractor provision, and requirements that new development pay prevailing wage and include apprentices on-site. To facilitate new workers’ access to construction careers, Georgia Stand-UP created a new 501(c)(3) pre-apprenticeship program, Georgia Trade-Up.

Community Labor United, in Boston, is working to ensure Boston’s publicly-financed energy efficiency retrofit program includes job quality and job access standards.