Item Number:       6c_reso_______
Meeting Date:   November 28, 2017


1                                                 RESOLUTION NO. 3736 
2 
3              A Resolution           of the Port of Seattle Commission establishing a Priority Hire
4                                        Policy Directive; and amending the Policy Directive related to
5                                        practices for construction labor for projects located on Port
6                                        property adopted by Resolution No. 3725. 
7 
8 
9              WHEREAS, the construction industry is forecasted to experience consistent growth in 
10            the King County region over the next decade; and 
11 
12            WHEREAS,  numerous  studies  show  a  widening  gap  between  the  demand  for
13            construction labor and the supply of skilled trade workers in the regional labor market
14            for King County public agencies. The Regional Public Owners Group estimate there will be
15            over sixty-seven billion dollars in public construction projects by 2042 with over seventy
16            million labor hours needed to fulfill this demand for projects. It is projected that between
17            2018 and 2023 there will be a shortage of over 4100 skilled workers. Regional labor
18            supply is forecasted to underserve demand by an average of 9 to 10 percent during
19            2018-2042; and
20 
21            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle makes among the largest investments in infrastructure
22            projects in the region. In 2017, the Port of Seattle is projected to spend approximately
23            $180 million on construction projects and estimates continual growth in future years.
24            The Port's capital investment dollars create the equivalent work hours of 10.89 jobs per
25            one million dollars spent, providing enough total hours to equal approximately 950 full
26            time jobs in Washington State in 2016; and 
27 
28            WHEREAS, most recent data for 2016 indicates that over 80 percent of the construction
29            workforce in King County are Caucasian males, while 19 percent are women and people
30            of color. Representation of women and people of color is higher among new entrants to
31            the labor force through apprenticeships and accredited certificates of completion, such as
32            those received for completing a pre-apprenticeship program. However, according to the
33            analysis, women and people of color also have lower rates of apprenticeship completion
34            than do their Caucasian male counterparts; and 
35 
36            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle is committed to ensuring equity in the construction projects
37            workforce where disparities exist between underrepresented workers' availability to work
38            and their opportunity to be hired and establish a career in the construction trades; and 
39 

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40            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle is committed to its values of conducting business with the
41            highest ethical standards. Our business practices shall reflect integrity, accountability,
42            honesty, fairness and respect at all levels; and
43 
44            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle is a leader in workforce development and has found
45            construction   job   training   programs,   including   Career   Connected   Learning, 
46            apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, to be an effective way to prepare
47            individuals for entry into construction jobs, and to ensure women, people of color, and
48            otherwise  disadvantaged  individuals,  can  acquire  the  necessary  job  skills  and  be
49            prepared to successfully pursue construction careers; and 
50 
51            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle was the first to adopt apprenticeship utilization goals over
52            three decades ago and is committed to achieving its apprenticeship hiring goals set in
53            Port policy and addressing the disproportionately low involvement by people of color
54            and women in the construction labor force.  Apprentice utilization goals for Port
55            construction projects is 15 percent, of which includes a goal of 10 percent women and
56            15 percent people of color. In 2016, apprenticeship utilization rates were 17 percent, of
57            which 18 percent were women and 28 percent were people of color; and 
58 
59            WHEREAS, on October 25, 2016, the Port of Seattle adopted Resolution No. 3725 that
60            established the Port of Seattle Construction Labor Policy Directive that states that the
61            Port shall establish appropriate apprentice and locality hiring goals and appropriate
62            aspirational women and minority apprentice hiring goals; and 
63 
64            WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle supports the City of Seattle and King County findings that
65            King  County  has  geographic  areas  of  economic  distress  as  evidenced  by  poverty
66            indicators; including poverty levels, concentrated unemployment, and gaps in educational
67            attainment. The Port of Seattle seeks to act effectively and expeditiously to encourage
68            solutions toward economic growth and job creation in areas of the County that are
69            economically  distressed  as  evidenced  by  comparatively  high  levels  of  poverty,
70            unemployment rates and education attainment; and 
71 
72            WHEREAS, Priority Hire enhances community partnerships focused on inclusion and
73            access  to  opportunities  and  services;  expands  opportunities  for  disadvantaged
74            populations to advance equity and social justice; and ensures that Port construction
75            projects  are  planned  and  implemented  in  a  way  that  improves  equity  in  local
76            communities; and 
77 
78 

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79            WHEREAS, the Port believes that establishing a Priority Hire policy ensures better access
80            to training programs and well-paying construction jobs for local workers, particularly
81            those from Economically Distressed Areas, as well as increases the diversity of the
82            workforce on Port construction and Port-related projects; and 
83 
84            WHEREAS, in 2017, the Port of Seattle convened community stakeholder meetings and
85            received input from contractors, labor union representatives, community advocates,
86            small contracting and supplier businesses, training providers, City of Seattle and King
87            County policy experts about the challenges and opportunities of a Priority Hire program.
88            The Port of Seattle intends to use the information received from these meetings as a
89            guide for implementing the Priority Hire program and developing a regional agreement
90            for use on public works projects; and 
91 
92            WHEREAS, Priority Hire focuses on workforce participation by apprentice and journey-
93            level construction workers and is therefore directly connected to the Port's existing
94            apprenticeship program; and 
95 
96            WHEREAS, the Port is committed to fostering an acceptable worksite on public works
97            projects  that  is  inclusive  and  focuses  on  anti-discrimination  and  anti-harassment
98            behaviors and procedures and encourages positive relationships between employers
99            and employees, and among employees; and 
100 
101            WHEREAS, over the last two years, the Port of Seattle has participated as  member of
102            the Regional Public Owners Group with the City of Seattle, King County, Sound Transit,
103            the City of Tacoma and the Washington State Department of Transportation, focused on
104            public agencies working together as regional partners; and 
105 
106            WHEREAS, the purpose of the Regional Public Owners Group is to better understand
107            and  narrow  the  workforce  demand-supply  gap  for  regional  public  infrastructure
108            projects; enhance access opportunities and increase the diversity of pre-apprentices,
109            apprentices and journey-level workers entering into the trades workforce; support
110            retention programs for current trades workers, especially women and people of color;
111            and improve performance data and systems of reporting for monitoring regional goals
112            and initiatives; and 
113 
114 



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115            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port Commission of the Port of Seattle as
116    follows: 
117 
118    SECTION 1. Resolution No. 3725 is hereby amended as follows: 
119 
120          A. In Section 1.D., strike "and locality" and in Section 1 insert the following: E. For
121    contracts under a PLA with projected construction labor costs at or above $5 million, the Port
122    shall establish Priority Hire goals. 
123 
124          B. In Section II.C.2., strike "locality hiring and" and in Section II insert the following: D. For
125    contracts under a PLA with projected construction labor costs at or above $5 million, the Port
126    shall establish Priority Hire goals. 
127 
128          C. In Section III.B.2., strike "locality hiring and" and in Section III.B. insert the following: 3.
129    For contracts under a PLA with projected construction labor costs at or above $5 million, the
130    Port shall establish Priority Hire goals. 
131 
132    SECTION 2.  A Priority Hire Policy Directive is hereby established as shown in Exhibit A, attached. 
133 
134    SECTION 3.  The Policy Directive contained in Exhibit A and attached to this resolution shall be
135    labeled and catalogued as appropriate, together with other Commission Policy Directives, and
136    shall be made readily available for use by Port staff and members of the public as a governance 
137    document of the Port of Seattle. 
138 
139 
140    ADOPTED by the Port Commission of the Port of Seattle at a duly noticed meeting thereof, held
141    this _____ day of _________, 2017, and duly authenticated in open session by the signatures of
142    the Commissioners voting in favor thereof and the seal of the Commission. 
143 
144 
145                                   _______________________ Tom Albro 
146 _______________________         Stephanie Bowman 
147 _______________________         John Creighton 
148 _______________________         Fred Felleman 
149 _______________________         Courtney Gregoire 
150                                               Port Commission 


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151                                               EXHIBIT A 
152    SECTION 1. Purpose. 
153 
154    The purpose of this Policy Directive is to provide good family wage jobs to qualified construction
155    workers from Economically Distressed Areas of King County by increasing access to Port of Seattle
156    Projects. This leads to economic growth and job creation in areas of King County that are
157    experiencing  economic  distress.  In  addition,  it  will  provide  jobs  to  those  historically
158    underrepresented in the construction industry, such as women and people of color. 
159 
160    To develop a Priority Hire program that will be generally implemented through a Project Labor
161    Agreement (PLA) and other Port efforts, and to foster closer cooperation with the Regional Public
162    Owners Group to ensure uniform application of Priority Hire terms and Contractor and Union
163    compliance with Priority Hire requirements. This supports the Port of Seattle's continued efforts
164    on workforce development. 
165 
166    SECTION 2. Definitions. 
167 
168    When used in this Policy Directive, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings
169    given below unless the context in which they are included clearly indicates otherwise: 
170 
171    "Apprentice" means a person who has signed a written apprenticeship agreement with and
172    enrolled  in  an  active  state-registered  apprenticeship  training  program  approved  by  the
173    Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. 
174 
175    "City" means City of Seattle. 
176 
177    "Construction labor costs" means the labor cost component of the estimated construction budget
178    for the project to be paid to contractors at the time of bid or, if absent a bid, at the time of the
179    contract award. 
180 
181    "Contractor" means any person, firm, partnership, owner operator, limited liability company,
182    corporation, joint venture, proprietorship, trust, association or other legal entity that employs
183    individuals to perform work on projects, including general contractors, subcontractors of all tiers,
184    and both union and non-union entities. 
185 
186    "Core Employee" means an employee of an open-shop contractor that meets the core employee
187    criteria established under a PLA. 
188 
189    "Project" means a Port of Seattle construction project, whether under a PLA or not. 
190 

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191    "Dispatch" means the process by which a union refers workers for employment to contractors
192    under the authority of a collective bargaining agreement. The process typically mandates the
193    distribution of work via a "first in, first out" priority but can be legally adjusted via special
194    agreements to allow for out of order dispatching and Priority Worker hiring. 
195 
196    "Economically Distressed Area" means a geographic area defined by zip code in King County and
197    found to have high population concentrations: 1) Living at or below 200 percent of the federal
198    poverty level, 2) Unemployed, 3) Those over 25 years of age without a college degree, compared
199    to other zip codes. King County zip codes with a high density per acre of at least two out of the
200    three criteria will be identified as Economically Distressed Areas. These zip codes are updated and
201    published by King County's Finance and Business Operations Division. 
202 
203    "Jobs Coordinator" means either one of the following: a Port of Seattle employee, an employee
204    that is considered a shared resource between government agencies, or a third party entity that
205    facilitates the hiring of Priority Workers in collaboration with Contractors and Union Dispatch. 
206 
207    "Journey-level" means an individual who has sufficient skills and knowledge of an occupation,
208    either through a formal apprentice training program or through practical on-the-job work
209    experience, to be recognized by a state or federal registration agency and/or an industry as being
210    qualified to perform the work of the occupation. Practical experience must be equal to or greater
211    than the term of apprenticeship. 
212 
213    "Labor hours" means hours performed on projects by workers who are subject to prevailing
214    wages. 
215 
216    "Open-shop contractor" means a contractor that is not a signatory to a collective bargaining
217    agreement with a union representing the trade(s) of the contractor's workers, also known as non-
218    union contractors. 
219 
220    "Pre-apprentice" means a student enrolled in a construction pre-apprentice training program
221    recognized by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. 
222 
223    "Priority Hire Program" means a program on Port of Seattle major construction contracts that
224    focuses on recruitment, training and employment of workers who reside in Economically
225    Distressed Areas as defined by King County. 
226 
227    "Priority Worker(s)" means an individual prioritized for recruitment, training, and employment
228    opportunities because the individual is a resident in an Economically Distressed Area. 
229 

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230    "Project Labor Agreement" means an agreement authorized under the National Labor Relations
231    Act (NRLA), 29 U.S.C., which provides a means for aligning interests of public owners such as the
232    Port with those of construction labor unions. 
233 
234    "Regional Public Owners Group" means the group including the City of Seattle, King County, Port
235    of Seattle, Sound Transit, the City of Tacoma and the Washington State Department of
236    Transportation, focused on public agencies working together as regional partners to better
237    understand the workforce demand-supply gap for regional public infrastructure projects; to
238    enhance access opportunities and to increase the diversity of pre-apprentices, apprentices and
239    journey-level workers entering into the trades workforce; to support retention programs for
240    current trades workers, especially women and people of color; and to improve performance data
241    and systems of reporting for monitoring regional goals and initiatives. 
242 
243    "Union" means a representative labor organization whose members collectively bargain with
244    employers to set the wages and working conditions in their respective trade or covered scope of
245    work. 
246 
247    SECTION 3. Scope and Applicability. 
248 
249            A. This Policy Directive pertains to Project(s) for the remainder of this Policy Directive. 
250 
251            B. In keeping with this Resolution, the Port shall develop and incorporate Priority Hire
252    requirements in all future leases, concession agreements, and procurement contracts. 
253 
254    SECTION 4. Responsibilities. 
255 
256            A. The Executive Director (1) will assign a designee (referred to as "Designee" for the
257    remainder of the Policy Directive) and subsequent designated office to implement and administer
258    this Policy Directive, and (2) may, through the Designee, develop and adopt rules consistent with
259    the requirements of this Policy Directive. 
260 
261            B. The Designee, with the Executive Director's written concurrence and upon notice to the
262    Commission, may reduce or waive requirements or goals of this Policy Directive when impractical
263    for a Project, lease, concession, or other procurement for one or more of the following reasons:
264    when required due to an emergency, when subject to limitations of a sole source, when
265    requirements or goals would be inconsistent with an agreement with a public agency, when
266    requirements or goals are inconsistent with federal funding or other funding sources, when
267    options are greatly limited due to a remote location, when superseded by safety or other legal
268    requirements, or when other conditions arise such as the goals become impractical. 
269 

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270            C. The Designee shall be responsible for identifying, monitoring, and mitigating risks
271    within his/her authority; and propose mitigation actions to the Executive Director if additional
272    authority is required. The Designee shall enforce the requirements in this Policy Directive and
273    may use actions as deemed appropriate. 
274 
275            D. As part of establishing a Priority Hire advisory committee to operate in an advisory
276    role to the Port of Seattle for implementation and effectiveness of this Policy Directive, the
277    Designee shall participate in the previously established Regional Public Owners Group and may,
278    under an agreement with one or more other government entities with Priority Hire programs,
279    establish and participate in a regional Priority Hire advisory committee. 
280 
281    SECTION 5. Policy. 
282 
283            A. For Projects, leases, concessions, and procurements that are not found impractical 
284    under Section 2.4 B, the Designee shall establish in the bid or other solicitation documents the: 
285    (1) required percentage of labor hours to be performed by Priority Workers, and (2) aspirational
286    goal percentage of labor hours to be performed by Priority Workers. Contractors and Dispatch
287    under a PLA shall seek to first hire and dispatch Priority Workers so as to meet or exceed the
288    required and aspirational goal percentages. Participants in Projects not covered by a PLA shall
289    similarly endeavor to achieve Port Priority Hire objectives. 
290 
291    The Designee shall establish the percentages separately for apprentices and for journey-level
292    workers. 
293 
294            B. For each Project, the Designee shall establish the greatest practicable required
295    percentage of labor hours to be performed by Priority Workers by considering anticipated
296    workforce availability and past utilization percentages on similar construction projects from the
297    most recent project previous calendar year, and shall establish the percentage for the upcoming
298    year.. This shall be included in the PLA and other Port agreements as appropriate and progress
299    monitored by the Designee. The Designee shall adjust these required percentages annually, based
300    on performance and reasonably anticipated changes in worker availability.
301 
302            C. In order to achieve the intended impact in Economically Distressed Areas, the Designee 
303    shall set project-specific requirements and an aspirational goal percentage of no less than 20
304    percent for all labor hours performed annually by Priority Workers on the total of Projects for the
305    year. Annual percentage rates will be measured January 1  December 31 of each applicable year. 
306 
307            D. In order to meet the percentage of labor hours to be performed by Priority Workers,
308    the Designee shall require contracted parties to seek to employ a Priority Worker who is a
309    resident of an Economically Distressed Area in King County, and then workers from any other

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310    Economically Distressed Areas as needed to meet the percentage labor hours to be performed by
311    Priority Workers. The specific process by which the parties  and the Port of Seattle Job
312    Coordinator(s) will collaborate in order to facilitate the hiring of Priority Workers shall be
313    established by the Designee. 
314 
315    As part of the PLA and other contractual standard language, the Port shall endeavor to lower
316    barriers to entry that may exist for recruits from Priority Hire zip codes that disqualify them for
317    apprenticeship, Union membership, and/or employment such as issues related to transportation
318    that include driver's license, access to a vehicle, and geographic proximity to jobsites. 
319 
320            E. The Designee shall ensure the availability of a Jobs Coordinator(s) to perform the
321    following functions: maintain a database of pre-qualified Priority Workers for referral to work on
322    Projects; network with various work source centers, community, non -profit and faith-based
323    organizations to facilitate the identification of Priority Workers; and facilitate referral and
324    coordination around training and employment of Priority Workers between Contractors, Unions,
325    lessee's, concessionaires, suppliers, and training programs. In addition, the Designee shall explore
326    development of a third party to manage regional Priority Hire efforts. 
327 
328            F. Per Resolution 3725, as amended, contracts $1 million in value or greater requires
329    apprenticeship utilization goals. The goal is no less than 15 percent of all contract labor hours
330    are to be performed by apprentices. 
331 
332            (1) For individual projects, the Designee will determine the apprenticeship utilization
333               goal and may consider such factors as project size, project duration, labor hours
334               anticipated for the project, skills required, the likely crafts required for the project,
335               historic utilization rates and apprentice availability. 
336 
337            (2) The Designee shall establish aspirational percentage goals for apprentices who are
338               women and people of color using similar factors. Contractors may be allowed to
339               offer utilization below the aspirational percentage goals by substituting other efforts
340               to meet the intent of building a trained construction workforce for a portion of the
341               utilization percentages for women and people of color. 
342 
343            G. When determining whether the percentage of Priority Hire requirements has been
344    achieved, the Designee shall exclude from the calculation labor hours performed by residents of
345    states other than the state of Washington. The Designee shall track labor hours performed by
346    residents of states other than the state of Washington and shall review this percentage
347    annually with the previously established Regional Public Owners Group and any future regional
348    Priority Hire advisory committee that may be established under an agreement with one or
349    more other government entities with Priority Hire programs. 

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350 
351            H. Per Resolution 3725, as amended, the Designee shall support the inclusion of Priority
352    Hire provisions in the PLA standard language to be approved by the Commission Projects and
353    Procurement Committee. In furthering Resolution 3725, as amended, Port staff will seek an
354    agreement with regional partners to develop a framework to achieve operational efficiencies 
355    through uniform Priority Hire requirements and by sharing Priority Hire resources and data and
356    advancing workforce development efforts. 
357 
358    SECTION 6. Program Evaluation. 
359 
360            A. The Designee shall establish benchmarks and metrics to evaluate the program, such as
361    project  or  procurement  costs;  completion  times,  workplace  safety;  utilization  rates  and
362    graduation rates of Priority Workers, women and people of color from pre-apprentice and
363    apprentice training programs; and changes in the amount of contracting dollars paid to Small
364    Business and Women and Minority Business Enterprises (WMBE) firms working on Projects and
365    the number of Small Business and WMBE firms under contract. 
366 
367            B. Port efforts in pursuit of the objectives of this Policy Directive will be incorporated into
368    the Port's Long Range Plan (LRP) to the fullest extent reasonable, including incorporation into the
369    LRP scorecards, reports, and LRP updates. Further, the Designee shall prepare and publish an 
370    annual report each year titled Apprenticeship and Priority Hire Annual Report. 
371 
372    The report shall include, but not be limited to the following: 
373 
374            (1) The number and kinds of construction projects and contracts on which apprenticeship
375               and Priority Hire requirements were established; 
376            (2) The percentage of labor hours actually worked by apprentices and Priority Workers on
377               each such project and the total number of labor hours on each project; 
378            (3) The number of apprentices and Priority Workers by contractor broken down by trade
379               and craft category, the wages paid by category of work or trade, the number and
380               percentage of women and people of color utilized as apprentices and Priority Workers
381               and the degree of compliance with the percentage requirements and aspirational
382               goals to be established under this Policy Directive; 
383            (4) The number of apprentices and Priority Workers per Port dollar spent on the program; 
384            (5) A description of problems encountered in the implementation of the program; 
385            (6) A description of barriers encountered by participating apprentices and Priority
386               Workers and steps taken to resolve those problems and to ensure their continued
387               participation in the program; 
388 

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389            C. The Commission, Executive Director, and Designee will review program results annually
390    as part of the LRP update to determine if the program should be expanded or amended by
391    increasing or decreasing requirements and aspirational goals. 
392 
393    SECTION 7. Fiscal Implications. 
394 
395    This Policy Directive has fiscal implications as funding and staffing requirements will be needed to
396    implement the Priority Hire program. Fiscal implications will be reviewed by the Designee
397    annually, at a minimum, to determine if additional funding and/or resources are required and
398    shall submit a budget request, as appropriate. 
399 
400    SECTION 8. Research Findings 
401 
402    Based  on  studies  commissioned  by  the  City  of  Seattle  and  King  County  and  their
403    implementation  of  Priority  Hire  programs,  and  numerous  public  discussions,  the  Port
404    Commission finds that it is in the Port's and the public's best interest to increase the supply of
405    qualified  construction  workers,  particularly  those  historically  underrepresented  in  the
406    construction industry, including those who live in Economically Distressed Areas in King County 
407    and also within that group, women and people of color. 
408 
409            A. In January 2015, following the positive results of a pilot program on the Elliott Bay
410    Seawall project, the City of Seattle adopted Ordinance No. 124690, an Ordinance relating to 
411    establishing a Priority Hire policy to ensure better access to training programs and well-paying
412    construction jobs for local workers, as well as to increase the diversity of the workforce on City
413    projects. 
414 
415            B. The City implemented the Priority Hire Ordinance through a Community Workforce
416    Agreement (CWA) between the City and the building trade labor unions, and that agreement
417    requires that prime contractors on City public works construction projects of $5 million or
418    more, must ensure that a certain percent of project labor hours are performed by workers
419    living in Economically Distressed Areas of Seattle and King County. 
420 
421            C. In May 2016, the King County Executive directed county agencies to implement a
422    Priority Hire pilot program that prioritized economically disadvantaged local workers for
423    inclusion on large King County capital construction projects. King County is considering a
424    permanent Priority Hire program implemented through a CWA. 
425 
426            D. Based on studies commissioned by the City of Seattle and King County and their
427    implementation  of  Priority  Hire  programs,  and  numerous  public  discussions,  the  Port
428    Commission finds that it is in the Port's and the public's best interest to increase the supply of

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429    qualified  construction  workers,  particularly  those  historically  underrepresented  in  the
430    construction industry, including women, racial minorities, and those who live in Economically
431    Distressed Areas of Seattle and King County. 
432 
433            E. King County completed a study in January 2016 documenting a widening gap between
434    the demand for construction labor and the supply of skilled trade workers in the regional labor
435    market for King County and other public entities. The gap reinforces the urgent need for
436    developing a strategy to address the current and projected workforce shortages. The study also
437    used economic data involving poverty levels, employment and educational attainment to
438    determine Economically Distressed Areas, which are identified by zip code. 
439 
440            F. King County completed The Construction Workforce Analysis in December 2016 and
441    found that the county may reasonably anticipate a reduced surplus of qualified labor and possible
442    labor shortages in certain construction trades by 2020. That is the result of a projected shortfall
443    forecast between demand and supply of four thousand six hundred thirty workers by 2020. The
444    county is concerned that these labor shortages will increase reliance on out-of-state construction
445    workers and that the demand for new construction workers may increase construction costs on
446    the county's public works projects unless the county supports efforts to increase the supply of
447    trained apprentices and journey level workers for local public works projects. 
448 
449            The analysis also found that 81 percent of the construction workforce in King County in
450    2016 were white males, while 19 percent were people of color and women. Representation of
451    women and people of color is higher among new entrants to the labor force through
452    apprenticeships and accredited certificates of completion, such as those received for completing
453    a pre-apprenticeship program. However, according to the analysis, women and people of color
454    also have lower rates of apprenticeship completion than do their white male counterparts. 
455 
456            G.  The  City  of  Seattle  commissioned  the  Construction  Industry  Labor  Market
457    Assessment, which found that women, irrespective of race, are underrepresented in the
458    construction industry. Between 2009 and 2013, 10 percent fewer women finished their
459    apprentice training program than males. The assessment also found that between 2009 and
460    2013, 14 percent fewer racial minority apprentices finished their apprentice training program
461    than white apprentices. In addition, it also found that underrepresented workers face barriers
462    to completing apprentice training. Between 2009 and 2013, 65 percent of the racial minorities
463    exiting apprenticeships did not complete the programs compared to 51 percent of the white
464    apprentices who failed to complete the program. During that same time period, 65 percent of
465    all women, irrespective of race, failed to complete their programs compared to 55 percent of all
466    men. 
467 

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468            H. The City of Seattle has found that Priority Hire effectively and successfully increases
469    diversity on City construction projects. The share of labor hours between November 2013 and
470    April 2017 saw an increase of 233 percent in rate of hours performed by workers living in
471    Seattle's economically distressed zones. In addition, it saw an over 300 percent increase in rate of
472    hours performed by apprentice women and 200 percent increase in rate of hours performed by
473    African Americans. 
474 
475            I. A PLA is an effective tool to manage public works projects when reducing the risk of
476    project delays and reducing the potential of labor disruptions and labor shortages. 
477 
478            J. Priority Hire is an effective tool to create local jobs, enhance workforce diversity and
479    improve overall working conditions. 













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