The skanner., January 12, 2011, Page 9, Image 9

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diversity
continued from page 3
$200,000 would require apprenticeship programs amount-
ing to 20 percent of the workforce. And 20 percent of those
apprentices would have to be ethnic minorities, and 15 per-
cent would have to be women. Apprenticeship programs are
vital to helping minorities succeed in construction because
it takes four years of training to reach journeyman status
and the short-term nature of construction work means it is a
challenge for apprentices to find continuous work experi-
ence.
“I like the concept of setting these number goals because
they are doable numbers,” says Rahming. “I’m glad that the
carpenters are getting on board now, because they have
been absent from this conversation for too long. I want to
give credit to the mayor and to Multnomah County for tak-
ing the lead on this, but in general, I’d say this is a very
good start for the unions.
“The challenge is that they don’t yet have all the other
unions on board.”
The Carpenters also make important concessions to small
women and minority owned businesses, saying they do not
have to join the union.
“They do have to get the same pay and benefits but that
doesn’t have to come from the union,” Tweedie said. If they
can and want to provide equivalent health and welfare ben-
efits they can do that.”
Other key clauses would establish a fund to give techni-
cal assistance to minority businesses, helping contractors
with the heavy load of government paperwork; and would
set up a training fund to support apprenticeship programs.
Former Portland City Commissioner Jim Francesconi,
worked with Tweedie to draft the contract language.
“If labor is willing to help finance apprenticeships and
technical assistance for minority contractors, then that’s
what’s unique here,” Francesconi said. “I don’t know any-
where else in the country that is doing that.”
Many of the ideas in the Carpenters draft agreement
already have been adopted by local government agencies
such as, the City of Portland, Multnomah County and
TriMet. But Rahming says a strong commitment from all
the construction unions could help transform practices -at
the state’s biggest player: Oregon Department of
Transportation.
Coming Jan. 26: Part Two of
Constructing our Future
Dragging its Feet on
Diversity?
What’s Oregon Depart ment of
Transportation doing to
create fairness in
contracting and the
workforce?
Maurice Rahming wants the Oregon
department of transportation to get back
on-track.
january 12, 2011 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9