Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
APRIL 21, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT/CONSTRUCTION CAREERS POLICY (PLA/CCP)
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE status update on the Project Labor Agreement and Construction Careers Policy programs through the quarter ending December 2021, including updates on female participation.
Issue
ISSUE
In January 2012, the Board approved the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council and the Construction Careers Policy (CCP), with a subsequent renewal in January 2017. The PLA/CCP encourages construction employment and training opportunities for members of economically disadvantaged areas throughout the United States on Metro’s construction projects. An added value of the PLA is that work stoppages are prohibited.
In addition, Metro’s PLA/CCP provides equitable opportunities for the historically underserved population, including women with high-wage career opportunities in the construction industry.
Background
BACKGROUND
Consistent with the Board approved PLA and CCP (PLA/CCP), prime contractors are required to provide Metro with monthly reports detailing progress towards meeting the targeted worker hiring goals. Additionally, consistent with Metro’s Labor Compliance policy and federal Executive Order 11246 (EO 11246), the prime contractors provide Metro with worker utilization data by ethnicity and gender. In accordance with EO 11246, Metro’s program-wide goal for female participation in PLA/CCP construction projects is 6.90%.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
This report provides a status update on the construction contracts covered by the PLA/CCP, including an overview of Diversity and Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) staff’s efforts on the female participation. This report provides an update on the PLA/CCP through the quarter ending December 2021.
PLA/CCP Status Update
As of December 2021, there are fourteen active construction contracts with PLA/CCP program requirements. Twelve contractors exceeded the 40% Targeted Worker Goal, six contractors exceeded the 20% Apprentice Worker Goal, and eight contractors exceeded the 10% Disadvantaged Worker Goal. There are twenty-seven completed construction contracts that were subject to the PLA/CCP. Overall (aggregate), PLA/CCP program-wide attainment on the three workforce goals has been met and exceeded.
The following table represents the active construction projects as of the December 2021 quarterly reporting period.
*Part of Metro’s PLA/CCP workforce requirement is the utilization of disadvantaged workers on projects. One of the nine criteria for a Disadvantaged Worker is having a
criminal record or other involvement with the criminal justice system. The data shown in the table above (last column) is the percentage of Disadvantaged Workers (based on hours worked) that have criminal records or involvement with the criminal justice system and that have worked or are actively working on Metro’s PLA/CCP projects.
Female Workers on Active Construction Projects
In November 2017, the Metro Board of Directors (Board) approved a motion to encourage contractors on Metro construction projects to increase the participation of women by meeting or exceeding the nationwide female participation goal of 6.9% as set forth by Executive Order 11246.
Included in the motion is the creation of a report card/score card system reflecting attainment of the female participation goals for Metro Project Labor Agreement/Construction Careers Policy contractors that is aimed at encouraging contractors to exceed the 6.9% female participation goal.
Below is the Female Participation Score Card as of December 2021.
The average female participation on Metro construction projects is at 3.68% of total work hours, which is higher compared to less than 2.0% on other non-Metro public works construction projects in the region. The national average for women in construction is below 3.0%.
The following chart represents Metro female participation by year in comparison to other non-Metro projects in the region.
Metro Female Participation (2014-2018)
Source: Estalano Lesar Advisors - Disparity Study
Staff met with prime contractors that have a score of “D” or below to find out any potential concerns leading to the low female participation on their project. Listed below are some issues that were raised;
• One of the contractors stated that their work activities are performed night-time, thus creating difficulties in recruiting females to work graveyard.
Metro Response: Metro established a Women in the Trades Resource Guide (see attachment B) to assist females in the construction trades with available supportive services and as a toolkit for both contractors and female workers.
• Sponsoring of females in the trades must conform with California Department of Industrial Relation (DIR) 20% apprentice utilization. Thus, creating difficulty in sponsoring large number of females in the trades, since sponsored worker is required to start as an apprentice.
Metro Response: Prime Contractors were advised to pre-plan their workforce needs with emphasis to prioritize sponsorship of female workers into various trades. Metro is requesting updated Employment Hiring Plan’s from applicable contractors.
• Female attainment fluctuates as project completion progress. Start of project typically results in higher female attainment due to limited number of workers at the beginning. As the project near completion, female attainment mirrors the region average of less than 3%.
Metro Response: Metro is in the process of planning a Joint Awareness Campaign to focus on recruiting women to start a career in construction. Joint Awareness Campaign will be a collaborative effort between the trades, community-based organizations, and prime contractors.
• Contractors request for female workers from the unions are not being adhered to due to lack of available female workers in the trades.
Metro Response: Metro is in the process of planning a Joint Awareness Campaign to focus on recruiting female to start a career in construction. Joint Awareness Campaign will be a collaborative effort between the trades, community-based organizations, and prime contractor to increase female workers in the construction industry.
Additionally, Metro’s Workforce Disparity Study conducted in May 2019 indicates that the Los Angeles region does not have the adequate available females in construction to meet the 6.9% goal. In addition, the Workforce Disparity Study provides the female apprenticeship participation in the greater LA Area which as of 2018 has a participation rate of 2.6%.
Female Apprenticeship Participation in the Greater LA Area (2008-2018)
Source: California Department of Industrial Relations Division of Apprenticeship Standards
Staff understands the importance of increasing female participation on Metro’s projects for equity and workforce availability reasons and is actively taking measures to increase and create opportunities.
Overall, a total of over 1000 female workers have worked on Metro’s PLA/CCP construction projects. Below is a chart of the no. of female within the last two years on construction projects.
No. of Females on Metro Projects 
Source: As reported by the prime contractors. This table counts each individual tradeswomen only once (no double counting), even if an individual worked on multiple projects.
Staff continues to focus on strategies to support the outreach, recruitment, and retention of women into the trades focusing on Metro’s PLA/CCP construction projects. Listed below are strategies that were implemented to increase female participation in Metro’s construction projects.
• Female Participation Score Card - Staff continues to grade each contractor’s performance quarterly through the utilization of a score card that reflects percentages of females hired by Metro’s contractors to encourage in meeting the 6.9% goal.
• Quarterly Jobs Coordinator meetings - Staff hosts quarterly meetings with the jobs coordinators to discuss best practices and identify outreach and recruitment opportunities. The last quarterly meeting was held on November 10, 2021 with a focus on female recruitment and referral into union boot-camps or pre-apprenticeship programs.
• Transition Coordination - Staff continues to assist female workers transitioning to other active or upcoming Metro projects as projects near the end of construction.
• Notice to Prime Contractors - Staff continues to issue notices to prime contractors not meeting the female participation goal at 25%, 50%, and 75% project completion.
• Women in the Trades Resource Guide - Staff developed a comprehensive guide to recruit, employ and retain women in construction careers to assist prime contractors in recruiting female workers.
• Collaboration with Unions - Staff has established a collaboration with Laborers Union and Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters to directly refer female workers to join in the apprenticeship program. Upon completion, participants are referred to Metro’s contractors for employment opportunity.
• Outreach - Staff continuous to outreach to community-based organizations, pre-apprenticeship schools, and building trades to promote and increase female recruitment in the construction industry.
• Established a partnership with the Los Angeles/Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council (LAOCBTC) and the Executive Secretary to focus on increasing female participation in the construction industry which includes prioritizing and dispatching female workers on Metro construction projects.
In addition, the following are strategies under development to support and increase female participation in Metro’s projects.
• Metro and Laborers Union (Local 300) collaborating to establish a tunnel worker training facility in the LA region. Currently the only training facility for tunnel worker is in Seattle, Washington which creates hardship for individuals to participate. Establishment of a local tunnel worker training facility will help fulfill the LA regions need for tunnel workers with priority given to females interested to start a career in the construction industry.
• Metro in partnership with Building Next Gen, LA County AJCC, East Los Angeles Community College, and trades to host an in-person job-fair event on April 13, 2022, to promote careers in construction. This event will focus on recruiting females interested to start a career in construction.
• Metro to plan a Joint Awareness Campaign in collaboration with LAOCBTC, union trades, prime contractors, and community-based organization with a focus of building future workforce capacity with special focus on females.
• Consistently support the Women Build Metro LA (WBMLA) events. The WBMLA events are geared to introduce the construction career path for women throughout Los Angeles County. Staff have invited Metro’s prime contractors to participate and recruit females interested in starting a career in construction.
• Collaborate with Women in Non-Traditional Employment Role (WINTER) to continuously seek grant opportunities to help empower, train, educate and prepare women for transformative careers in the construction industry. Metro has supported WINTER in their grant application to the State of California - WIOA Equity and Special Populations Program. In addition, Metro shall provide continuous employment referral to female graduates of WINTER on Metro project sites.
Furthermore, staff will continue to provide ongoing assessment of the female participation score card, monitoring of contractor’s performance, and recognition of contractors that successfully meet or exceed the 6.9% goal or demonstrate highly commendable efforts in the recruitment, retention and/or professional development of women on Metro’s construction projects.
Implementation of Strategic Plan Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Metro’s Project Labor Agreement/Construction Careers Policy (PLA/CCP) supports strategic plan goal #3 to enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity. Metro’s PLA/CCP provides training and employment opportunities in the construction industry to individuals from economically disadvantaged areas and individuals that are socially barriered. As of this reporting period, over $426 million in wages have been paid to individuals residing in economically disadvantaged areas and over $78 million in wages paid to disadvantaged individuals.
Equity Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro’s Project Labor Agreement and Construction Careers Policy enhance equity to marginalized and vulnerable community members by creating employment opportunities in the construction industry for workers with historical barriers to employment. In addition, through Executive Order (EO) 11246, Metro is striving to diversify the workforce on construction projects to improve access to career opportunities and serve as a catalyst for improving socio-economic status for minorities and women. As of this reporting period, all active PLA/CCP construction projects have exceeded the minority participation goal of 28.30%. Female participation is below the EO11246 goal of 6.9%, however this report summarizes the effort undertaken by staff to increase female participation, including outreaching to women in construction to obtain insight and best practices to contractors and female workers in the construction industry (details in Attachment B). Further, Jobs Coordinators working with Metro’s prime contractors are performing outreach activities to disadvantaged populations with a special focus on females.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
DEOD staff will continue to monitor contractor’s efforts and initiate the various strategies and activities as outlined in this report. Staff will continue to monitor and deliver best practices, initiatives, and outreach efforts to promote awareness, engagement, and participation in construction career opportunities.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - PLA/CCP Quarterly Brochure
Attachment B - Women in the Trades Resource Guide
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Angela Scott, Senior DEOD Representative (213) 922-1028
Michael Flores, Manager, DEOD (213) 922-6387
Miguel Cabral, Executive Officer, DEOD (213) 418-3265
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Debra Avila, Deputy Chief, Vendor/Contract Management Officer
(213) 418-3051
