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WASHINGTON -- A group of 50 advocacy organizations has asked = President Barack=20 Obama to issue an executive order that encourages the hiring and = training of=20 minorities, women and low-income residents to work on federal = construction=20 projects, particularly those funded by the economic stimulus = package.
"There is concern that without active steps to promote these goals, = too few=20 of these construction jobs will reach" these groups, according to a = proposal=20 written by the National Employment Law Project and the Partnership for = Working=20 Families.
The proposal is modeled on state and local programs around the = country that=20 require contractors on federally funded projects to hire and place some=20 disadvantaged and underrepresented workers in apprentice training = programs.=20
McClatchy first reported last month that minorities and women might = miss out=20 on jobs on large construction projects funded by the stimulus package = because of=20 regulations that could steer most of the work to unionized labor.
An executive order Obama signed in February "encourage[s] executive = agencies=20 to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements" on federal=20 construction projects of $25 million or more. The agreements are = collective=20 bargaining agreements with labor unions that set the terms and = conditions of=20 employment on large construction projects.
Unless the agreements set goals for including underrepresented = groups,=20 however, jobs and training opportunities for minorities and women could = be hard=20 to come by because white men dominate skilled construction trade union=20 membership. Regulations to implement Obama's executive order on the = agreements=20 will be announced in May.
The proposed executive order was sent to Martha Coven, special = assistant to=20 the president at the Domestic Policy Council. The White House had no = immediate=20 comment.
Get it = all with=20 convenient home delivery of The News & Observer.
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