In 2001, the City of Los Angeles began construction of the Northeast Sewer Interceptor, which was built as part of the city`s first community labor agreement. Since then, the city has negotiated CWA for various public construction projects, including the construction of fire, police and detention centers, as well as the extension of the canal. As of 2010, six CWAs are in effect, covering a construction value of more than $375 million and more than 7500 construction sites. The agreements vary slightly, but generally require that 30-40% of newly created construction jobs be held by residents of neighborhoods adjacent to the project. The agreements further stipulate that 10-15% of construction hours must be performed by workers at risk, including workers from poor households and workers with a history of incarceration or public support. Be sure to consult a lawyer to help you draft your Community Workforce Agreement and do not hesitate to contact the Construction and Construction Department and the Working Families Partnership (Kathleen Mulligan-Hansel, kmh@communitybenefits.org) if you need help developing a targeted hiring program that is right for you. Community Workforce Agreements (CWAs) are powerful and effective tools for a number of reasons. The negotiation of a CWA brings together the construction unions and the works council with the user/owner of the project, the general contractor and community organizations to jointly develop the terms of the project. These agreements set out the conditions under which construction unions undertake not to strike or to picket at work. But they are relevant because the Building and Construction Trades Council has negotiated and signed a separate but related Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the city that sets out the terms of a well-designed and fully detailed initiative to improve access to construction career opportunities for low-income city dwellers. It`s important to remember that each CWA is developed in terms of unique local conditions. And in many cases, the provisions negotiated in a particular agreement represent a compromise for all parties.
If you are interested in developing a CAE approach for a particular project or set of projects in your community, these examples and related documents should give you an assessment of the range of strategies that can be used to negotiate a good deal that creates quality jobs while helping low-income residents. Access real careers in construction. Due to the broad support of workers` and community advocates, the program has been aggressively implemented and is still in effect.