Affirming the State of Rhode Island's Commitment to Supporting Women in the Building Trades and Expanding Equitable Access to Careers in the Construction Industry

WHEREAS, Women comprise approximately one-half of the population of the United States and the State of Rhode Island, yet remain significantly underrepresented in the construction workforce, accounting for 4.3% of the industry; and

WHEREAS, National apprenticeship data from 2023 demonstrated continued racial and gender disparities within the construction trades; and

WHEREAS, Careers in the unionized construction industry provide family-sustaining wages and benefits that rival or exceed those of many professions requiring a four-year college degree, with the median annual wage for construction occupations in Rhode Island exceeding sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) in 2024; and

WHEREAS, Across all jobs in the United States, women earn, on average, nearly eighty- three cents ($0.83) for every dollar a man makes. In construction, women are not subject to this same gender pay gap. All construction workers, regardless of gender, are paid the same wages and benefits as outlined in their collective bargaining agreements; and

WHEREAS, Registered apprenticeship programs provide proven opportunities to earn money while you learn pathways to financial security for workers and their families, and economic mobility without the burden of excessive student loan debt, which is disproportionately borne by women; and

WHEREAS, Women continue to encounter structural barriers to entering, remaining, and advancing in the construction industry, including limited access to training opportunities; and

WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliated Local Unions, have made meaningful progress in creating pathways for women in the unionized construction industry through pre-apprenticeship programs, such as Building Futures, registered apprenticeship programs, and the work of the Rhode Island Building Trades Women’s Council; and

WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has invested significant public resources in workforce development initiatives, including Real Jobs Rhode Island and registered apprenticeship expansion programs aligned with the State’s Rhode to Prosperity workforce goals, which have demonstrated success in increasing participation of women and people of color in high-wage construction careers; and

WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the State to ensure that publicly funded capital and infrastructure projects promote high-road labor standards and equitable access to employment opportunities; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby affirms its commitment to supporting women in the building trades and to expanding equal employment opportunity and economic equity for women and all Rhode Islanders; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State affirms its commitment to continue to prioritize construction investments that transform not only the State's infrastructure but also its workforce by providing family-sustaining wages, benefits, and safe working conditions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate supports the continued efforts of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliated Local Unions to recruit, train, and retain women in the construction industry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate affirms that publicly funded capital and infrastructure projects should strengthen and diversify the State’s workforce through the use of high-road labor standards, including project labor agreements, apprenticeship utilizations, workforce reporting requirements, and appropriate project monitoring and oversight; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate expects contractors seeking to do business with the State are committed to creating access to good-paying job opportunities, to adopt and enforce anti- discrimination and anti-harassment policies, and to take proactive measures to ensure safe, respectful, and inclusive worksites where all Rhode Islanders can thrive; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and its Women’s Council.