Event Recap: "Paving the Way for Women in Construction" Webinar

"Paving the Way for Women in Construction: Creating Systems and Supports that Work," an October 1, 2014 webinar hosted by the United States Department of Labor Women's Bureau, the Institute for Women's Policy Research, the National Women's Law Center, Wider Opportunities for Women, and Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. "explored ways to increase women's participation, retention, and success in the construction industry." The webinar included a discussion of two new reports, the Institute for Women's Policy Research's results from a survey of tradeswomen and the National Women's Law Center's report on challenges and pathways for women to access higher-paying jobs, as well as best practices in recruitment, training, retention, and technical assistance regarding increasing women's representation in the construction workforce.

For more information about this recent webinar, visit www.dol.gov/wb/.

Repost: Women in Trades - An Apprenticeship Success Story

Oregon Tradeswomen Inc. (OTI) Executive Director Connie Ashbrook's recent post on the USDOL blog provides a concrete narrative of both the challenges that women face in entering the construction trades and the need for Registered Apprenticeship programs to focus on recruiting women. Ashbrook rightly states,

"Although many people believe it is women’s physical abilities that can keep them from succeeding in a trades career, the most challenging obstacle women have to overcome in becoming an apprentice is a lack of knowledge about these careers and how to successfully apply for apprenticeship" (Ashbrook, 17 July 2014).

Programs like OTI's pre-apprenticeship program continue to serve as an integral link for women to access good-paying jobs in the building trades. Read more about OTI and the success of their pre-apprentice Deawendoe “Dee” St. Martin at http://social.dol.gov/blog/.

Repost: "Jobs for All" - Telling the Real Stories of Access to Opportunity

On April 10th, Gamaliel hosted Telling Our Stories: How to Organize a Powerful People’s Field Hearing (or Roundtable) on Jobs, a webinar that focused on telling the real stories of access to job opportunities in the construction field. The recap below includes links to the online event's PowerPoint presentation and video as well as information for those interested in organizing field hearings regarding construction job access.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PowerPoint Presentation: Slides
Video link: Telling our Stories

A Timeline for Organizing a People’s Field Hearings

“Jobs for All:” Telling the Real Stories of Access to Opportunity

Who: People of faith, leaders in the community, elected officials at all levels of government—especially Members of Congress—U.S. Department of Labor regional staff, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regional staff, other decision-makers

When: Late spring and summer 2014

Why: For too long, low income people, people of color, and women have been denied access to quality jobs and career paths in the construction industry because of outdated federal regulations. Now is the time for reform. “Jobs for All” People’s Field Hearings provide a powerful vehicle for telling the real stories about access to opportunity in the construction industry and for calling on decision-makers to act now to create an economy that works for all Americans.

Resources: We have provided several sample resources on the Gamaliel/TEN website from transportation field hearings held by our affiliates. These may be adapted for the “Jobs for All” field hearings.

• Commitment Card (PDF)
• Field Hearing Bulletin Insert (PDF)
• MORE2 Photo and Story Release
• Program (PDF)
• Pulpit Announcement
• Save the Date Postcard (PDF)
• Transit Story Want Ad

Timeline:

• Three weeks to six weeks (or more) ahead of field hearing:
• Assemble your leadership team – give special attention to the following lead roles: targets, logistics, media, turnout, agenda roles and preparation
• Develop the agenda for your field hearing
• Begin turnout process
• Invite targets (Members of Congress, local and state elected officials)
• Enlist agenda participants, including facilitators
• Meet with representative of host congregation
• At least two weeks in advance of the field hearing:
• Reach out to media
• Check in about turnout
• Follow up with MOC offices and other elected offices
• One week ahead of the field hearing:
• Train facilitators
• Check in about turnout
• Follow up with MOC offices and other elected offices, as needed
• Reconfirm logistical needs with host congregation
• Two to three days ahead of field hearing:
• Hold field hearing rehearsal
• Check in with media about presence at event
• Submit press release to all media outlets
• Day of field hearing:
• Arrive early for set-up ( prep for arrival of targets, media, individuals on agenda, facilitators, other participants)
• Hold pre-meeting with those who have roles
• Host evaluation following the field hearing
• Within 24 hours following field hearing:
• Submit report, media received, and photos to “Dream for All” Campaign Staff
• If no media was present at field hearing, send a brief story with photos to the press


©2014 Gamaliel

Upcoming Event: USDOL Women's Bureau's Boston Regional Forum on Working Families

The US Department of Labor Women's Bureau will be hosting a Boston Regional Forum to "identify initiatives that benefit America's working families, businesses and economy." The event will be held:

May 19, 2014

9:30am-12:30pm

JFK Federal Building

25 New Sudbury St

Boston, MA 02203

Visit the USDOL website to register by May 17th, get more information about the Boston Regional Forum, or learn more about the White House Summit.

Repost: DC-area construction contractor to pay $875,000 to settle discrimination case with US Labor Department

News Release

OFCCP News Release: [10/30/2013]
Contact Name: Leni Fortson or Joanna Hawkins
Phone Number: (202) 861-5102 or x5101 
Email: uddyback-fortson.lenore@dol.gov or Hawkins.Joanna@dol.gov
Release Number: 13-1996-PHI

DC-area construction contractor to pay $875,000 to settle discrimination case with US Labor Department

Nearly 400 minority applicants to receive back wages as company reviews hiring practices

DULLES, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that federal construction contractor M.C. Dean Inc. has settled allegations that it failed to provide equal employment opportunity to 381 African American, Hispanic and Asian American workers who applied for jobs at the company's Dulles headquarters. A review by the department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs determined that the contractor used a set of selection procedures, including invalid tests, which unfairly kept qualified minority candidates from securing jobs as apprentices and electricians.

"Our nation was built on the principles of fair play and equal opportunity, and artificial barriers that keep workers from securing good jobs violate those principles," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "I am pleased that this settlement will provide remedies to the affected workers and that M.C. Dean has agreed to invest significant resources to improve its hiring practices so that this never happens again."

Under the terms of the agreement, M.C. Dean will pay $875,000 in back wages and interest to 272 African American, 98 Hispanic and 11 Asian American job applicants who were denied employment in 2010. The contractor will also extend 39 job offers to the class members as opportunities become available. Additionally, M.C. Dean has agreed to undertake extensive self-monitoring measures and personnel training to ensure that all of its employment practices fully comply with Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment on the bases of race, color and national origin.

M.C. Dean is a construction, design-build and systems integration corporation with more than 30 offices worldwide. Since 2006, the company has held more than $600 million in contracts with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense.

In addition to Executive Order 11246, OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. These three laws require those who do business with the federal government, contractors and subcontractors, to follow the fair and reasonable standard that they not discriminate in employment on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. For more information, please call OFCCP's toll-free helpline at 800-397-6251 or visit http://www.dol.gov/ofccp.  

Happy Women's Equality Day!

For those of you who are in downtown Boston today, you can celebrate Women's Equality Day right now with your fellow Bostonians:

Celebrate Women's Equality Day with Us!

Women’s Equality Day, August 26, celebrates the day women won the right to vote in 1920. We will gather at the Boston Women’s Memorial on Commonwealth Ave. Mall, between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets, from 12-1:30PM. Join City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color to be elected to the Boston City Council. We will have great music, voter registration, and girl scout snacks. Wear the suffrage colors of white, purple and yellow and join us. All are welcome.

Wherever you are, you can celebrate by reading this USDOL blog post about the importance of construction jobs for women and being thankful for the efforts in our community to achieve gender equality in the construction industry.

Save the Date: 9/20/13 USDOL Women's Bureau & The Construction Institute Will Host "Engaging Women for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers"

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WOMEN’S BUREAU & THE CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE INVITES YOU TO AN IMPORTANT ROUNDTABLE: ENGAGING WOMEN FOR STEM, NON-TRADITIONAL, AND GREEN CAREERS 

The roundtable will bring together leaders in the Metro Boston area to discuss potential pathways for women to become involved in careers related to science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM). This discussion will also draw on ideas for engaging women in green and non-traditional careers. Some of the topic questions to be considered are:

1. How can women qualify for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers? 
2. What opportunities are available for women in “green” jobs and STEM? 
3. How can we help women transition from traditional occupations to non-traditional ones? 

DATE: Tuesday, September 20, 2013

TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Sheet Metal Workers Training Center, 1181 Adams St. Dorchester 

Attendance is free but registration is required. Space limited to 25.

RSVP: To register, please send an e-mail to Rizzolo.Angela@dol.gov by close of business hours on September 18 and include your name, organization, and telephone number.

For questions, please call: Angela Rizzolo @ 617-565-1988.

Our special thanks to the Sheet Metal Workers Training Center for co-hosting this roundtable.

Repost: It’s been a good week for women seeking non-traditional jobs

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it settled a case with a federal contractor, L&M Construction, involving allegations of a hostile work environment including sexual harassment and retaliation against the workers who reported the hostile behavior. This case was filed after the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) of the Department of Labor (USDOL) received complaints of sexual harassment from workers at L&M construction in Arlington, Virginia, including inappropriate touching, sexual gestures, comments and propositions experienced by a female employee in 2012. OFCCP conducted an investigation and discovered that the company fired nine employees for complaining about the hostile work environment created by the sexual harassment and fired five more workers to prevent them from being interviewed by OFCCP. All of the fired workers were Hispanic (7 men and 7 women). As a result of the settlement, L&M Construction will pay $112,573 in back wages to the terminated workers and will make job offers to them as positions become available. This settlement is not only critical in providing justice for the men and women who were victims of the hostile work environment, but also sends a message to federal contractors that sexual harassment and hostile work environments will not be permitted.

Today saw continued progress. With eighteen votes in favor and three opposed, the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed S. 1356, legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), out of the Committee. The bill included specific language that funding authorized by the Act for employment and training activities shall be used to develop strategies to increase women’s participation in high-wages, high-demand occupations in which women are currently underrepresented.

These two seemingly unrelated events represent significant strides for women seeking employment in jobs that are considered non-traditional for women, such as construction. Research conducted by Wider Opportunities for Women has found that significant gender-based occupational segregation contributes to economic insecurity for women across the lifespan. In other words, the top fifty jobs occupied by women pay significantly less than the top fifty jobs occupied by men, resulting in a substantial gap in wages every hour, every month and every year, earned by men and women. To successfully increase women’s earnings and increase their economic security, more women must have access to job training and counseling about nontraditional jobs, such as construction, which pay higher wages.

The bill reauthorizing WIA that was passed by the Senate HELP committee today contains language that will increase access to counseling and skills training for women seeking non-traditional jobs, such as construction. Construction careers in particular are high-paying and women hold less than 2 percent of construction jobs, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. However, orienting and recruiting women to these jobs is only part of the solution. Too often, once in those jobs, women experience barriers to successful careers, often in the form of several sexual harassment. Enforcement of our federal anti-discrimination laws by the USDOL, like the case that resulted in the settlement with L&M Construction on Monday, will protect women from illegal sexual harassment so that they are able to continue their careers free from hostile work environments. And, while there is still much work to be done, this is why this is s a good week for women seeking non-traditional jobs.

This entry was posted on July 31, 2013 by Robin Runge, Esq. Visit the WOW blog to view the original post.

Repost: OFCCP Director Shiu Addresses 2013 Annual Convention - The Summit For Workers' Rights

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

2013 ANNUAL CONVENTION: THE SUMMIT FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS

PREPARED REMARKS BY PATRICIA A. SHIU, DIRECTOR

U.S. Department Of Labor – Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

Thursday, June 27, 2013
Sheraton Downtown Hotel – Denver, Colorado

Good afternoon. And thank you, Teri, for that kind introduction.

It's good to be here. It’s good to be among friends.

I don't have to tell you that we’ve had a rough few days, full of some pretty big setbacks when it comes to defending workers' rights. But the way I see it, after a week like this one, those of us who toil in the pursuit of civil rights and civil liberties have two options:

Either we can curl up in the fetal position and hide under the covers;

Or, we can come to Denver, meet up with 500 like-minded colleagues and start plotting the next great chapter in the history of workers' rights.

I choose the second option. And I know you do, too!

Of course, the news isn't all bad. Yesterday, our nation took a huge step forward on the issue of marriage equality, a seemingly inevitable – but once inconceivable – outcome to cases that have been working their way up through the courts for years.

I join President Obama and my colleagues throughout the administration in applauding the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act on constitutional grounds. And, as a Californian, I look forward to a lifetime of attending gay and lesbian weddings.

The truth is that our civil society can feel... a bit "Dickensian" these days:

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times.
It is the age of wisdom. It is the age of foolishness.
It is the epoch of Ginsburg... yeah, let’s just leave it at that.

In other words, it's a mixed bag.

But you know what gives me hope right now? A Texas State Senator named Wendy Davis.

She gives me hope.

The daughter of a single mom from Fort Worth Texas, Senator Davis became pregnant at age 19 and a single mom, herself. Undeterred by her circumstances, she enrolled in a local college, transferred to a university and became the first college graduate in her family. She went on to Harvard Law School and, eventually, a career in public service.

Two days ago, 50-year-old Wendy Davis, stood on the floor of the Texas State Senate. She stood for almost 13 hours. She stood without water. She stood without a bathroom break. She stood and she stood and she talked and she talked...

She spoke about the responsibility of government to protect women’s health and our reproductive rights. And – with a little help from her friends – she managed to stand just long enough to help run out the clock on a special session of the Texas legislature. Through her filibuster, the gentlewoman from Fort Worth helped defeat one of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in the state’s history.

I salute Senator Wendy Davis. I salute her heroism and her advocacy on behalf of countless Texas women.

And I stand with her. On principle.

But here's the thing about standing on principle: Like Senator Davis, you have to remain standing.

You have to stay vigilant.

The only way to safeguard the hard-won civil rights of the 20th century is to fight like hell for them in the 21st century.

That's what I’ve learned this week.

And, in case it helps, I was reminded by a colleague at the EEOC that we have lived through these kinds of setbacks before. And time and time again, we’ve been able to overcome them.

Just a few years ago, a trilogy of court rulings – including the Sutton case – narrowed rights for people with disabilities. Those cases, however, ended up giving birth to the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. It was passed by a Republican Congress and signed by a Republican president.

Ledbetter vs. Goodyear effectively closed the courtroom doors to many victims of pay discrimination. That was until the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by a Democratic president.

Remember that the work of forming a more perfect union is never finished. Two steps forward, three steps back, right?

I suppose it can sometimes feel that way.

But have you ever actually tried taking two steps forward and three steps back? I bet that if you keep doing it over and over again, your net trajectory will be forward.

You know why?

Because when we move backward, it is with hesitation and uncertainty. It doesn’t feel natural and our steps, therefore, will be smaller. But when we walk forward, we do so with confidence and surety. Out strides are bigger and we keep moving ahead.

That's how progress happens. Not in a moment, but in a movement.

My friends at NELA, you are a vital part of that movement. And I am incredibly honored to have counted myself among the leaders and advocates of this fine organization. So, thank you for inviting me to be a part of this gathering.

This year, the U.S. Department of Labor marks it centennial anniversary. And as we celebrate 100 years of making workplaces safer, fairer, more productive and more diverse, we are mindful that we do not do this work alone.

We are joined at the federal level by partners in sister agencies like the EEOC and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Together, we are partnering and collaborating in new and unprecedented ways – sharing data, collaborating on cases, conducting joint trainings for our investigators, coordinating on litigation strategies, developing unified messages and establishing programs to educate workers on their rights.

President Obama called on us to come together in order to establish a unified civil rights agenda. And that is exactly what we are doing.

But the civil rights apparatus in the federal government is just one piece of a much larger tapestry, one that includes courageous workers, grassroots activists, social scientists, community leaders, elected officials and dedicated legal professionals like all of you.

The work you do is critically important to advancing civil rights. The cases you take on, the arguments you advance and the values you help to defend are inextricably linked to the enforcement actions of agencies like mine.

The Civil Rights Act, itself, contemplates a key role for private attorneys working in concert with government agencies like the EEOC, the Justice Department and the OFCCP. We are each critical legs of the same footstool.

Dr. King famously said that, "the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice."

There is a corollary to that. As President Obama likes to remind us, it "does not bend on its own. It bends because each of us, in our own way, put our hands on that arc. We bend it in the direction of justice."

That's the beauty of what you and I get to do every day. Long after a bill gets signed into law or the rallies in front of the courthouse dissipate, we are the ones charged with implementing the law, defending it and exercising its full potential.

I know this work is not easy. And often times we do it at great personal and professional costs. But we don’t do it seeking fame. And certainly not fortune. We make the sacrifices and do the hard work because we are stewards of America’s core values. We are the arc benders who make sure that every worker is afforded the full protections of the law.

I honor your courage. I honor your sacrifice. And we see countless examples of this work.

For every Susann Bashir fighting against religious persecution, thank God there is an Amy Coopman to stand with her.

When Leticia Zuniga Escamilla had to bear degrading sexual abuse at the hands of her supervisor she was all alone. But when she courageously fought back in court, she had Lisa Stratton by her side.

And when Sandra Knott had to battle cancer AND the California Department of Corrections, she had Jill Telfer battling right there with her.

This is what we do. These are the incredible workers for whom we fight. We bend the arc. We bend it for justice.

At the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, we have been in the arc bending business for quite a while now.

Our agency is the product of the great titans – folks like A. Philip Randolph, Dr. King and Dr. Dorothy Height. The OFCCP was established by Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon Johnson about a month after the Voting Rights Act became law.

The idea was pretty simple: civil rights and voting rights have to be paired with workers’ rights. Real equality means we can’t allow whole populations to languish without opportunities to find good jobs, to sustain themselves, to support their families and to join the American middle class.

In the early 1970s, OFCCP’s authorities were expanded by the Nixon administration through Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.

To put it simply, our job is to protect workers, to promote diversity and to enforce these three laws which prohibit federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in their employment practices. In addition, we hold the businesses we regulate to the fair and reasonable requirement that they take affirmative action to improve employment opportunities for women, minorities, people with disabilities and protected veterans.

In the nearly four years since President Obama asked me to lead the OFCCP, I have been clear that taxpayer dollars must never be used to discriminate.

And if private companies are going to profit from public dollars, then those companies have an obligation to provide equal employment opportunity and strive to build workforces which reflect the diversity of the people who fund them.

I am privileged to work with nearly 800 talented men and women in OFCCP offices all across the country. They are on the front lines of our efforts to combat discrimination and uphold affirmative action.

Together, we protect the civil rights of the nearly one quarter of American workers who are employed by – or seek jobs with – companies that do business with the federal government. Those companies receive lucrative government contracts to do everything from constructing our office buildings and laying our IT infrastructure to supplying food on our military bases and providing legal services for federal agencies.

To read the remainder of Shiu's speech, visit http://www.dol.gov/ofccp.

Repost: Wage Gap Persists in Most Occupations, Sales Jobs Worst Paying for Women

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr 09, 2013

Washington, DC–According to new analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), women earn less than men in nearly all of the 114 most common occupations. Women’s wages are lower than men’s even in occupations dominated by men and women have the worst earnings compared to men in sales occupations, such as insurance and retail sales.

Occupations dominated by women provide lower earnings: Four of the ten most common occupations for women, ‘maids and housekeeping cleaners, ‘waitresses,’ ‘cashiers and ‘nursing, psychiatric and home health aides,’ have median earnings for a full-time week of work that are insufficient to lift a family of four out of poverty. Women are more than twice as likely as men to work in occupations with poverty wages

“The most common occupations for women show how far women have come, with good earnings in many occupations,” said Dr. Heidi Hartmann, President of IWPR. “But they also show the desperate, and all too common, problem of low pay for many women.”

Women ‘insurance sales agents’ face the largest gender wage gap; women’s median weekly earnings of $641 are only 64.3 percent of men’s median weekly earnings of $1026. ‘Retails sales persons,’ among the twenty largest occupations for both women and men, have an earnings ratio for women of 64.3 percent. Latina women’s median earnings in sales occupations are only 45.5 percent of white men’s earnings, the group with the highest median earnings in all sales occupations.

“Year after year, it is occupations with high commission payments that do worst for women,” said Ariane Hegewisch, IWPR Study Director. “Given lack of pay transparency, we have to rely on lawsuit evidence showing that women are not less likely to work hard in these jobs, but are less likely to be given the higher earning accounts or work in the big buck sales departments.”

The fact sheet is updated annually by IWPR and provides median earnings for the twenty largest occupations for women and men and distributions across occupational groups by gender and race, based on weekly earnings data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Current Population Survey.


The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women and their families, promote public dialogue, and strengthen communities and societies.

View the original press release and contact IWPR at http://www.iwpr.org/.

Patricia Shiu of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Speaks at Summit on Women in Construction

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Director Pat Shiu addressed the crowd at the New York Collaboration for Women in Construction's Working on Equal Terms: A Summit on Women in Construction on Monday, March 8, International Women's Day.
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Thank you and good afternoon.

We meet at a critical time in our history, when our economy is recovering from the greatest setback it has faced since the Great Depression. And as we continue on the path to recovery there is much good news to share. Very good news.

OFCCP Director Pat Shiu
opens the Working on 
Equal Terms Summit in 
New York, New York on 
March 18 - Photo by
Joan Roth

For three straight years now, our economy has added private sector jobs every month – that's a total of 6.35 million jobs. Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since just before President Obama took office.

In the last two years, the construction sector has added 306,000 jobs – half of that increase happened in the past five months. And while there is much more we need to do, there is no denying that we are moving in the right direction.

So, when I say that the timing of this gathering is critical, it's because the valve is opening again. Jobs are beginning to flow at an ever-accelerating pace. And, if I may use just one more construction-related pun, it's time to strike while the iron is hot.

The question before us today is: what kind of recovery will this be? Will it be one that simply returns us to where we were before 2008? Will the sort of record-breaking numbers we are seeing on Wall Street right now actually have a positive impact on the lives of most Americans? Will we end up repeating the mistakes that got us into this mess in the first place?

Or, will the sobering experience of the Great Recession finally move us in a new direction, one which prioritizes greater opportunity for all our citizens, a true rising tide that expands and strengthens the middle class?

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, are we, at long last, prepared to do things differently now?

That is the central question before us today. It's why this conversation is so important.

Read Patricia Shiu's full speech at www.dol.gov/ofccp or view pictures from this event.

Women Comprise Only 3 Percent Of Construction Jobs; Local Women Changing The Tide

EOA Staff | June 11, 2012 at 11:18 am

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 75 percent of all registered apprenticeship programs are in the construction industry, but women constitute only 3 percent of all registered and active apprentices in construction occupations.

“We want to not only close that gap, but to offer innovative programs for women to step into unconventional jobs that they feel drawn to,” says Kirkland J. Murray, president and CEO, Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC). “We want to give them the competitive edge in a challenging job market.”

Sixteen enterprising women from diverse backgrounds who recently graduated from an eight-week intensive training program through AAWDC where they received certifications or skills in OSHA 30 Safety, NCCER Core, CPR/First Aid and building green/sustainable construction took it to another level. Armed with new skills and a passion to help others, they launched their own company, Working Women in Construction (WWIC), to assist women in obtaining jobs in non-traditional roles such as construction as well as provide general contractor, safety/safety management and workforce development services.

Their first project will be to give back to the community at the Severna Park Baptist Church on Friday, June 8, 2012, where they will rebuild a handicap ramp that has been in disrepair. Pastor David Brown of the church, which has served the community for more than 50 years, says, “We’re very glad and humbled to have this opportunity. Typically, we’re the ones to be on the giving end. It’s an honor to be receiving this from women who are in the minority [in the construction field].”
AAWDC’s Women in Construction program was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. Training was provided by The Association of Building and Contractors, Inc./Chesapeake Shores Chapter, AAWDC and The Maryland Energy Sector Partnership.

For information on Women in Construction and other training programs available through AAWDC, visit aawdc.org. For information on WWIC general contracting services, contact Monica Pineau, 443-995-0763.

The Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, in partnership with the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation received a U.S. Department of Labor grant in the amount of $5,793,000 for an energy sector green jobs training initiative. The initiative is designed to lead to increased employment in energy efficiency and renewable energy which cuts across a wide range of industries including construction, manufacturing, power generation, and those that are environmentally related.

Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation (AAWDC) is a 501(c)(3) Corporation charged with providing workforce and training services to Anne Arundel County citizens and businesses. AAWDC operates seven One-Stop Career Centers that offer innovative workforce solutions to businesses and job seekers. Business services include customized recruitment assistance, job postings, business retention, training funds for incumbent workers, and workforce transportation solutions. Job seeker services include job search assistance, career guidance, career development and computer skills workshops, access to our resource center, training assistance, and supportive service referrals.

Retrieved from: http://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2012/06/11/women-comprise-only-3-percent-of-construction-jobs-local-women-changing-the-tide/

Equal Pay Day: Women's Bureau Tool Kit

Equal Pay Tool Kit

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"Generations of women have fought for the advancement of their sisters, daughters, and themselves in acts of great courage -- reaching for and winning the right to vote, breaking barriers in America's universities and boardrooms, and flooding the modern workforce with skilled talent. While our Nation has come far, obstacles continue to exist for working women, who still earn less on average than working men. Each year, National Equal Pay Day reflects how far into the current year women must work to match what men earned in the previous year. On National Equal Pay Day, we rededicate ourselves to carrying forward the fight for true economic equality for all, regardless of gender."
— President Barack Obama's proclamation NATIONAL EQUAL PAY DAY, 2011

While women hold nearly half of today's jobs, and their earnings account for a significant portion of the household income that sustains the financial well-being of their families, they are still experiencing a gap in pay compared to men's wages for similar work.

When the Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President Kennedy almost 50 years ago, women were earning an average of 59 cents on the dollar compared to men. Today, we have narrowed that gap, but women still earn about 80 cents on the dollar compared to men. That gap results in the loss of $380,000 over a woman's career. The pay gap is even larger for African-American women (earning about 70 cents), and Latinas (about 60 cents on the dollar).

The documents included here show the work done and the work to be done toward closing the pay gap.

• White House Proclamation: 2011 Equal Pay Day Proclamation (PDF)
• Statement by Secretary Solis on 2011 Equal Pay Day (doc)
• Equal Pay: White House Fact Sheet (doc)
• Equal Pay: White House Fact Sheet (PDF)
• All Equal Pay Fact Sheets 2011 (PDF)
• Highlights of Women's Earnings by region
• Region I: Boston (PDF)
• Region II: New York (PDF)
• Region III: Philadelphia (PDF)
• Region IV: Atlanta (PDF)
• Region V: Chicago (PDF)
• Region VI: Dallas (PDF)
• Region VII: Kansas City (PDF)
• Region VIII: Denver (PDF)
• Region IX: San Francisco (PDF)
• Region X: Seattle (PDF)
• Lost Earnings Chart (April 2011) (xls)
• Lost Earnings Chart (April 2011) (PDF)
• Gender Wage-Gap Chart (April 2011) (xls)
• Gender Wage-Gap Chart (April 2011) (PDF)

Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/wb/equal-pay/equal-pay-toolkit-20110412.htm

WANTO Grant Application: Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO)

Retrieved from: http://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/wanto_sga_dfa_py_11_10.pdf


Submit your grant application today!

Funding Opportunity Number:  SGA/DFA PY-11-10
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:  17.201

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is May 21,
2012.  Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention:  Latifa
Jeter, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-10, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room
N4716, Washington, DC 20210.  For complete application and submission information, 
including online application instructions, please refer to section IV.

Summary:
The Women’s Bureau (WB) and the Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) Office
of Apprenticeship (OA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the
availability of approximately
$1,800,000 in grant funds authorized under the WANTO Act of 1992, Public Law 102-530, 29
USC 2501 et seq.  To that end, the OA and WB plan to disburse Program Year (PY) 2011 and
2012 WANTO grant funds to six consortia made up of a community-based organization (CBO),
a Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA) established under the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA) and a registered apprenticeship program (RAP) sponsor.  Each consortium will conduct
innovative projects to improve outreach, recruitment, hiring, training, employment, and retention
of women in apprenticeships in the nontraditional occupations, as defined in Section IX of this
solicitation.

Each CBO, LWIA and RAP consortium must consist of a minimum of  three
components:  1) a CBO (which may be a faith-based organization (FBO)) that has demonstrated
experience in providing women with job-training services; 2) a LWIA (which includes a
representative of the local government responsible for administering workforce programs under
WIA or Workforce Investment Board); and (3) a RAP sponsor (which can be an individual
employer, association of employers, or an apprenticeship committee which includes joint and
non-joint committees designated by the sponsor to administer and operate an apprenticeship
program and in whose name the apprenticeship program is registered or approved).  It is
anticipated that awards will be in the amount of up to $300,000 over the two-year grant period.
The grants will be awarded in June 2012 and funded over a two-year period

Complete information is available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/wanto_sga_dfa_py_11_10.pdf

Women's Bureau Funding to be Drastically Reduced! Act Now!

 

ISSUE ALERT The National Association of Commissions for Women (NACW) has a long history of successful collaboration with the Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor.  Indeed, the Women's Bureau Regional Administrators were instrumental in establishing commissions for women in the early 1960s.  President Obama has proposed a 37% reduction in Women's Bureau staffing, downsizing the regional offices from 10 to 6, and an overall 22% funding reduction. NACW strongly opposes these severe reductions and has sent letters to President Obama and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.  NACW has also provided written testimony for the upcoming hearing by the House Budget Appropriation Committee on Thursday, March 29.  This testimony is available  HERE . Time is of the essence - help protect the budget of the Women's Bureau, DoL and the voice of the ONLY federal office concerned exclusively with serving and promoting the interests of female workers. Suggestions on how to use this information: Write a letter to President Obama expressing your opposition to these cuts.                                    The President                The White House                1600 Pennsylvania Avenue                Washington, DC  20500                Send a copy of the letter to the Secretary of Labor                The Honorable Hilda Solis                Secretary of Labor                200 Constitution Ave., NW                Washington, DC 20210  Send written testimony (no more than 5 pages, one-sided, double-spaced) by March 28 to lh.approp@mail.house.gov Use information in NACW's testimony to write an op-ed for your local newspaper Send letters to your state's House of Representatives and Senators Contact your Department of Labor, Women's Bureau Regional Administrator (contact information HERE) to see how you can support the effort to reinstate funding Reach out to other women's commissions in your region (NACW is divided into the same 10 regions as the Women's Bureau; information HERE) to see how you can join efforts to bring attention to this critical issue.

friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Our mailing address is: 201 Hunters Crossing Blvd., Suite 10-172 Bastrop, TX  78602 855.703.NACW www.nacw.org info@nacw.org

Article on Job Corps Center being built in New Hampshire...mobilized women are an important consideration for success

Retrieved from http://www.newhampshire.com/article/20110820/NEWS06/708209987

Jobs Corps Center project going forward

By GARRY RAYNO

New Hampshire Union Leader

MANCHESTER — A project labor agreement, which delayed construction of New Hampshire's Job Corps Center for 21 months, will be a project requirement according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The department announced last week it would move forward with the long-delayed $35 million project off Dunbarton Road. A New Hampshire contractor challenged the requirements two years ago, delaying project construction.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said in a press release Friday she is concerned that the PLA favors out-of-state unionized contractors over local firms and could drive up the project's cost.

"The administration's plan to keep in place the PLA represents yet another senseless government mandate that could put New Hampshire businesses and workers at a competitive disadvantage. A PLA effectively gives unionized firms an unfair advantage over non-union firms, making it less likely that New Hampshire contractors would be able to bid successfully for the work," said Ayotte. "This is a New Hampshire project, and local contractors should be able to compete for it on a level playing field."

Project labor agreements usually require companies working on a construction project to provide health care, retirement benefits and apprenticeship programs. And PLAs usually include work rules, safety provisions, dispute resolution and a no-strike clause.

Contractors balked when the Job Corps agreement called for experience with three or more PLAs. North Branch Construction of Concord filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office and that brought the bidding process to a halt.

Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas said Friday his concern with the original PLA was the prior PLA experience. That meant no New Hampshire firms could qualify to do the work, because no firm had experience with three PLAs, he said.

"My understanding was that was not going to be in there," Gatsas said. "It should be New Hampshire people doing this project."

Gatsas said he has not seen the documentation, but noted "This is a project we need to move forward. It's 300 construction jobs to the city and 135 permanent jobs."

In response to a request from Ayotte asking to clarify the PLA issue, the DOL wrote that in keeping with a January 2009 executive order by President Obama, construction projects over $25 million should use PLAs. A PLA is appropriate for the $35 million Job Corps project, the department wrote.

Mark Holden, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire/Vermont said: "It is important for all New Hampshire taxpayers to understand the impact of this decision. Requiring non-union contractors to execute union agreements for the project, agreeing to replace their employees with union workers, pay into union funds and abide by union work rules and conditions creates unknown costs that are impossible to plan and bid for and are conditions that make it non-competitive for non-union contractors.

"To suggest that a non-union contractor's ability to compete would not be impacted by this PLA is untrue. A PLA requirement will have a chilling impact on competition from non-union contractors and will dramatically inflate the construction cost of this taxpayer funded project. At a time when a challenging economy is dependent on real solutions for job creation and accountability for every taxpayer dollar, this decision is unbelievable."

Joe Casey, president of the New Hampshire Building and Construction Trades Council, said Ayotte and Holden are making a lot of assumptions about the PLA and what it will require. "It all depends on what the project labor agreement is and I have yet to see one for this project," Casey said. "This is a debate we should have once the Department of Labor releases the project (documents)."

He noted the DOL hired an independent group, Hill International, to determine if a PLA is feasible for the project, but he had not seen the study. "We should all take a step back and see the actual contents of the project labor agreement," Casey said. "The provisions could benefit New Hampshire contractors and New Hampshire workers."

He noted the last major federal construction project in New Hampshire was the Berlin prison and the contractors and almost all of the workers came from out-of-state. That prison has yet to open because the federal government has not released operation money.

"That is the type of thing the project labor agreement addresses," Casey said. "If federal money is coming to the state of New Hampshire, why shouldn't it stay in New Hampshire with the New Hampshire workforce. At the end of the day, that is what we are looking for."

Dick Anagnost, a Manchester developer who is chairman of the Job Corps Task Force, told the New Hampshire Union Leader last week that the project will take about 18 months.

He said the Labor Department should take a month to prepare bid specifications. Another month will be needed to solicit bids, and a final month will be needed to review them.

A Job Corps Center will help train economically disadvantaged youth to enter high-growth industries. New Hampshire is among the last states to have a Job Corps Center. The state began efforts 10 years ago to land a center of its own.

Selection of Noteworthy Items from Live Q&A Session with OFCCP on 7/12/2011

Selection of Noteworthy Items from Live Q&A Session with OFCCP

Online Discussion with OFCCP Director Pat Shui on Tuesday, July 12, 1 p.m. EDT

Full transcript found at: http://www.dol.gov/regulations/chat-ofccp-static-201107.htm

OFCCP's Agenda

1:00 Patricia A. Shiu: Good afternoon. My name is Patricia Shiu and I am the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, also known as OFCCP. It is a pleasure for me to join you for the next hour and respond to your questions about our 2011 semi-annual regulatory agenda. At OFCCP, we are mandated to ensure that workers who are employed by or seek employment with federal contractors and subcontractors are not subjected to discrimination, including harassment, retaliation or termination because of sex, race, color, national origin, religion, disability or status as a protected veteran. Being a federal contractor is a privilege, not a right, and with that privilege comes a legal obligation to comply with affirmative action requirements and anti-discrimination laws.

Currently, we are engaged in several efforts to strengthen and update our regulations, bringing them in line with current law and adjusting to the realities of a modern labor force. Those efforts are articulated in the U.S. Department of Labor's 2011 Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda, which was published last Thursday. This publication reflects Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis's vision of Good Jobs for Everyone in workplaces that are safe, fair, equitable and free of discrimination.

OFCCP's five entries in the DOL's new regulatory agenda seek to improve employment opportunities for veterans, for people with disabilities and for women and minorities in the construction trades. We are also moving forward with plans to develop a compensation data tool that will improve our ability to combat pay discrimination. Finally, we will be seeking public comment regarding our proposed revisions to guidelines on sex discrimination.

Your input, comments and feedback are critical to shaping these regulations. For the next hour, I will try to answer as many of your questions as possible. Please note, however, that formal comments for the record must be submitted in writing either by mail or at www.regulations.gov when a proposed rule is open for public comment.

Public comments on all NPRM can be found at regulations.gov.

What are the proposed revisions to guidelines on sex discrimination?

Partial answers:

1:21 Comment From Beth Scott: When do you expect to release the proposed revisions to the guidelines on sex discrimination?

1:21 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Beth, thanks for asking, the NPRM is scheduled to be published in February 2012.

…………………

1:24 Comment From Nita Beecher: Is OFCCP planning any substative changes to the sex discrimination guidelines beyond changes in the law such as the one mentioned by you Pat?

1:25 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Nita, at this time, our efforts to update the guidelines are focused on stating clearly the existing principles applicable to a contractor's obligation not to discriminate in their employment policies and practices because of sex, and to formally align contractors' obligations regarding sex discrimination.

…………………

1:35 Comment From Brian Rousseve: Right now the Sex Discrimination Guidelines at 41 CFR Part 60-20 are pretty general, and a section addressing compliance with those guidelines is no longer a required element of a Federal contractor's E.O. 11246 AAP for Women and Minorities. Is the plan to "beef up" the Sex Discrimination Guidelines so that they are more akin in their scope to 41 CFR Parts 60-300 & 60-741?

1:35 Comment From Brian Rousseve: Is the plan to "beef up" the Sex Discrimination Guidelines at 41 CFR Part 60-20 so that they are more akin to 41 CFR Parts 60-300 & 60-741?

1:35 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Brian, at this time, our efforts to update the guidelines are focused on stating clearly the existing principles applicable to a contractor's obligation not to discriminate in their employment policies and practices because of sex, and to formally align contractors' obligations regarding sex discrimination.

……………………….

What size contractors is OFCCP auditing?

1:22 Comment From BCG Institute: Is OFCCP actively auditing establishments with fewer than 50 employees onsite?

1:22 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Thanks for your question. The answer is, No, OFCCP is not actively auditing establishments with fewer than 50 employees. OFCCP will investigate complaints against contractors of any size.

When is OFCCP doing these things?

1:45 Comment From Fred: Will the proposed scheduling letter update follow OIRA protocol (http://www.reginfo.gov/public/jsp/Utilities/faq.jsp), which includes a second public comment period of 30 days before final approval? If so, will OFCCP seek an emergency extension for the current scheduling letter, which expires 9/30/2011?

1:45 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Fred, yes, we are following the OIRA protocol and will provide an opportunity for a second round of comments on the proposed updates to the scheduling letter. We do not anticipate that an emergency extension will be needed.

Interpretation: The notice for the second round of comments will likely come out 8/31/11 – which will give 30 days to respond before needing to extend the current scheduling letter.

…………………

1:27 Comment From Guest: When will the updated OFCCP Compliance Manual be released?

1:27 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Guest, the FCCM will be published sometime this fall.

OFCCP has an MOU with the Federal Highway Administration

1:29 Comment From William Kerney: What efforts is USDOL/OFCCP making to avoid duplication of efforts in reviewing highway construction contractors for compliance with EO/EEO?

1:29 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: William, OFCCP has an MOU with the Federal Highway Administration. Our field offices coordinate with the FHWA on construction reviews in order to eliminate duplication of efforts.

How long does an audit typically take?

1:32 Comment From Molly Kurt: Once OFCCP receives a contractor's complete submissions in response to a scheduling letter, how long do you expect that OFCCP will take to close the audit, in the absence of any finding of discrimination in hiring or compensation? Thank you.

1:32 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Molly, thank you for the question. If there are no technical violations as well as no discrimination findings, an audit is generally expected to be completed within 90 days. Sometime when cases are more complex, it can take longer.

ARRA funds for conducting investigations ran out Sept, 2010

1:33 Comment From Ramsey Jones: When do you think ARRA funds will run out?

1:33 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Thank you for your question. ARRA funds for conducting compliance evaluation ended on September 30, 2010. OFCCP is currently completing its reviews of contactors that were scheduled prior to that date.

Active Case Enforcement vs. Active Case Management

1:34 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: There are several major differences between Active Case Enforcement (ACE) and Active Case Management (ACM). Under ACE, OFCCP is using all of the compliance evaluation investigative methodologies specified in the regulations (i.e., compliance review, offsite review of records, compliance check and focused review), whereas under ACM, only the compliance review method was used. Under ACM, a full desk audit was only conducted where there were indicators of discrimination or in every 50th review. ACE procedures require a full desk audit in every compliance evaluation. Additionally, ACM procedures focused on identifying cases where there were 10 or more affected class members, whereas ACE does not have a minimum affected class member threshold.

Complaint-driven process:

1:39 Comment From Ariane Hegewisch: What efforts is the OFCCP making so that workers know that their employers are federal contractors, and where they may complain if they think their employer is discriminating? What is the balance between audit investigations and complaints initiated investigations?

1:39 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Thanks for your question, Ariane. In just the first half of the current fiscal year, OFCCP conducted nearly 1,000 outreach events, reaching almost 26,000 stakeholders, including workers, community-based organizations, civil rights groups, employers, human resources professionals, attorneys, consultants, labor unions, veterans' service organizations and more. We will continue to participate in these activities. Notices of meetings and events can be found on our website http://www.dol.gov/ofccp. Unfortunately, there is no comprehensive list of all federal contractors; however, when a complaint is received at either EEOC or OFCCP, our investigators will determine whether or not the employer is a federal contractor. One thing we do know is that investigations based on individual complaints are twice as likely to result in a finding of violation than those we conduct based on our neutral scheduling process. Finally, OFCCP is hoping that our worker outreach education efforts will, indeed, result in more individual complaints.

Will OFCCP consider Title VII violations?

1:45 Comment From Stephanie R. Thomas: You've referenced analysis methodologies consistent with Title VII principles in this webchat, and also in previous chats. What is the Agency's position on the use of non-statistical tools for analysis? Are there non-statistical tools that are consistent with Title VII principles?

1:45 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Thanks for your question. Yes there are non-statistical tools that are consistent with Title VII principles. OFCCP will also consider anecdotal evidence, evidence of individual instances of discrimination and any other evidence that is relevant to the question of whether there is unlawful discrimination.

Is OFCCP interested in increased dialoge with labor?

1:47 Comment From Sarah V.: Has any thought been given to developing deeper relationships with unions and their apprenticeship programs, to increase the possibility that union referral programs will consider an employer's obligations regarding affirmative action and good faith efforts in referring its members?

1:47 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Sarah, that's a great question. In just the first half of the current fiscal year, OFCCP conducted nearly 1,000 outreach events, reaching almost 26,000 stakeholders, including workers, community-based organizations, civil rights groups, employers, human resources professionals, attorneys, consultants, labor unions, veterans' service organizations and more. Given our proposed regulations on construction, we are spending a significant amount of time meeting with our colleagues in the union movement. In fact, I spoke at the building and construction trades conference in California on April 30, and the DOL hosted an apprenticeship fair on the National Mall here in D.C. last month. We are always looking for opportunities to strengthen our relationships with our brothers and sisters in the house of labor. If you have suggestions, please feel free to contact my special assistant at Mehta.parag@dol.gov. Thanks

Some Definitions

1:47 Comment From Guest: Can you explain to some of us what is the "Scheduling Letter"?

1:47 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Guest, the scheduling letter is a notification that a federal contractor has been selected for compliance evaluation.

1:48 Comment From Heather: What is the FCCM?

1:48 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Good question. The FCCM stands for the Federal Contractor Compliance Manual and serves as a "how to" guide for OFCCP's compliance officers. The Manual should reasonably ensure quality and consistency by creating uniformity in investigative procedures nationwide and providing transparency as to how we conduct compliance evaluations and complaint investigations.

1:57 Comment From Guest: What is a FAAP?

1:57 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: A FAAP is a Functional Affirmative Action Program.

Are Federally assisted jobs covered?

1:50 Comment From Guest: I read the the regulations regarding VEVRAA and Section 503 to exclude employers working on federally assisted contracts, regardless of dollar value. Do you agree?

1:50 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Guest, you are correct. The regulations implementing VEVRAA and Section 503 do not apply to contractors that have only federally assisted contracts, and only Executive Order 11246 applies to federally assisted construction contracts.

How do they identify whether OFCCP has jurisdiction over a contractor?

1:51 Comment From Matt: If there is no comprehensive list of all federal contractors as you stated, what process or resources does OFCCP use to determine whether an employer to an individual complaint is a federal contractor?

1:51 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Thank you for your question. OFCCP uses several databases to determine whether an employer is a federal contractor. Examples include Central Contractor Registration (CCR), Federal Procurement Data System-New Generation (FPDS-NG), EEO-1 Surveys, and Dun & Bradstreet. CCR captures registration information of all federal contractors. FPDS-NG captures all transactions of federal contracts. We receive EEO-1 reports from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for all businesses that self-report as federal contractors. Finally, Dun & Bradstreet captures name, address, family tree, and DUNS numbers for all facilities and subsidiaries of a business.

…………………

1:58 Comment From Jolene: The OMB has a database of federal contractors (USAspending.gov). Does the OFCCP plan to collaborate with them to leverage and access the use of this database?

1:58 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Hey, Jolene. USAspending.gov gets its data from the Federal Procurement Data System-next generation database. OFCCP already uses the FPDS database to put together our scheduling list for compliance audits.

Results?

1:57 Comment From guest: Hi Pat, do you have any data on how you ofccp is doing relative to last year? More?

1:57 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Guest, in the first six months of Fiscal Year 2011, OFCCP has completed 44 financial conciliation agreements that include $5.66 million and 657 job offers for 8,090 victims. This compares favorably to the same period last year when we had completed 35 financial CAs totaling $2.77 million and 582 job-offers for 3,157 victims. This represents a 25 percent increase in CAs, more than double the financial remedies and, most importantly, an increase in job opportunities for workers who faced discrimination.

If underrepresented, what is required?

2:00 Comment From Sue: Does OFCCP require that more minorities be hired when there is under utilization or only that greater targeted recruitment efforts be made to attract the underutilized minority group?

2:00 Patricia A. Shiu, OFCCP Director: Sue, in the event of underutilization OFCCP requires contractors to undertake enhanced targeted recruitment efforts.

To be added to their mailing list for future web-chats

If you would like to be added to our mailing list, you may sign up for alerts on our web site at www.dol.gov/ofccp. You can also contact us directly through our hotline at (800) 397-6251 or by sending an e-mail to OFCCP-Public@dol.gov.