Historical December 1987 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
In December of 1984, I instituted an Executive Order pertaining to the hiring of construction firms working on city projects or projects assisted by the City.
The goal of the Executive Order was to ensure that city residents would share in the economic benefits associated with the City’s recent growth and development.
The Executive Order was to be in effect for a five year period with the intent of placing city residents in 25 percent of apprenticeship positions in the construction industry’s metropolitan workforce.
In addition, contractors would strive toward having 20 percent of their journeymen workforce be residents of the City of St. Louis.
By 1989, the goals were to increase to 30 percent for apprentices and 25 percent for journeymen.
For each figure, a goal was set stipulating that half of the city employees would be minorities and 10 percent would be women.
Since the inception of the Executive Order, significant progress has been made toward achieving the specified city employment goals. I am confident that the goals can be achieved by the 1989 expiration date.
It is my desire to extend the Executive Order an additional three years, continuing through 1992.
By extending the Executive Order, the employment goals will be maintained at the optimal levels for an additional three years.
Although the goals of the Executive Order are not quotas, contractors must demonstrate a reasonable good faith effort in meeting them, given the qualifications of the individuals available for hiring.
A contractor that refuses to participate in the program or flagrantly violates its goals can be barred from all future work involving the City.
By applying the goals to the contractor’s area-wide workforce, the Executive Order was designed to open the greatest possible number of jobs to city residents.
The Executive Order specifically focuses on apprentices because that is where we could build long-term opportunities for city residents. I am pleased to report that this is the area where we have had the most success.
With a majority of the figures in for the third quarter of 1987, 18 percent of all apprentice positions in the metropolitan area’s construction trades were held by city residents as were 12 percent of journeymen positions.
This compares to 10 percent of apprentices and 8 percent of journeymen in the third quarter of 1986, the first quarter for which data comparable to current figures was compiled. Statistics reveal that each quarter the Executive Order has been in place, the percentage of city residents in apprenticeship and journeymen positions has increased.
The City will continue monitoring the progress of the Order as well as developing employment plans for contractors below the hiring goals.
The City of St. Louis is committed to identifying and providing employment opportunities for its residents.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, December 1987.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1987_12.pdf, printed page(s) 5; PDF page(s) 5.
