Deconstruction, Reuse, and Green Building

Sisters In The Brotherhood will be sharing GREEN BUILDING information on:

LEED CERTIFICATION TRAINING & CERTIFICATION EXAM
DECONSTRUCTION TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
WEATHERIZATION TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
GREEN BUILDING REUSE CENTERS
BUILDING CODE & BUILDING INSPECTION TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
ENERGY CODE INFORMATION
LEAD ABATEMENT TRAINING & CERTIFICATION
GREEN JOB OPENINGS & TRAINING
CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITIES


PLUS CLASSES, EVENTS, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES:
INFORMATION IS GATHERED THROUGH NETWORKING AND PUBLIC INFORMATION.



TO SHARE INFORMATION PLEASE FORWARD INFO TO LNMALCOM@CRCCSIB.ORG
OR POST IN A BLOG, FORUM, OR EVENT ON http://sistersinthebrotherhood.ning.com/


To add a resource, use the CONNECT ME TO SISTERS IN THE BROTHERHOOD at the bottom of http://sistersinthebrotherhood.blogspot.com/


USBGC
U.S. Green Building Council
LEED CERTIFICATION TRAINING, VOLUNTEER, EVENTS
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1412


AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs
http://blog.aflcio.org/tag/center-for-green-jobs/

Green Collar Blog
http://www.greencollarblog.org/



The Reuse People

TRP offers the following green services and products:
• Building donation and deconstruction • Building Materials salvage • Building Materials distribution
• Great deals on reclaimed building materials and lumber • Project management • Training • Consulting services • Reuse and recycling plans

http://thereusepeople.org/Deconstruction




http://www.delta-institute.org/
Delta Institute
53 West Jackson Boulevard
Suite 230
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(312) 554-0900
(312) 554-0193 fax
delta@delta-institute.org


The ReBuilding Exchange
3335 West 47th Street
Chicago, IL


The mission of the ReBuilding Exchange is to divert building materials from the waste stream and make them accessible to the public for reuse, protecting community health, creating jobs and saving resources. We do this through the promotion of sustainable deconstruction practices, by making used build materials available for purchase at low costs, by providing educational resources and by creating programming that builds community and rebuilds Chicago's neighborhoods.


DONATE YOUR USED BUILDING MATERIALS! Got a renovation planned or have some used building materials in your garage? Bring them to us at our retail warehouse at 3335 West 47th Street in Brighton Park in Chicago. All donations must be pre-approved. Please call or email to check on donation guidelines and acceptance policies. All donations are tax deductible.


BUY MATERIALS FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT from the ReBuilding Exchange! Before you go buy something new for that renovation project, drop by our retail warehouse at 3335 West 47th Street and check out our inventory. You’ll find quality materials at low prices for all sorts of projects. We have appliances, lumber, doors, windows, lighting, cabinets, sinks, cast iron tubs and more!


VOLUNTEER WITH US! Volunteers are always welcome at The ReBuilding Exchange. Volunteers help organize and move building materials, reducing the flow of materials into the waste-stream and making it easier for the community to find and reuse resources.


For more information, please email us at info@rebuildingexchange.org or call (773) 847-3761.
http://www.delta-institute.org/rebuildingexchange/



Habitat ReStore Directory - United States
http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore.aspx



Building Materials Reuse Association
http://www.bmra.org/


BUILDING ENERGY CODES PROGRAM
http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/state_codes/state_status.php?state_AB=IL


U.S. Department Of Energy
http://www.energy.gov/


Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative
http://www.greencollarchicago.org/


Urban Habitat Chicago
http://www.urbanhabitatchicago.org/


ADD A LINK....

Hard Hatted Women receives Women in Apprenticeships grant

The Suburbanite
Tue Aug 11, 2009, 08:30 AM EDT

Cleveland, Ohio -
Hard Hatted Women (HHW), a Cleveland-based non-profit organization that trains and helps women and girls explore, pursue and excel in careers in high-wage, high-skill industries, was awarded a grant renewal from the Women in Apprenticeships and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) program through the U.S. Department of Labor. Also, HHW was selected as a host for seven AmeriCorps VISTA members, who commit to a year of national service to support anti-poverty programs.

The one-year WANTO grant is for more than $160,000 and allows the organization to continue the statewide Women in Ohio Roadways Construction project. The project promotes an outreach initiative that leverages training and community resources to ensure local participation in the building of transportation projects in Ohio. Strong partnerships with the Ohio Department of Transportation, building trade unions and contractors support the project’s successful achievement of helping more than 200 women enter and succeed in the industry.

“These federal investments in Hard Hatted Women will make sure that the talents and skills of both women and men contribute to the revitalization of our region and state,” said Terri Burgess Sandu, executive director, HHW. “HHW is well positioned to help make Ohio a leader in connecting low-income and unemployed women to both the emerging green economy and infrastructure jobs created by the national recovery program.”

The AmeriCorps VISTA members will be assigned to several different HHW programs. Three VISTA volunteers will work on Tradeswomen TOOLS, a program that has been extended to serve Cuyahoga, Lorain and Trumbull counties and is designed to link women to opportunities in high-wage skilled careers. A Green Jobs Coordinator and a Youth Education Coordinator will help women and girls learn about a wide variety of career paths. Two VISTA members will support HHW outreach and communications.“Filling these positions will vastly increase our ability to not only provide outreach, education, mentoring and leadership skill training for women, it will allow us to work more closely with employers and industry leaders in targeted fields,” said Burgess Sandu.

HHW is playing a unique role in ensuring equitable access to jobs created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the agency’s selection as a VISTA host was made possible by the act.

“The grant from the US Department of Labor as well as the VISTA volunteers will help HHW to effect change statewide,” said Burgess Sandu. “Serving in partnerships with employers and government agencies throughout Ohio allows us to ensure women benefit from new jobs in construction, manufacturing, and in the emerging green economy.”
AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 40 years. www.americorps.gov

Hard Hatted Women (HHW) is a non-profit organization with over 30 years of experience empowering women to achieve economic independence by creating workplace diversity in the trade and technical fields. With a focus on training, education, and policy initiatives, HHW works to create systemic change through community, state, and national channels. For more information on HHW, contact: Hard Hatted Women, 4220 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44103. Phone: (216) 861-6500. Fax: (216) 861-7204. E-mail: Info@HardHattedWomen.org. www.hardhattedwomen.org.

http://www.thesuburbanite.com/news/business/x262902882/Hard-Hatted-Women-recieves-Women-in-Apprenticeships-grant

Newsmaker of the day: Woman to be honored as first generation of Connecticut tradeswomen

Norwich Bulletin
Posted May 02, 2009 @ 10:59 PM

In the news: Katherine Marceau of Norwich is one of 19 women who will be honored May 16 in an event recognizing the first generation of Connecticut tradeswomen to reach retirement age.


Katherine Marceau

Background: Marceau, 54, was born and raised in Norwich. She graduated from Norwich Free Academy, started working in a paper box factory after high school and ultimately became a carpenter at Electric Boat. She completes 32 years there in May. Over the years, she’s built stages for other workers, installed soundproofing material and put insulation in submarines.

A man’s world: Marceau was 5 feet 1 inch tall and 105 pounds when she started working at EB. There were few female carpenters there at the time. “And it was hard, because some of the men just really didn’t want you there. But as a woman you’re trying to make your way,” she said. She said she came home in tears some nights, but she also had drive. “It got my competitive nature going. I did have a few battles with men. But by the time I was done, they did prefer to work with me.” The backing of her union, Local 1302 helped, she said.

The award: The event, called “Thirty years and Still Building: Connecticut’s Groundbreaking Women Celebrate Their Lives in the Trades,” is sponsored by the Connecticut State Building Trades, the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and the Carpenter’s Union. It will be at Zandri’s Stillwood Inn in Wallingford and will feature a documentary video interviewing the women. The Connecticut State Building Trades Council includes 17 trade unions in Connecticut. The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women is an arm of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Quotable: “I’m really honored,” Marceau said. “When I got called, I almost fainted. I just thought of myself as a woman in a shipyard. I didn’t think it would be such a big thing.”


http://www.wickedlocal.com/norwich/lifeevents/achievements/x342377968/Newsmaker-of-the-day-Woman-to-be-honored-as-first-generation-of-Connecticut-tradeswomen

Congressman Forbes to Host Free Government Contracting Seminar for Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses in Chesapeake, VA

Washington, D.C., May 13 -Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) is hosting a free Government Contracting Seminar for minority-owned and women-owned businesses to be held at the Lifestyle Center at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on June 8th, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. The seminar is free and open to any minority-owned and women-owned business person in the Fourth District who is interested in gaining insight and information into contracting to the federal government.

WHO: Congressman Randy Forbes, all interested representatives of minority-owned and women-owned businesses in the Fourth District, representatives from the Hampton Roads Procurement Assistance Center, the Small Business Administration, and a successful small business owner.

WHAT: "Government Contracting Seminar for Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses." A seminar to provide minority-owned and women-owned businesses who contract to the government with an overview of the federal registration process, including, small business regulations and Central Contractor Registration; an overview of small business programs, including 8A, Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone and Mentor Protege; information on tools to use in government contracting and on how to look for opportunities in the federal government.

WHEN: Monday, June 8, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. Check-in will begin at 8:45 a.m.

WHERE: The Lifestyle Center at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center

800 Battlefield Blvd N.

Chesapeake, Virginia 23320

Any minority-owned or women-owned small business person who would like to participate should register online at http://chesapeakegovcontracting.eventbrite.com/. They may also visit http://forbes.house.gov/ConstituentServices/chesapeakegovcontracting.htm for more information, including directions and an agenda, or may call Congressman Forbes' Chesapeake office at 757-382-0080. To ensure an adequate amount of resources are available for our participants, RSVPs are required for this event.

#DAL1234#

Forbes to Host Free Government Contracting Seminar for Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Businesses in Chesapeake www.tradingmarkets.com

Women hammer out success in construction

Small numbers result in need for mutual support

By Janice Denham
Monday, April 13, 2009 11:18 AM CDT

Janice Denham Journal / Journeyman Sharon Sitler of Jennings, left, and apprentice Meghan McKenzie of Clayton get information and practice at the St. Louis Carpenters' Joint Apprenticeship Program in Affton.

In the construction trades, only 1 percent of the workforce in Missouri consists of women. Teresa Willis, director of Missouri Women in Trades, points to that as a challenge for her group to become known among women who might choose a career as carpenter, electrician, welder or paperhanger.

The group can provide camaraderie for those working in such trades.

"Women don't see each other when they are working out there," Willis said. "It's nice to come together with other women experiencing the same things you are going through."

Even in a tight construction market, the group raises awareness that women can do these jobs, and there is opportunity in this industry which allows a woman to be paid well and raise a family.

Willis said the industry only stands to gain from increasing the number of women in the field, as it needs to focus more on women as a minority in the trades. Expectation is the workforce will need an infusion as baby boomers retire and traditional labor pools become harder to tap.


"An organization like ours, in an industry where it has mainly men, has value in that we can help them learn what the issues are that women face," Willis said.

Path to building

A woman already working may not arrive carrying her dad's - or even less likely, her mom's - hammer.

Lynda Mueller Drendel is the only woman of 15 full-time instructors in the St. Louis Carpenters' Joint Apprenticeship Training Program in Affton. With a college degree in social work, she was a non-union carpenter for eight years in New Orleans. Joining the union after working in St. Louis gives her a double perspective.

Janice Denham Journal / Lynda Mueller Drendel of south St. Louis, instructor in the Carpenters' Joint Apprenticeship Program, works with Steve Newland of Sedalia.

Equally at home wearing a hard hat or grading tests on OSHA requirements, she said the pay and benefits of health insurance and pension make the union attractive.

"The work is psychologically and physically challenging," Drendel said. "Union training makes the job definitely safer for both men and women."

Although women working in a predominantly male environment may feel isolated at times, she sees them gain confidence while on the job.

When Drendel started teaching, she found her attitude of impressing girls with a spirit that women can achieve anything needed an update.

"Women of today, just like my 11-year-old daughter, already know that," Drendel said. "Stereotypes have changed."

She and her husband, Bill, and their daughter, Anna, live in south St. Louis.

"There is no difference in the teaching," Drendel said. "Every carpenter has to find your strengths. Mine is trim (work), which I also teach."

Accommodation with a sense of humor helps both sides, too. A 25-pound tool belt can bruise narrow hips, but everyone learns the value of steel-toed work boots, earplugs, hard hat and gloves.

Years to prepare

To become a carpenter apprentice, a union contractor must sponsor an applicant. Four years on the job later, with a return to the training facility two weeks every six months, the apprentice becomes a journeyman.

Meghan McKenzie of Clayton has been an apprentice for about a year. After working as a manager in work camps for Campus Crusade for Christ, including relief after Hurricane Katrina, she came to Tarlton Corp. with a bachelor's degree in engineering science from Purdue University.

Fellow employees encouraged her to diversify from her position as project engineer. Whether welding, helping drive piles or learning scaffolding, McKenzie has gained new perspective on what she has designed.

"I kind of like to be in the midst of what is going on rather than in an office," McKenzie said.

Drendel, one of her teachers, hopes women tradesmen such as McKenzie will tap into Missouri Women in Trades to find the support they need to do their jobs better.

Tool turnaround constructs benefits for women in trades

Tools, even old ones, can encourage women to become new carpenters, plumbers, painters and other construction workers.

Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) will sell new and used tools and

construction equipment at a Tool Turnaround Saturday, April 25, at 8300 Manchester Road in Brentwood. A $10 donation allows early birds to check the supply from 7 to 9 a.m. before the sale opens to the public at 9 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m.

Besides the rain-or-shine sale, free activities for all ages include tradeswoman challenges and information about careers for women in the construction trades. A silent auction of handcrafted arts and crafts "? including shelves, tables, plant stands and stained glass windows "? made by tradeswomen will be offered.

Tools still can be donated for the sale. Collection sites are listed on the website http://www.mowit.org/.

Proceeds provide learning experiences for groups of girls, such as the Girl Scouts and students in technical schools, and career counseling for interested girls and women, plus support groups for women in the trades. MOWIT will offer a week-long day camp from July 13 through 17 for girls entering grades 10 through 12.


http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/04/13/west/news//0415ssj-toolturnaround01.txt

State is seeking the modern Rosie the Riveter

By Susan Abram, Staff Writer
Updated: 03/15/2009 08:11:11 PM PDT


BEVERLY HILLS - Martha Hernandez builds her future with cement and stone, nails and drill bits, lumber and steel.

Today, she is doing finishing work on French doors at the tony Beverly Hills Montage hotel. Someday, she will make homes and construct skyscrapers.

"I remember looking at buildings and saying, `I want to build that one day," said Hernandez, a 29-year-old Reseda resident and first-year carpenter's apprentice. "This is the only kind of work I love."

That's the sentiment state officials want to hear more of, especially now, as the average age of California's construction worker hits 47.

Retirements of existing workers loom just as federal stimulus money to repair the state's roads and highways, levies and dams, schools and government buildings, becomes available in the next few years.

That means the supply of carpenters, iron workers, equipment operators and masons won't meet the demand unless 200,000 apprentices are in the pipeline.

So a state campaign called ibuiltit.org has aimed its message at mothers, daughters and sisters, hoping to boost the 4 percent share women now have in California construction.

World War II gave the nation Rosie the Riveter. So why, some ask, can't the 21st century have Bridget the Bridge Builder?

"We wanted to target women because the building construction trade is a viable career," said Renee Bacchini, assistant to the chief at the Division of Apprenticeship Standards in the Department of Industrial Relations.

Bacchini produced a gender neutral television commercial last year that first aired in Fresno, but has been spotted recently on Los Angeles stations. The commercial features women of varying ages and races, affirming their decision to enter the construction field.

While some public works funds have been suspended and work stoppages have impacted apprenticeship programs, Bacchini said it's a good time for women to get into training programs. The paycheck is pretty good, she said. An apprentice earns about 50 percent - anywhere from $12 to $20 an hour - of what a journeyman's wages are.

But the challenge isn't just luring women into apprenticeship programs. It's keeping them there.

From January 1999 to January 2009, the number of women in construction increased just 11 percent nationally, according to figures by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That relatively small increase, some say, is due in part to harassment on the job or male supervisors who remain skeptical about hiring women. Finding child care also remains tough. Workers who have to be at sites at 5 or 6 a.m. often can't find places that accept their sons or daughters.

"When Rosie the Riveter came in, she was needed so badly. There were no men to push her out," said Kristyan Kouri, a professor of sociology, gender and women's studies at California State University, Northridge.

Kouri said some men think of their jobs as a "men's only" club much like fraternities or sports teams. As a result, they may become angry when women enter their "male sphere" and attempt to force them out.

"Many men have been taught all of their life to believe that they are innately more suited than women to work in fields like construction," Kouri said. "Seeing a woman who can do the job just as well as they can may be very threatening to their masculinity.

"Even though we've come forward in the last 40 years, we still have those sexist beliefs," she said. "Men may love a woman as a wife and sex partner, but they don't want them wherever they go."

That perception needs to change - and fast, said Pat McGinn, director for the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund.

"I believe we are approaching a crisis among the trades," McGinn said. "We have ignored the other half of the labor force, and I don't think we can afford to ignore them any longer."

McGinn said even though the employment sector has sputtered, there won't be enough apprentices once the economy stabilizes.

He agreed that society's perception of "women's work" is partly to blame.

"Among those women that come in, very few make it through the apprenticeship," McGinn said. "Given the choice, a man will hire a man over the woman. You've got co-workers who believe women don't belong there. It's still part of our culture."

That's why he and creators of the ibuiltit.org campaign plan to take their messages into the schools.

"It's a little bit unrealistic to devalue some of our most precious jobs that include doing work with your hands and getting dirty," Bacchini said. "It's not just going to work with a tool belt. You have the opportunity to own your own business, go up to foreman or superintendent."

In recent years, more women are being seen on home improvement television programs, but enrollment in classes continues to dwindle, said Jamie Robison an educational services coordinator for the Southwestern Carpenters Training Fund. Robison, who worked her way up as an apprentice to go on into millwright work as a supervisor, said Los Angeles' first construction expo in May will feature many women who own businesses.

Meanwhile, there are still women like Hernandez, who said she just wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. He worked construction, everything from framing and remodeling, to installing tiles and brick laying.

"I used to say, Come on, Papi, take me with you," Hernandez said. He refused until her mother persuaded him otherwise.

Hernandez said she once quit the work she loves so much because of harassment by male co-workers. But she joined the Carpenters Union Local 209 in Sylmar and returned to job sites, tool box in hand.

Not all the guys are receptive, she said, but she doesn't pay attention to negativity.

"I don't know what they think about me," she said, as she continued sanding one of the elaborate doors of the ritzy hotel.

Co-worker Rafael Ramirez said some of the men are learning to accept women at sites, but it's a slow process.

"Some guys are afraid she's going to take their job away," he said. "I say if she has the capacity, why not?"

Hernandez said carpentry is how she expresses herself.

"It's hard out there," she said. "But I'm not afraid of anything. This work puts food on the table."


http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_11921437

Pink Tool Belts and Pink Hard Hats

Who Will Be The First To Represent Women In The Tool Department?

Until now there has been little interest in meeting the needs of the more than one million women in the construction industry. More specifically women have had little choice but to use awkwardly fitting construction gear such as tool belts, work boots, and work clothes that were designed to fit men. GirlyLock LLC is stepping up to the plate to not only fill the needs of women in this industry but to make retailers and construction companies aware that this need exists.

Milwaukee, WI (PRWEB) April 2, 2009 -- Announcing the launch of GirlyLock.com. A company whose mission is to provide professional grade construction gear with the fit and function designed specifically for women working in the trade. Their top selling products are construction quality pink tool belts and pink hard hats.

Michelle Swamp started GirlyLock out of a basic personal need to find products that were durable yet fit a woman's shape properly and allowed for a little feminine flair. She says, "Just because I work in a traditionally male field, doesn't mean I should have to look like a man."

Michelle, who is also co-owner of CBS Construction, has been working in the trade for 15 years. During that time she has struggled with awkward fitting man sized tool belts, men's work boots, and men's work clothes as women's versions of sturdy work gear was simply nowhere to be found.

With the rise in popularity of home make-over and do-it-yourself TV shows, the public is becoming more aware of women in construction and women DIYers. In the past few years gimmicky pink toolbelts and pink handled tools have started popping up. The challenge is, these are not professional grade products designed to last through day to day use on the job.

That's when Michelle decided she was going to represent the "Pink Collar Worker" (a phrase she has coined for all the females out there working in construction and other traditional blue collar trades). Michelle states that According to the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), out of 10.1 million total people in construction, one million are women. "And," Michelle says, "Up until now, no one has taken women's needs for sturdy work gear seriously." And so GirlyLock, LLC was born.

Michelle took her own on-the-job experience to design and manufacture her own pink tool belts that are sturdy enough to last for years on the job AND fit women of all sizes comfortably. They also come in blue, black, and tan because we are here to represent all women not just those who like pink! GirlyLock hard hats, which meet OSHA regulations and ANSI standards, come in neon pink, aqua blue, navy blue, and jet black. There is also a GirlyLock line of work clothing and accessories. Michelle is adding to the GirlyLock line regularly and eventually plans to encompass women's needs from every angle.

Michelle still has her work cut out for her in convincing the male dominated field that there is a need for women's work gear. But, GirlyLock has already seen some success. Home Depot carried the GirlyLock line of tool belts as a Christmas seasonal item and GirlyLock has sold thousands of products online all over the world . She is currently pursuing several large home and hardware stores to pick up the GirlyLock line. She encourages all women in the trade and DIYers to contact these types of stores and let them know you want gear for women (preferably GirlyLock brand!).

Until GirlyLock products become available in your local store they can be purchased at the GirlyLock.com online store or call 1-877-447-5956

Contact:
Michelle Swamp, president
GirlyLock LLC
877-447-5956
GirlyLock.com

http://www.prweb.com/releases/girlylockconstructiongear/pinktoolbeltpinkhardhat/prweb2280444.htm

Turner awards record $1.4B to MWBEs

Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 11:31am EDT
Turner awards record $1.4B to MWBEs
Orlando Business Journal


Turner Construction Co. broke another company record last year in awarding contracts to businesses owned by minorities and women.

The New York-based general contractor, which has had an office in Orlando since 1984, awarded a record 2,850 contracts totaling $1.4 billion to minority- and women-owned businesses in 2008.

This is the fourth year in a row that Turner Construction has given more than $1 billion worth of contracts to minority- and women-owned enterprises, according to a news release.

“Our long-standing record of achievement in expanding economic opportunities for minority and women-owned contractors across the country is critical to the success of Turner and of our industry,” said Hilton Smith, senior vice president of community affairs, in a prepared statement.

Turner Construction is one of the leading general builders in the United States. The firm, which completed $9.6 billion in construction projects in 2007, is a subsidiary of German construction company Hochtief (FWB: HOT).

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2009/03/09/daily16.html

Round 3 Hampton, VA: Minority contractors faring worse since Hampton disparity study in 2006

Earlier articles:

http://sistersinthebrotherhood.blogspot.com/2009/02/minority-report-hampton-vashameful.html

http://sistersinthebrotherhood.blogspot.com/2009/02/rebuttle-hamptons-record-on-minority.html

Minority contractors faring worse since Hampton disparity study in 2006
By Matthew Sturdevant 247-7874
March 8, 2009

HAMPTON - — Minority-owned businesses have received a smaller and smaller percentage of city contracts in recent years, even after a report was released in January 2006 with recommendations on how to even out the disparity.

Hampton hired a consultant five years ago to analyze trends in city purchasing and procurement during the four-year period between fiscal years 1999 and 2003. The report revealed that Hampton's spending of taxpayer funds mostly left out minority-owned and women-owned businesses, which were a small fraction of companies available to do business.

For example, black-owned construction companies accounted for 4.38 percent of all prime contractors in the area, and received 1.05 percent of Hampton's construction spending for prime contractors during the four-year period.

Since the report came out, minority-owned businesses have fared worse, not better.


The percentage of Hampton's spending with minority-owned businesses decreased each year since fiscal year 2006. Businesses owned by blacks, Hispanics, Asian-Americans and other minorities received 1.63 percent of Hampton's spending in fiscal year 2008, which ended June 30. The city's record of spending with women-owned businesses fluctuated in recent years — as low as 1.11 percent in fiscal year 2005 and as high as 3.89 percent in 2007.

Even though the numbers reflect an under-representation of minorities and women, few of the business leaders who were interviewed for the disparity study — 6 percent of those surveyed — believed that discrimination was a factor.

Hampton's record of doing business with minority- and women-owned companies was better than the commonwealth of Virginia's by most measures, according to the disparity study. However, Hampton trailed in most categories behind other cities it was compared to in the study, including Charlotte, N.C.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Orange County, Fla.; and Columbia, S.C.

Sometime soon, likely in April, the City Council will hear a new round of recommendations from Jessica R. Spencer, the Economic Development Department's minority business coordinator, and from the Finance Department's procurement office.

Spencer is relatively new to the job. She was hired last year. She has 14 years experience and was director of the Business Opportunity Workforce Development Center for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

What aren't new are Hampton's efforts to improve representation by minority- and women-owned businesses. The city has had a Small and Minority Business Loan program since 1986 and a nondiscrimination ordinance since 1991.

The disparity report that came out a few years ago commended the city for having programs that make loan money available for small businesses and businesses owned by woman or minorities. The report also commended Hampton for "providing management and technical assistance through its support for local (business) incubators."

Hampton's efforts to help build minority businesses have had some success. Recently, the Economic Development Department welcomed three businesses owned by minority women: Java Junkies coffee shop at 768 Settlers Landing Road in downtown; KingsWay Physical Therapy at 208 Fox Hill Road, Suite B; and Soapalooza, a homemade soap shop at 3411 Old Armistead Ave.

The city also faces challenges in improving its record with minority businesses, which Spencer will explain in detail during a City Council workshop.

The real problem is the people who implement city policy, said Rudy Langford, president of the Coalition for Justice for Civil Rights, about the contract percentages.

"It's favoritism ... recommendations ain't worth a dime," he said.

On the other hand, former Councilman Charles Sapp, who is director of management services at REMSA, a minority woman-owned firm in Hampton, said he believes the low number of city contracts that go to minority- and women-owned businesses is not discrimination, but a problem with the city's process of soliciting bids and development proposals.

"That's an area we need to investigate — the processes and policies which raise barriers to small business," Sapp said.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_minoritycontracts_0304mar08,0,2464279.story

Unemployed Young Women Obtain Carpentry Training -VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Unemployed Young Women Obtain Carpentry Training and Tools for Life at the RONA Vancouver 2010 Fabrication Shop
YWCA-referred trainees earn job skills while helping build Canada's Games

updated 12:00 p.m. CT, Thurs., March. 5, 2009

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - RONA inc. (TSX: RON), the largest Canadian retailer and distributor of hardware, renovation and gardening products, is celebrating the arrival of a cohort of YWCA-referred women trainees at the RONA Vancouver 2010 Fabrication (Fab) Shop, the woodworking facility for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, located in Vancouver's inner city.

The 16 young women, beyond school age and having experienced significant barriers to employment, will receive 30 weeks of apprenticeship training from accredited BC Red Seal carpenters. During time spent at the Fab Shop they will benefit from employment workshops and job search support as well as personal life-skills coaching. Participants receive support such as equipment as well as assistance with housing and industry wages during their work experience at the Fab Shop, where they build some of the 8,000 wood objects to be used during the 2010 Winter Games, including podiums, risers, stanchions and signage.

"As a National Partner of Vancouver 2010, RONA is committed to the creation of grassroots programs right where the Games are held, so that local communities can also enjoy their benefits," said Christian Proulx, RONA Senior Vice President, People and Culture. "Just in time for International Women's Day, the group of women training at the Fab Shop helps remind us of the importance of value-added education projects for individuals needing help to build new lives for themselves and the next generation. This is perfectly aligned with our values and commitment to sustainability, and mirrors projects taken on by RONA and the RONA Foundation across the country. As a home improvement retailer, we're also very proud to see young women choosing a non-traditional career path, and showing a passion for carpentry and the construction industry."

"YWCA Vancouver is delighted to be partnering with the RONA Fab Shop for this wonderful project," said Janet Austin, CEO of YWCA Vancouver. "This program provides a unique opportunity for young women to gain skills to build a successful career that will set them on the path to economic independence. While moving forward in their own lives, they will also serve as role models for other young women who are looking to enter the trades."

The Fab Shop was launched in November 2007, when RONA and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) initiated a partnership with government funding partners and community organizations. The program is certified by the Industry Training Authority (ITA), the agency overseeing British Columbia's industry training and apprenticeship system. The program for this cohort is partially funded by both the ITA and Skills Link, a program of Service Canada. To date, Fab Shop recruits have assembled over 2,000 wood items, including a luge sled box, rifle lock-ups, sled hockey shelves, mascot stands and a bobsled podium.

"We're inspired every day by the Fab Shop carpentry trainees who have chosen to make such a big change in their lives," said Donna Wilson, Executive Vice President, People and Sustainability, VANOC. "VANOC's requirement to produce wood products for the Games was an excellent opportunity to offer trades training. We couldn't do this alone, of course, and we salute RONA's strong commitment to the success of the Fab Shop. It is a unique and powerful collaboration between industry, government and community."

The young women are the third group to undertake carpentry training at the Fab Shop. Previous cohorts were composed of underserved urban youth and urban Aboriginal adults, all facing significant obstacles, including limited employment and life skills, financial difficulties and inadequate housing. By the time the Games begin in 2010, a fourth and last group of recruits will have undertaken training at the Fab Shop, for a total of 64 participants.

The RONA Foundation

RONA, through the RONA Foundation, has been a long-time partner of YWCA Vancouver. It is YWCA Vancouver's Emma's Early Learning and Care Centre, a centre where teenage mothers from the Vancouver area are supported to complete their education and develop parenting skills that first brought the two organizations together. Created in 1998, the RONA Foundation helps young people achieve their potential and take their rightful place in the workforce by providing financial assistance to community programs including those fighting early school dropout; training initiatives; scholarships helping underprivileged students learn a trade; on-the-job training and other employment projects for disadvantaged youth. Over the past 10 years, the RONA Foundation has donated more than $2M to various charitable organizations.

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. RONA operates a network of close to 700 franchise, affiliate and corporate stores of various sizes and formats. With close to 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 15 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6.3 billion in annual retail sales. Visit www.rona.ca.

About YWCA Vancouver

YWCA Vancouver is a registered charity, providing a range of integrated services for women and their families, and those seeking to improve the quality of their lives. From early learning and care to housing, health and fitness, employment services and leadership, YWCA Vancouver touches lives in communities throughout Metro Vancouver. Visit www.ywcavan.org.


Contacts:
Media:
RONA
Eva Boucher-Hartling
Director, External Communications
514-599-5114 / Cell.: 514-237-8738
eva.boucher-hartling@rona.ca

Financial Community:
RONA
Stephane Milot
Senior Director, Investor Relations
514-599-5951
stephane.milot@rona.ca

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29531505/

Carpenters Recruit Apprentices, Local 289-CHEEKTOWAGA, NY

News from New York State Department of Labor

For more information contact: Tracy Falasco, 518-457-9000

Carpenters Recruit Apprentices

CHEEKTOWAGA, NY (03/04/2009; 1138)(readMedia)-- The Empire State Regional Council of Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, Local 289, will conduct recruitment from March 3, 2009 through March 2, 2010 for 10 carpenter apprentices, the State Labor Department announced today.

Applications will be available at the Local, (Zone A - 1159 Maryvale Drive, Cheektowaga) and (Zone B - Trott Access Center, Worksource One Center, Portage Road & 11th Street, Niagara Falls) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the first Tuesday of each month during the recruitment period.

The committee requires that applicants:

Be at least 18 years old - proof required at time of employment by signed statement submitted at time of application.
Have a high school or general equivalency diploma as recognized by the New York State Department of Education - proof required at time of employment by signed statement submitted at time of application.
Sign an affidavit stating they are physically able to do the work.
Have lived within the local's geographic jurisdiction for at least six months prior to the date of application - (Zone A - Erie County and Zone B - Niagara, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties.
Must take a drug test at the sponsor's expense given at time of employment.
Must have reliable transportation to and from work and school by a signed statement submitted at time of application.
Must be willing to attend school in Rochester.
Each eligible applicant will have to participate in an interview.
For further information, applicants should contact the New York State Department of Labor office located nearest their home or the sponsor at 716-632-3080.

Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.

First Woman-Run Transportation Construction Project Ahead of Schedule

Posted: Feb 26, 2009 07:29 PM CST

Updated: March 2, 2009 11:01 AM CST

SEE VIDEO: Women in Top Construction Jobs, ALL WOMEN MANAGEMENT TEAM

Nampa, Idaho -- The Franklin Bridge is a first for Idaho, a transportation construction project being led by women. On site, Kadee Porter is the project manager overseeing demolition, road widening and rebuilding.

"The best part of my job is seeing something get built from the ground up. Something that's going to benefit the public. Something that's going to stand for many, many years," said Porter.

She's part of a small minority of women working in the top levels of construction, where females typically make up less than 10 percent of the entire industry's workforce.

"I enjoy working outside. I love being out in the elements. I can handle the cold, the heat. I'm tough," said Porter.

And she's not alone. Jamee Coonce oversees the entire bridge project for the Idaho Transportation Department.

"It's not all math and science. It's fun. You do interact, you get to see what happens in the field, what happens on paper," said Coonce.

The project manager handling design is also a female. Creating a once in a lifetime opportunity for these pros who normally work mainly with men.

"Having the project management part of this project, from the ground up, led by women is unique because there are so few women," said Coonce.

The group hopes this is just the first of many woman-run projects and others will realize they can do it too.

"The word should get out that these career possibilities exist for women out there," said June Sparks, ITD's spokesperson.

With stimulus money flowing into Idaho, these leader's goal is to get the word out and see others like themselves join all the men who are lining up to take the new jobs that will be created.

"You know there's opportunities for women in all aspects of this field. Anything a woman's interested in, there's a job for her," said Porter.

The Franklin Bridge project is currently running three months ahead of schedule, which is very unusual.

The Idaho Transportation Department considers itself a very progressive agency. On its website, there are numerous tools aimed at helping more women get involved in its work, such as scholarships that make it possible to go back to school for an engineering degree.

http://www.fox12news.com/Global/story.asp?S=9914617

Lowe's sponsors National Women Build Week

Lowe's Pledges $20 Million to Habitat For Humanity International
03/04/2009


ATLANTA -- Habitat for Humanity International announced last week that Lowe's is extending its ongoing commitment to Habitat's affordable-housing work across the country with a new five-year, $20 million commitment.



"We realize our help in building affordable housing and promoting safe, secure communities is more relevant than ever," said Robert A. Niblock, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "As an organization committed to improving the communities we call home, we believe that extending our partnership with Habitat for Humanity will help these communities continue to address the tremendous need for affordable housing."



Lowe's new commitment to Habitat through 2013 will bring the company's aggregate Habitat contributions since 2003 to nearly $40 million. With the renewed commitment, Lowe's will continue to underwrite Habitat's Women Build program, a national volunteer movement encouraging women to learn construction skills and make a difference by building homes and helping to end poverty housing. This includes sponsorship of "National Women Build Week," a nationwide homebuilding initiative leading up to Mother's Day, and funding for a variety of build projects across the country.



Through 2008, Lowe's has supported nearly 1,500 Habitat houses built or renovated in the United States with grants ranging in size from $1,000 to $50,000. Additionally, Lowe's is one of Habitat's largest disaster-relief donors, contributing nearly $3 million domestically to Gulf Coast Recovery and internationally to Habitat's Asian Tsunami recovery effort.



Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, emphasized that the effects of Lowe's support go beyond the funding contributed and houses built.

"The generous contributions of our partners have a financial impact that goes well beyond the construction and renovation of homes," Reckford said. "Every time Lowe's helps Habitat—with funding or by sharing their expertise at an in-store clinic or through countless employee volunteer hours on the build site—those efforts create a ripple effect that is felt throughout the entire local community. New construction always inspires hope. Lowe's generosity will bless untold numbers of people, especially during these difficult times."


http://www.buildingonline.com/news/viewnews.pl?id=7953&subcategory=96

Women in Construction Week to be Celebrated Across the United States

National Association of Women in Construction will hold events March 1-7th
across honoring the contributions women make to the construction industry.

Fort Worth, TX (PRWEB) February 22, 2009 -- Women in Construction (WIC) Week will be celebrated March 1-7 by more than 100 chapters of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). NAWIC exists to enhance the success of women in the construction industry.

WIC Week provides a unified time for more than 5,500 NAWIC members to raise awareness of the opportunities the construction industry holds for potential employees and to highlight women as a visible, growing force in the industry.

Construction presents one of the few growing, well-paying careers in the United States that hires from high-school graduates to Ph.D.s

Women can build a career in the construction industry and advance by continuing their education. The emerging trend is women starting their own companies.

Our members reflect a cross section of industry segments and skill sets from business owners and executives to tradeswomen. The common link that shines through is passion for their chosen trade.

"Construction presents one of the few growing, well-paying careers in the United States that hires from high-school graduates to Ph.D.s," says Dede Hughes, NAWIC Executive Vice President. "Women can build a career in the construction industry and advance by continuing their education. The emerging trend is women starting their own companies."

A broad range of activities will be employed to spread NAWIC members' passion for working in construction. Award banquets, membership drives, community service projects and hands-on workshops will be conducted from coast to coast - all designed to promote construction and the value of women's contributions to the industry.

"Women have broken in to the construction industry and have gained depth and influence. In 2007, women accounted for nine percent of construction workers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics with women-owned firms seeing a consistent gain year over year," said Julie Lyssy, NAWIC Marketing Director. "Our members reflect a cross section of industry segments and skill sets from business owners and executives to tradeswomen. The common link that shines through is passion for their chosen trade."

Anyone interested in participating in events with a local chapter is welcome to contact the NAWIC Office at (800) 552-3506 to get more information about events in your area.

About the National Association of Women in Construction

Founded in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1955, NAWIC is an international Association serving more than 5,500 members in approximately 160 chapters in the United States. NAWIC also has affiliates in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and United Kingdom. To learn more about NAWIC, visit the NAWIC Web site.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb2136684.htm

Women carpenters help Habitat for Humanity-Canada

Women carpenters help Habitat for Humanity
Updated: Tue Feb. 17 2009 16:27:41

ctvcalgary.ca


Sixteen women from the Vermilion/YWCA Skills Training Centre are helping to build townhouses for Habitat for Humanity.

The women are all part of the Women Build Program. "Many of the women who come to us are single moms. And so for them to be able to break the cycle of poverty for them, and for their children, is huge. That's life changing," says Arlene Adamson, the director of YWCA of Calgary.

Construction on the eight-unit complex, at 1608 19 St. N.E., is well under way and the women are working on installing baseboards and other carpentry projects.

The women say that they are paying forward the help they received when they were in trouble.

"It warms my heart helping other people to get out of a place that I was in once, knowing that kids are going to have a roof over their heads is really fulfilling," says Jillian Ashley, a participant in the Vermilion/YWCA Skills Training Centre.

The Habitat for Humanity homes are expected to be completed by May or June.

The townhomes are close to schools, transit and shopping and will give eight families a hand up and allow them to become homeowners.

Habitat for Humanity uses donated labour, materials and professional services and that helps them to keep the costs down and provide a manageable mortgage for the families.

Habitat for Humanity Calgary was formed in 1988 and will celebrate the completion of their 100th house in 2009.

Over 4000 volunteers chip in on the affordable homeownership program every year.


For volunteer and donation information click on the Habitat for Humanity link.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090217/CGY_habitat_humanity_090217/20090217/?hub=CalgaryHome

Empire State Carpenters recruit Apprentices-Rochester

News from New York State Department of Labor

For more information contact: The Sponsor at 585-436-1110.


Carpenters Recruit Apprentices

ROCHESTER, NY (02/18/2009; 1207)(readMedia)-- The Empire State Carpenters Apprenticeship Committee, Region 4 (Rochester), will conduct recruitment for 30 carpenter apprentices from February 17, 2009 through January, 19, 2010, State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith announced today.

Applications will be available at the local, 21 Jet View Drive, Rochester, from 9 a.m. to noon, the third Tuesday of every month except holidays during the recruitment period. Applications can be filled out during times stated, only at JATC office. No applications will be accepted through the mail.

The committee requires that applicants:

Be at least 18 years old - proof must be available at the time of employment by a signed statement submitted at the time of application.
Have a high school diploma or equivalent by the State Education Department to be presented at the time of employment or indenture - proof must submitted at the time of application by a signed statement.
Have a reliable means of transportation to and from work and school - proof must submitted at the time of application by a signed statement.
By physically able to perform the work of a carpenter as required and determined by applicant personal statement.
Costs for medical examination, if required, are at the expense of the sponsor.
Pass a drug test provided by JATC given at the time of employment at the cost of the Apprenticeship Committee.
Pass a UBC qualifying math test and measurement computation test.
The list for recruitment will be used for commercial, heavy highway and residential carpentry.
Live within the geographical jurisdiction of Local 85 which includes counties of Monroe, Wayne, Livingston and Ontario (except for the townships of Phelps, Seneca and Geneva) and the townships of Portage, Castile, Perry, Warsaw, Gainsville and Pike of Wyoming County.
Each eligible applicant will have to participate in an interview.
For further information, applicants should contact the New York State Department of Labor office located nearest their home or the sponsor at 585-436-1110.

Apprentice programs registered with the Department of Labor must meet standards established by the Commissioner. Under state law, sponsors of programs cannot discriminate against applicants because of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, disability or marital status. Women and minorities are encouraged to submit applications for apprenticeship programs. Sponsors of programs are required to adopt affirmative action plans for the recruitment of women and minorities.

http://readme.readmedia.com/news/show/Carpenters-Recruit-Apprentices/405189

Wyoming gender wage gap persists

By JOAN BARRON
Star-Tribune capital bureau
Saturday, February 14, 2009 2:06 AM MST

CHEYENNE -- Wyoming women continue to progress in getting higher education degrees.

Nevertheless, they still don't make as much money as men.

For example, women with bachelor's degrees can expect to earn less than men who have only high school diplomas.

This information comes from a report on the pay status of Wyoming women by the Wyoming Council for Women's Issues.

Regardless of the persisting disparity, the report said higher education still pays off for women. The more education she has, the higher the salary she can command.

Wyoming's ratio of women's to men's earnings of 63 percent has been among the widest gaps in the nation for at least the past five years.

The national average is 77.5 percent, according to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau report.

Women's median earnings were less than men's in all 50 states, the status report said.

It found that Wyoming women trail men in representation in government.

Women also are more affected by the shortage of child care facilities in the state.

"Women need to run for elected office," Teresa De Groh, women's council chair, said Friday during a news conference in the Capitol Building rotunda.

The number of women in the 30-member Wyoming Senate decreased from four to one for a 3 percent representation. The Wyoming House lost two women, resulting in a decrease from 17 to 15 for a 25 percent representation.

Women do better at the local level. The majority of counties have at least 30 percent women in county elected offices.

But they hold only 11 percent of the county commissioner seats in the state.

Sixteen counties will have no women on county commissions this year, and 22 percent of the municipalities will have no women on their town councils.

Training women to work in nontraditional, male-dominated fields, meanwhile, is one way for them to earn a living wage.

The report said nearly 39,000 women now work in nontraditional careers, up about 1,000 from last year.

"But we need only so many heavy-equipment operators," said Sarah Gorin, chairwoman of the Equality State Policy Center.

Gorin's group was instrumental in initiating the wage gap study in 2003.

Women, she said, need health insurance through the expanded child health insurance program for children and working families.

A lot of women work part time by necessity or choice.

"If you're a part-time employee like most women, there's almost no chance you have access to health insurance because only 11 percent of part-time employees do," Gorin said.

These women cannot afford private insurance, which costs on average $12,000 a year with a high deductible.

If the only way a single parent can get health insurance is to work full time, then she encounters the shortage of child care, Gorin said.

A total of 40,293 children from birth to 12 years of age are potential users of child care services, according to an August 2008 report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

But current providers have only 17,565 spaces available, leaving 22,728 children with no child care services.

Another important issue, Gorin said, is the minimum wage.

The Legislature already killed a bill to increase the wage for tipped employees from $2.13 per hour to the federal minimum wage.

Most of these employees are women.

Opponents of the bill said employers are supposed to make up the difference if a server makes less from tips than the federal minimum wage but not all do so.

If they don't, the waitresses should file a complaint with the state, opponents of the bill said.

Gorin said the female employees believe they will lose their jobs if they complain.

"We're hoping we can initiate some personnel investigation action and enforcement actions to make some headway there," Gorin said.

Contact capital bureau reporter Joan Barron at 307-632-1244 or joan.barron@trib.com

Wyo gender wage gap persists

Women taking on high-profile roles at Cincinnati's Banks project

View slide show
Business Courier of Cincinnati - by Lucy May Senior Staff Reporter

In everything from design work to engineering to scheduling the construction itself, women are playing critical roles in building the Banks on Cincinnati’s riverfront.

Big-ticket local construction projects have for years employed women as laborers and women-owned firms as subcontractors. But industry insiders say they’re hard-pressed to recall a project with as many women in key roles on the development team itself as the nearly $1 billion Banks project.

“I find that encouraging because everybody brings kind of a fresh look at things, and that’s important to get the best solutions,” said John Deatrick, the Banks project executive who works for Hamilton County and the city of Cincinnati. “There’s a willingness to look beyond what’s typically been done.”

Among the women helping to create the Banks development is Patti Neal, a West Side native and Oak Hills High School graduate who is vice president of development at Carter. Carter is the Atlanta-based firm developing the Banks in partnership with the Dawson Co., also based in Atlanta. Laura Griffin, a development manager at Carter, has been helping craft a plan for the Banks since the firm first got involved in the project. And Tamara Kimble, vice president of strategic marketing and external affairs at Dawson, is point person for the project’s inclusion goals.

Photos

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2009/02/09/story6.html#

Women may exceed Men in the workforce due to the recession

Women to take to employment helm in the US
3 days ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Women in the United States may soon, for the first time, hold more jobs than men, if the economic crisis continues to eliminate jobs in male-dominated industries, according to experts.

With the Labor Department announcing on Friday that 3.6 million jobs have been lost in the United States since late 2007, women have come within a hair's breadth of becoming the most active segment of the population.

"Women are a total number of 66,701 million for December 2008 for a total of 134,591 million" jobs, Department spokeswoman Laura Kelter told AFP, "women are approaching 50 percent" of the working population.

Citing December 2008 figures, which do not include farm jobs, Kelter said 49.3 percent employees are women.

As the real estate bubble burst, construction and manufacturing jobs were the first to be shed, both sectors that are more likely to employ men.

Last month, when the manufacturing and construction sectors lost 207,000 and 111,000 jobs each, the health and private education sectors, which are dominated by women, created an average of 30,000 jobs each.

"Men have been hit much harder than women ... Although women have lost jobs, men have lost many more," economist Heather Boushey of the Center for American Progress said in an interview.

"There are fewer men at work in the US today than there have ever been at any point in time," she added, saying that only 69.2 percent of men now have a job, "lower than it has ever been."

In recent years, women have found job opportunities readily available in sectors like health and local government.

But women have also been hit by the economic downturn. Since the onset of the recession, unemployment has also grown for women, reaching 6.2 percent in January, up from 4.3 percent in December 2007.

Men have suffered a far greater setback, with unemployment growing by 3.2 points to reach 7.6 percent, up from 4.4 percent two years earlier.

That is a break with the past. In recessions prior to 1980, women's unemployment rose faster than that of men, Boushey noted, adding that this recession appears to continue a reverse trend that began in the 1980s.

"There has been only one other time since 1949 that men's unemployment has been this much higher that women's, in 1983 at the height of the high unemployment of the early 1980s recession," Boushey wrote in a report.

"If we don't pass the economic recovery package, we may see a very large job loss among women as cities and local governments lay off workers who are disproportionately women," she added, referring to the massive economic stimulus package currently working its way through Congress.

"As women increasingly take on the role of breadwinner, ensuring that they get a fair wage is taking on more urgency than ever before," said Boushey, noting that among full-time workers, women earn only 78 cents for every dollar a man earns.

Women to take to employment helm in the US

Construction trades are still a good bet, according to experts

The construction trades are still a good career bet for young people, experts say, despite the current downturn.


By Lynda V. Mapes

Seattle Times staff reporter

ALAN BERNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Construction Challenge judges Jeremy Abbott, left, Lily Iftner and Flo Hare grade a team's effort in the Manufacturing Design round.
Master Builders: http://www.masterbuildersinfo.com/
Puget Sound Skills Center: www.hsd401.org/PSSC/index.html

Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center: www.snoisletech.com/

Construction Center of Excellence: www.rtc.edu/CCE/

Seattle Central Community College: http://seattlecentral.org/

Edmonds Community College: www.edcc.edu/

Wage and employment information: www.workforceexplorer.com/cgi/dataanalysis/?PAGEID=4&SUBID=146

David Barber is only 18 but he knows himself well:

"I've tried working in stores, and the people make me mad. But give me a hammer or tell me to cut something and I'm happy. I'm the hands-on type."

He was right at home Saturday at a Construction Challenge event in Bellevue, where teams of students from middle and high schools put their problem-solving skills to the test.

They invented tools and structures, solved design puzzles and along the way learned about the building and construction industry as — despite its currently stalled state — a source of good-paying careers.

With only raw materials, a goal and their imaginations, the 61 students tackled hands-on challenges. In timed trials, they built inventions and structures from scratch, including even a cardboard-and-duct-tape Alaskan Way Viaduct — complete with vehicles.

Nationwide, more than 230 student teams competed in 15 regional qualifying rallies, including the one in Bellevue. The winners will advance to a final competition in Tennessee in May, to compete for cash prizes and scholarships.

Right now, layoffs in the construction trades go well beyond seasonal swings, state statistics show. In December 2007, 64 welders and cutters in King County were laid off, while this past December, 343 lost their jobs.

It was the same story with carpenters: 422 were laid off in December 2007, and 1,171 were collecting unemployment in December 2008.

But some experts are predicting that while construction is drying up now, by the time these kids are ready for a career, there will be jobs for them.

Between the federal stimulus package and the Sound Transit light-rail construction project approved by voters last fall, "There is business on the books," said Norward Brooks, executive dean of the Seattle Vocational Institute, a public, state-supported, work-force training school.

Plus, he said, "The construction industry has a lot of people who are old, and they are looking for replacements."

Ken Pierson, construction-technology instructor for the Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien, sees eight retirees for every new recruit to the construction trades. "There are great career possibilities, and women have an even better shot," he said. "We need every single graduate out there."

Ivars Graudins, manager of labor-market information for the state Department of Employment Security, sees a construction industry that is down but not out — and with this big advantage: "It pays a living wage without necessarily needing a four-year degree. "

Even apprentices in the building trades make $17 to $18 an hour on average, and journeymen with five years' experience can earn $30 an hour on average, Brooks said.

Construction has long been underrated as a career, some said. "These are well-paying jobs," said Cathy Feole, executive director of the Master Builders Career Connection.

"People think it's just hammer and nail and broom pusher, but there are so many jobs. And with more and more technology, there are more jobs for women."

Saturday's career-development program was sponsored by the nonprofit Association of Equipment Manufacturers and Destination ImagiNation.

Some students at the competition, at the Master Builders Association headquarters, already had their career path planned out.

"I wanted to be a marine biologist at first," said Michael Noelke, 11, of Fall City. "Then I was tending more into my baseball career. I think that's where I still am."

But then, he might move dirt, like his uncle. "I think I'd be more of a digger," Noelke said, "if I get to use one of those big trucks."

Lynda V. Mapes: 206-464-2736 or lmapes@seattletimes.com

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008719912_construction08m.html

Make sure women share equally in the benefits of the stimulus package

Publish Date: 2/8/2009

Polis: Stimulus draft favors men

By Tony Kindelspire
Longmont Times-Call

LONGMONT — As Congress debates President Barack Obama’s stimulus package, some are concerned the jobs it aims to create will favor male-dominated professions.

The final bill signed by the president will likely contain billions of dollars for infrastructure: transportation projects, schools and health-care facilities. The federal government will spend some of this money, and some will be funneled through state and local governments.

Proponents say the stimulus bill will create tens of thousands of new construction jobs, but as U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, points out, that industry is dominated by men. In a Jan. 15 letter, Polis urged the president to take steps to make sure women share equally in the benefits of the stimulus package.

“Absent efforts to increase worker diversity in infrastructure-related jobs — this could lead to a shift of hundreds of billions of dollars of wealth from women to men,” Polis, a first-term Congressman representing the 2nd Congressional District, wrote in his letter.

Polis said by phone early last week that a constituent in Boulder alerted him to the issue.

“While we all might have suspected, the numbers bore it out,” he said. “After assembling all the information, we found out that of all the infrastructure jobs, 93 percent go to men and 7 percent go to women.”

He said he wrote the letter for two reasons: to alert the president and his colleagues in Congress to the need to take action, and to point to training programs that would address the disparity.

Polis’ letter has drawn support from dozens of women and family-oriented nonprofits, who have sent letters of their own to the president and Congress urging them to add provisions to the final stimulus bill that will level the playing field.

“We believe that we need an economy that works for all of us, and we are encouraged by the discussion that is happening along those lines,” said Linda Meric, executive director of the Denver chapter of 9to5, the National Association of Working Women.

More women than ever are in the workplace, and more families than ever depend on that income, Meric said.

In 2007, women made up 48.7 percent of the labor force, up from 41.2 percent in 1980, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

During the same period, the number of households headed by a single female parent rose to 25 percent from 18 percent, and by 2007, more than 70 percent of children lived in either a dual-earner household or one led by a single, working parent.

The proposed stimulus bill does contain positives for women, Meric said. For example, she said, more money is slated for child care, health care, computerized medical records, and state and local governments.

“These areas employ more women, so job creation and job protection in those areas directly affects women,” she said.

The types of jobs the stimulus package provides are key, Meric said. Calling for “family-supporting” jobs, the letter 9to5 and the other groups signed calls for jobs that pay wages and benefits that will support a family and paid time off so workers can care for themselves and their families.

And given the increase in women in the work force and the fact that more of them are supporting families, the unemployment system needs to be modernized, she said.

“The workplace and the unemployment system haven’t changed to keep up with these changes,” Meric said. “We think that’s a very important piece of the economy.”

She said she supports Polis’ recommendations for diversifying the stimulus package and the work force. While it’s true that women are a small percentage of those working in construction, there are ways to get more women the training they need to do the jobs.

Polis calls for expanding the U.S. Department of Labor’s grant program that awards competitive grants to recruit, hire, train and retain women in apprenticeships and non-traditional occupations.

Polis also calls for enforcing existing rules regarding hiring women by federal construction contractors, and for providing incentives to privately held companies that employ women.

Meric said some of these measures won’t necessarily help in the short term, but they provide a way to begin diversifying the work force now.

“Those (measures) particularly provide an opportunity for us as a country to provide training for women and other underrepresented groups,” she said.

About a dozen other members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed Polis’ letter to the president, he said, including Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who has been in Congress since 1974 and is now chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

Tony Kindelspire can be reached at 303-684-5291 or tkindelspire@times-call.com

http://www.timescall.com/tcBusiness/business-story.asp?ID=14338

REBUTTLE: Hampton's record on minority purchasing isn't bad

February 8, 2009

David Squires undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows with his Feb. 5 column, "The business minority report shames Hampton." A close reading of the report reveals evidence for commending the city of Hampton as well.

First, consider the magnitude of the problem. The most dramatic statistic, in Squires' column as well as in earlier Daily Press articles, is that Hampton's population is comprised of 48 percent African- Americans, yet only 1.6 percent of purchases and procurements are awarded to minority-owned companies. The study actually compared the city's procurement award percentage to "the percentage of minority-owned businesses in the relevant market area," which for African-American owned businesses varied from 1 to 5 percent, depending on the type of firm. While some disparity was found, it was not anywhere near the magnitude indicated.

Second, consider the nature of the problem. The primary assumption has been that whatever disparity exists is a result of racial and gender discrimination. When the City Council established the Purchasing and Procurement Oversight Committee in 1989, its mission was to remove legal, financial and other barriers to small business while encouraging "greater, fairness and broader representation of the community." Some 15 years later, the disparity study was explicitly tailored to look for evidence of discrimination to provide a basis for the establishment of "a remedial race- conscious program." This perspective is further reflected by the report's opening 37-page summary of the evolution of affirmative action in procurement.

So over the years the focus has shifted from small businesses in general to minority and women-owned businesses in particular. Yet, only 6 percent of firms surveyed reported that discrimination was a factor in their experience with the procurement process, and those incidents occurred post- award and reflected mostly issues between prime contractors and their subs.


It also must be remembered that during much of the period of the study (FY 1999-2003) the mayor, city manager and key managers in the financial and procurement chain of command were all African-Americans, as was the City Council representative to the Purchasing and Procurement Oversight Committee. As the city leadership considers its response to the findings of the study, those individuals should be able to provide some additional insight into the policies that constrained them from fixing the problem when they were in the seats of power.

But all of the findings did not condemn the city. In fact, the city was commended by the consultants for a variety of actions ranging from the establishment of the Purchasing and Procurement Oversight Committee to extensive outreach efforts to the business community. Furthermore, although some disparities were noted, the percentage of dollars spent with minority businesses was generally higher than the level of spending by the commonwealth of Virginia. In other words, the city outperformed the state.

So, this issue has been formally recognized for at least two decades, and a number of remedies have been put in place. Yet, the situation has proved intractable. When significant effort is spent trying to solve a problem and it won't go away, then it is time to try something different, like shifting the focus back to small businesses in general.

The study offered other states, such as North and South Carolina and Florida, as procurement systems to emulate. As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia's procurement policies drive the city's procedures to a great extent, and there may well be opportunities for improvement at the state level. With that end in mind, good ideas need to be harvested from the more successful jurisdictions and championed as part of the city's legislative agenda.

A close and critical look also needs to be taken at Hampton's internal procurement policies and processes. Indications are that there are still nondiscrimination-related "legal, financial and other barriers" to doing business with the city that have discouraged a broad range of companies, especially small businesses.

I have even more insight to offer but learned at a young age that things given away for free are rarely valued. I look forward to responding to the request for proposal.

Sapp, who was a member of the Hampton City Council from 2004 to 2008, is director of management services at REMSA, a minority woman-owned firm in Hampton. He may be contacted at charsapp@cox.net.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-op_sapp_0208feb08,0,2321389.story

Study seeks to boost participation of women in construction -Canada

February 6, 2009

Construction Sector Council

Study seeks to boost participation of women in construction

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

The Ottawa-based Construction Sector Council is undertaking a study aimed in part at identifying strategies to boost women’s participation in the construction trades.

While initiatives have been undertaken over the years, primarily focused on raising women’s awareness of non-traditional careers, the council says there has not been an appreciable increase in the percentage of women working on the tools.

Data indicates that women account for only three per cent of those in the construction trades.

“We know that the overall number of women employed in the construction industry has increased,” says Rosemary Sparks, the council’s senior director of planning and development.

“But the percentage of women in the trades hasn’t really changed. We are trying to find out why that is.”

Previously, the council conducted research on participation of immigrants and Aboriginals in construction.

The study on the state of women’s participation is expected to be completed this spring.

The study will look at women as one solution to the skill shortages identified in the council’s Construction Looking Forward scenarios.

Sparks said the objectives are to gain insight into such areas as: whether barriers to women’s participation have changed; what initiatives have proven successful; what constitutes realistic benchmarks; and what needs to be done.

Study components include interviews with industry stakeholders and focus groups with women in construction.

“We are looking for people who have something to contribute to this topic,” Sparks said.

As part of the process, the council is contacting key trade associations for feedback and to arrange interviews with companies. While outreach also is being made to labour organizations, the majority of the interviews will be with employers.

“We will be seeking their views on what kind of support they think is needed to encourage women to enter the industry and perhaps more importantly, stay in the industry,” Sparks said.

The Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada has sent a questionnaire to its members as part of the study. Questions include:

•Has your company introduced any recruitment or retention practices to increase women’s participation in the trades and/or construction management ranks?

•What do you think labour needs to do to recruit and retain women?

•What do you think the industry needs to do to recruit and retain women in management occupations?
http://dcnonl.com/article/id32392

Building Industry Urges Congress to Support Economic Stimulus

Economic recovery must include policies focused on building construction. That's the message building industry representatives sent in a letter to Congressional leaders today. The letter represents 28 building industry organizations and the National Institute of Building Sciences. The organizations foresee that federal investment in our nation's buildings will invigorate the building design and construction industries and put Americans back to work almost immediately. The letter urges Congress to support programs that will renovate federal buildings, modernize schools and create more affordable housing. To read the letter and view a complete list of the 28 building industry organizations, visit www.nibs.org/economicstimulusletter.html.

Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 5, 2009 -- Economic recovery must include policies focused on building construction. That's the message building industry representatives sent in a letter to Congressional leaders today.

The building design and construction industries are responsible for nearly ten percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and employ more than seven million Americans. One million of those jobs have disappeared in the past two years, according to the Architecture Billings Index put out monthly by the American Institute of Architects.

The letter, sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner, represents 28 building industry organizations and the National Institute of Building Sciences. The organizations foresee that federal investment in our nation's buildings will invigorate the building design and construction industries and put Americans back to work almost immediately. The letter urges Congress to support programs that will renovate federal buildings, modernize schools and create more affordable housing.

The industry organizations promote a national economic stimulus program that will set up measurements and standards of performance to prioritize how projects are identified and funded. The organizations recommend looking at long-term benefits as well as immediate economic impact; considering high performance buildings that are designed for sustainability, energy efficiency, safety, security, resiliency, productivity and functionality; and building with the needs of future generations--those living 40 to 80 years from now--in mind.

To read the letter and view a complete list of the 28 building industry organizations, visit www.nibs.org/economicstimulusletter.html.

The National Institute of Building Sciences, authorized by public law 93-383 in 1974, is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together representatives of government, the professions, industry, labor and consumer interests to identify and resolve building process and facility performance problems. The Institute serves as an authoritative source of advice for both the private and public sectors with respect to the use of building science and technology.

###


http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/02/prweb1966574.htm

Minority Report: Hampton, VA...Shameful!

The business minority report shames Hampton
David Squires | Urban Affairs
February 5, 2009

Leaders in and around Hampton seem very cautious — defensive even — in discussing a recent revelation that the city does only 1.6 percent in purchases and procurements with minority-owned companies and only 2.39 percent with women-owned companies.

The population in the city of Hampton is 48 percent African-American. Besides that, Hampton has a nationwide reputation as a Mecca for the black middle class. As one associate said to me after finding out I'd moved here nearly five years ago: "Hampton is not the South." But 1.6 percent in purchases and services in such a diverse city — those numbers scream deep South.

People just expect much better from Hampton.

Such numbers lend weight to old-line civil rights warriors such as Rudy Langford, who says one should expect no better from Hampton's leadership, whom Langford characterizes as a bunch of "lightweights." And that's just the polite version of what Langford says.


A slight pass can be given to new council members such as George Wallace and Mayor Molly Joseph Ward, who are fresh in their seats and who have vowed to improve the numbers. While he was city manager, Wallace tried to bring some of his concerns to light, he and other insiders say. As a council member, he now has a vote and can do something about it.

Wallace can also be given praise for helping to bring the data to light by pushing the disparity study in Hampton that helped to crunch the numbers.

Apparently, Hampton is one of the few — if not the lone — city in Virginia to provide such a study. Why now? "Because it wasn't anybody's priority," Wallace said.

Councilwoman Angela Leary, on the council since 2004 questioned the validity of the numbers, saying she is "having a hard time reconciling" the figures.

Paige Washington, a councilman since 1996, understands the figures all too well.

Washington said the city's problems with being equitable to minority vendors stems from the 1970s when a Virginia Supreme Court ruling struck down minority set aside programs, which earmarked certain funds for minority and female contractors.

"It just became very frustrating, and some black businesses just gave up," Washington said.

In other cities, solid leadership and creative thinking have boosted numbers.

Tony Leverette, business development director for the Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council, based in Cleveland, said: "If an organization has committed themselves to minority business development, the equity doesn't start until they show some type of increase year over year."

Wallace said Hampton is working on policies to bring about such increases.

He and others also point out that the city of Hampton has done other types of business with minority-owned companies. For instance, a public-private partnership led to the building of the $13.5-million Boo Williams Sportsplex, which will be a lasting legacy for former mayor turned council member Ross A. Kearney II.

Hampton University President William R. Harvey points out that the city also donated 51/2 acres of land for the university's Proton Therapy Institute, a cancer treatment center. The city also laid out $60,000 a year for the past three years — and $50,000 for each of the three previous years — for a business incubator at HU, he said.

The incubator will help nourish some of the types of businesses that will eventually be able to do business with the city, and Harvey said it is his plans for HU to forge a long-term partnership with the city.

But with HU just a stone's throw away from City Hall, and with Harvey building hotels and other businesses all across Hampton Roads, why hasn't HU and the city of Hampton been doing more business all along? Did you know that Harvey and HU are in the hotel business? The university has financed the Hilton Garden Inn in Virginia Beach and the Marriott at City Center in Newport News.

Harvey praised Hampton for identifying its problem. " ... they are the only city to put their money where their mouth is," Harvey said, explaining that some other Hampton Roads cities had not yet decided to fund a disparity study.

"I think the mayor and the city manager and city council pretty much have their eye on the ball."

Well, if that's the case, maybe Hampton's city leaders won't miss that giant football staring them straight in the face.

New NFL Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith and Virginia Hall of Fame inductee William Fuller have put forth a proposal to develop land at Buckroe Beach, one of the few locations they were allowed to swim in as kids. Fuller and Smith, both Norfolk natives who are African-American, say their parents also have fond members of coming to Buckroe during the days of segregation.

Now they have a multi-phase plan to bring housing, vibrancy and jobs to that area of Hampton — and they are a gift-wrapped opportunity to show that Hampton is not "the South." For some, this might be somewhat of a Hail Mary.

Now let's sit back and watch as Hampton drops this ball.

David Squires can be reached at 247-4639, by e-mail at dsquires@dailypress.com or via blog at dailypress.com/urbanblog.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_squires_0205feb05,0,2667413.column