Two construction industry orgnaizations in Washington,
D.C. are challenging that local government’s recently enacted requirement that
contractors on public construction projects in the District hire District
residents to perform 70% of labor hours, 60% of apprenticeship hours, 51% of
skilled labor hours by trade and 20% of journeyman hours on public construction
job sites. The Associated Builders and Contractors of Metro Washington and the
D. C. Building Industry Association both contend there aren’t enough qualified
construction workers residing in the District to fulfill these requirements.
Supporters of the new regulations say the contractors
are at fault for failing to adequately support construction training programs
in the district. Steve Lanning, director at Laborers International Mid-Atlantic Organizing Coalition, says the
contracting and subcontracting businesses “are bringing forth the legal
argument, we’re bringing forth the emotional argument that the contractors that
continue to profit off city contracts and taxpayer dollars don’t want to do
their fair share to employ District residents.”
