We did it! Spokane City Strengthens Quality Jobs

In December 2021 Spokane City Council passed an update to the 2014 Apprenticeship Utilization Ordinance. This is a victory our Jobs Team has been working towards since 2019. This update will ensure that the ordinance works the way it was intended and that we are creating as many opportunities for apprentices as possible. The Apprenticeship Utilization Ordinance sets standards for all public works projects over $600,000. It requires that 15% of the workers employed are apprentices and incentivizes the sourcing of local materials. It will also now:

• require that the apprenticeship hours are completed in each craft not just by one craft, and
• increase the fines for contractors who have repeated violations.

The update passed 6-1. Take a second to say thank you to our allies in the City Council. You can send an email to: [email protected].

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Quality Job Ordinances

In 2014, we developed and passed Quality Job Ordinances in Spokane. These policies require the city to hire a 15% rate of apprentices on all projects $350K or higher, give preference for local contractors and purchasing, and require all hired contractors to have “responsible” hiring practices. We have been working with the city to make sure they are enforcing the law and that contractors are complying. We developed a Community Benefits Agreement which names the values we want public agencies to use as a guide for how they spend our tax dollars to create a larger public benefit.