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As two major construction projects get under way in South Seattle, opportunities abound for women and minority individuals to participate. But any potential workers don't even know they have that option.
The Northwest Labor and Employment Law Office - composed primarily of labor organizers - created the Fast Jobs program in 1999 to ensure that the people of color and women were able to get jobs in the Sound Transit projects; eventually the goal expanded to include the Housing Authority has HOPE VI construction under way at the New Holly site and will soon begin construction at Rainer Vista. HOPE VI is a federal project designed to remove deteriorated low-income housing and replace it with mixed-income housing that includes rentals and single-family homes.
The two projects together will one up more than 10,000 jobs in the next six years and will include more than $3 billion in spending.
The labor office, along with a consortium of 20 other community organizations, secured an agreement with Sound Transit calling for 35 percent of all construction work hours to be performed by women or people of color. That translates into about 6 million of 18 million total work hours, or 3,000 jobs.
In addition, state-approved apprentices must be hired for 20 percent of all work hours, and half...