Mayor Signs Way to Work Act and Baseball Project Labor Agreement - Releases

(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams today signed the Way to Work Amendment Act and the Project Labor Agreement, both of which will address several employment barriers facing District residents.

The Way to Work legislation provides a living wage of $11.75 per hour for District residents who work for local employers who receive economic development assistance and funding from the District. The bill also enacts stronger First Source hiring requirements, and establishes a Job Opportunity Bank to provide job training to District residents.

The PLA guarantees a certain percentage of the work on the new ballpark will go to minority contractors; it ensures that many of the workers hired are District residents; and, it offers a great chance for youth and unskilled workers to learn valuable trades. The agreement also calls for unskilled apprentices to be hired at the launch of the project and when it’s complete they will be certified journeymen.

“Thanks are due to the representatives from the business and labor communities, non-profit organizations, and government agencies who worked tirelessly to refine and improve the Way to Work Amendment Act,” said Mayor Williams. “Ultimately, this law will increase employment opportunities for every segment of the District’s population–especially those District residents who are unemployed or underemployed and in need of additional training. This legislation will help get people back on track to greater self-reliance that comes from earning decent wages.”

At the signing ceremony, Mayor Williams was joined by Council Chair Linda Cropp and Councilmembers Vincent Orange and Jim Graham along with Barbara Lang from the DC Chamber of Commerce, Joslyn Williams, president of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO, Jerry Lozupone, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the DC Building and Construction Trades Council, and members of the Way to Work Task Force.

At the same event, DC Sports and Entertainment Commission CEO Allen Lew and Jerry Lozupone, along with representatives of other labor unions signed the landmark Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the development of the District’s new ballpark on the Anacostia Waterfront.

The Mayor’s Way to Work Task Force provided recommendations for revising the original legislation to reflect the concerns of all interested parties. Following the task force meetings, Mayor Williams revised the Way to Work Amendment Act—which received the endorsement of the labor and business communities—and forwarded this version to the Council.

“I am confident that through this PLA, we are fulfilling the promise of economic growth, new jobs and opportunities for our residents. Baseball is back, and we’re using the return of the sport to help ‘lift all communities’ across our city,” concluded Mayor Williams.