SENATE RESOLUTION AFFIRMING THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING WOMEN IN THE BUILDING TRADES AND EXPANDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

S3068

2026 -- S 3068
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LC006104
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
AFFIRMING THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND'S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING
WOMEN IN THE BUILDING TRADES AND EXPANDING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO
CAREERS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Introduced By:
Senators Lawson, Gallo, Felag, Ujifusa, Murray, Rogers, Vargas, Britto,
Acosta, and Raptakis

Date Introduced:
March 12, 2026

Referred To:
Recommended for Immediate Consideration
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WHEREAS, Women comprise approximately one-half of the population of the United
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States and the State of Rhode Island, yet remain significantly underrepresented in the construction
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workforce, accounting for 4.3% of the industry; and
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WHEREAS, National apprenticeship data from 2023 demonstrated continued racial and
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gender disparities within the construction trades; and
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WHEREAS, Careers in the unionized construction industry provide family-sustaining
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wages and benefits that rival or exceed those of many professions requiring a four-year college
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degree, with the median annual wage for construction occupations in Rhode Island exceeding
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sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) in 2024; and
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WHEREAS, Across all jobs in the United States, women earn, on average, nearly eighty-
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three cents ($0.83) for every dollar a man makes. In construction, women are not subject to this
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same gender pay gap. All construction workers, regardless of gender, are paid the same wages
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and benefits as outlined in their collective bargaining agreements; and
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WHEREAS, Registered apprenticeship programs provide proven opportunities to earn
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money while you learn pathways to financial security for workers and their families, and
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economic mobility without the burden of excessive student loan debt, which is disproportionately
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borne by women; and
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WHEREAS, Women continue to encounter structural barriers to entering, remaining, and
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advancing in the construction industry, including limited access to training opportunities; and

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WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and its
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affiliated Local Unions, have made meaningful progress in creating pathways for women in the
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unionized construction industry through pre-apprenticeship programs, such as Building Futures,
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registered apprenticeship programs, and the work of the Rhode Island Building Trades Women’s
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Council; and
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WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has invested significant public resources in
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workforce development initiatives, including Real Jobs Rhode Island and registered
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apprenticeship expansion programs aligned with the State’s Rhode to Prosperity workforce goals,
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which have demonstrated success in increasing participation of women and people of color in
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high-wage construction careers; and
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WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the State to ensure that publicly funded capital
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and infrastructure projects promote high-road labor standards and equitable access to employment
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opportunities; now, therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby affirms its
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commitment to supporting women in the building trades and to expanding equal employment
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opportunity and economic equity for women and all Rhode Islanders; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the State affirms its commitment to continue to prioritize construction
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investments that transform not only the State's infrastructure but also its workforce by providing
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family-sustaining wages, benefits, and safe working conditions; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That this Senate supports the continued efforts of the Rhode Island
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Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliated Local Unions to recruit, train, and
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retain women in the construction industry; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That this Senate affirms that publicly funded capital and infrastructure
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projects should strengthen and diversify the State’s workforce through the use of high-road labor
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standards, including project labor agreements, apprenticeship utilizations, workforce reporting
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requirements, and appropriate project monitoring and oversight; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That this Senate expects contractors seeking to do business with the State
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are committed to creating access to good-paying job opportunities, to adopt and enforce anti-
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discrimination and anti-harassment policies, and to take proactive measures to ensure safe,
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respectful, and inclusive worksites where all Rhode Islanders can thrive; and be it further
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to
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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Building and Construction

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Trades Council and its Women’s Council.
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