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

     WHEREAS, Women comprise approximately one-half of the population of the United

States and the State of Rhode Island, yet remain significantly underrepresented in the construction

workforce, accounting for 4.3% of the industry; and

     WHEREAS, National apprenticeship data from 2023 demonstrated continued racial and

gender disparities within the construction trades; and

     WHEREAS, Careers in the unionized construction industry provide family-sustaining

wages and benefits that rival or exceed those of many professions requiring a four-year college

degree, with the median annual wage for construction occupations in Rhode Island exceeding

sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) in 2024; and

     WHEREAS, Across all jobs in the United States, women earn, on average, nearly eighty-

three cents ($0.83) for every dollar a man makes. In construction, women are not subject to this

same gender pay gap. All construction workers, regardless of gender, are paid the same wages

and benefits as outlined in their collective bargaining agreements; and

     WHEREAS, Registered apprenticeship programs provide proven opportunities to earn

money while you learn pathways to financial security for workers and their families, and

economic mobility without the burden of excessive student loan debt, which is disproportionately

borne by women; and

     WHEREAS, Women continue to encounter structural barriers to entering, remaining, and

advancing in the construction industry, including limited access to training opportunities; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and its

affiliated Local Unions, have made meaningful progress in creating pathways for women in the

unionized construction industry through pre-apprenticeship programs, such as Building Futures,

registered apprenticeship programs, and the work of the Rhode Island Building Trades Women’s

Council; and

     WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island has invested significant public resources in

workforce development initiatives, including Real Jobs Rhode Island and registered

apprenticeship expansion programs aligned with the State’s Rhode to Prosperity workforce goals,

which have demonstrated success in increasing participation of women and people of color in

high-wage construction careers; and

     WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the State to ensure that publicly funded capital

and infrastructure projects promote high-road labor standards and equitable access to employment

opportunities; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby affirms its

commitment to supporting women in the building trades and to expanding equal employment

opportunity and economic equity for women and all Rhode Islanders; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the State affirms its commitment to continue to prioritize construction

investments that transform not only the State's infrastructure but also its workforce by providing

family-sustaining wages, benefits, and safe working conditions; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate supports the continued efforts of the Rhode Island

Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliated Local Unions to recruit, train, and

retain women in the construction industry; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate affirms that publicly funded capital and infrastructure

projects should strengthen and diversify the State’s workforce through the use of high-road labor

standards, including project labor agreements, apprenticeship utilizations, workforce reporting

requirements, and appropriate project monitoring and oversight; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate expects contractors seeking to do business with the State

are committed to creating access to good-paying job opportunities, to adopt and enforce anti-

discrimination and anti-harassment policies, and to take proactive measures to ensure safe,

respectful, and inclusive worksites where all Rhode Islanders can thrive; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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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