| R 153 |
| 2026 -- S 3068 Enacted 03/12/2026 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Trades Council and its Women’s Council. |
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| LC006104 |
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