Yesterday, I wrote about my amendment to secure funding for Career Bridge. Today I would like to speak to a complementary amendment, calling on Councilmembers to support Priority Hire Pre-Apprenticeship Support.

Supporting Priority Hire

This past January, after two years of campaigning by over 40 organizations and countless community activists, Council unanimously voted to adopt a Priority Hire Ordinance. The new law requires construction contractors to hire workers from economically distressed zip codes in Seattle and King County to perform 20% of all work hours, and increasing job and apprenticeship training opportunities. This was a great step forward. But it’s just a start.

Alongside community activists, I have asked Council to allocate $300,000 to contract with pre-apprenticeship programs, such as YouthBuild, to help young people find work in the local building trades and other good local union jobs. We should be helping interested Seattle youth find careers now, straight out of high school, instead of spending money on incarceration when they find themselves at a loss, without any options.

Please take just a few minutes right now to contact Councilmembers and ask them to support budget action 923-12-a-1 allocating funding for Priority Hire Pre-Apprenticeship Support.

1) Email all Councilmembers at once through council@seattle.gov.

2) Call individual Councilmembers:

SALLY BAGSHAW – 206-684-8801; TIM BURGESS – 206-684-8806;

JEAN GODDEN – 206-684-8807; BRUCE HARRELL – 206-684-8804;

NICK LICATA – 206-684-8803; MIKE O’BRIEN – 206-684-8800;

JOHN OKAMOTO – 206-684-8802; TOM RASMUSSEN – 206-684-8808

3) Then Come to City Hall for Critical Budget Votes – Monday, November 16, 10 am at Seattle City Hall.

Councilmembers will be voting on which changes they want to make to the budget.We need your help to pack City Hall to urge Councilmembers to approve every amendment to improve this year’s Seattle City budget.

Posted: November 10th, 2015 under Workers Solidarity
Tags: Workers Solidarity, Youth Jobs