The City awards many contracts to private firms to provide services to the public and to City government. The City also provides grant and loan funding to others for the purpose of economic development or job growth. The City expends grant funds under programs created by the federal and state governments, which promote the goals established for those programs and similar goals of the City. The City intends that the policies underlying this article serve to guide all of these expenditures to the extent allowed by the law.
City service contracts are subject to the City's Living Wage ordinance and provide covered workers with substantially greater wages and benefits than otherwise required by law. In addition, having the opportunity to work on a City contract affords workers valuable experience that can be used to garner future employment. The City has an interest in expanding the field of competent service workers to address the problems associated with a significant local unemployed, under-employed and unskilled workforce. The City serves this interest by expanding the opportunities that workers have to be referred for employment by City contractors.
The inadequate compensation often paid to service workers who are not subject to the City's living wage requirements fails to provide those workers with resources sufficient to afford life in Los Angeles. Further, there are many unemployed and under-employed service workers who are interested in performing work on City contracts. Young people constitute a significant portion of the unemployed and under-employed. Experience indicates that unemployment and under-employment contribute to devastating social burdens including a sustained, large population of unskilled workers, increased crime and increased need for costly social services. The City, as a principal provider of social support services, has an interest in promoting an employment environment that protects such limited resources. In creating a program that helps link Contractors with potential service workers, the City serves this interest and provides greater opportunities for employment on service contracts. To further serve this interest, the Library Department and the Department of Recreation and Parks are encouraged to adopt policies consistent with this article.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 179,281, Eff. 12-3-07.