Norton Releases December Hiring and Small Business Data for D.C. Residents on Federal Construction Projects in D.C.
Norton to Host Roundtable on Employment Opportunities at Federal Construction Projects in D.C., This Spring
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the newest statistics from mid-December showing the number of District of Columbia residents employed and D.C. small businesses contracted at federal construction projects in the city that were achieved through Norton’s legislative work. The projects showing the highest percentages of D.C. residents employed are, in order from largest to smallest, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History (Clark Construction, 13%), Lafayette Building Modernization (Grunley Construction, 12.8%), the Old Post Office Building (Trump Construction, 12.6%), the Harry S. Truman Modernization (Clark Construction, 10%), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) construction project at St. Elizabeths in Ward 8 (Grunley Construction, 3.9%; General Dynamics, 3.9%). Norton is also tracking the number of D.C. small businesses awarded contracts at all federal construction sites in the District. At this time, only Trump Construction at the Old Post Office Building and Grunley construction and General Dynamics at St. Elizabeths have subcontracts, which can be awarded to D.C. small businesses. At the Old Post Office building, 10 percent of small business contracts have been awarded to D.C. small businesses. At St. Elizabeths, only two of the 15 small businesses that Grunley has subcontracted to perform work are D.C. small businesses, and only two of the 20 small businesses General Dynamics has subcontracted to perform work have been D.C. small businesses, though no small businesses are currently performing work for General Dynamics.
Since Norton’s November employment report, the number of D.C. residents employed and the percentage of work performed by D.C. residents have increased at the DHS construction project at St. Elizabeths, but not very significantly. Norton said these numbers were still far too low and that she will be looking for significant improvement as construction at the DHS headquarters picks up throughout this year, especially during the summer months, considering that she secured the full $556.7 million funding request for DHS consolidation in this year’s appropriations bill. Moreover, the fiscal year 2016 appropriation provides design funding for a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) building on the St. Elizabeths West Campus and completion of the Center Building for the DHS Secretary and his 900 staff and its surrounding buildings. In addition, once work begins on the new access road to support federal employee traffic into St. Elizabeths, which was funded by the fiscal year 2015 appropriations bill, Norton expects to see significant increases in D.C. residents hired for construction jobs. D.C. residents often work on road construction and drywalling, which are only two of the kinds of jobs that will be available at these projects. Norton said she also expects D.C. employment rates to improve also because the Center Building just came out of the design phase and is about to enter the main construction and renovation phases, which will require positions for which many D.C. construction workers are well-suited. The Congresswoman said there is no reason why Grunley and General Dynamics should not equal the statistics now being achieved by the other federal project contractors, none of which have less than 10 percent, the regional representation of D.C. residents.
Norton makes public the number of D.C. residents hired and D.C. small business contracted on federal projects in the District every month and must receive information from contractors by the 15th of each month. Anyone, regardless of residency, can work on a federally financed project, and federal law prohibits local jurisdictions from using specific quotas for the hiring of local residents. However, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) always conducts aggressive employment outreach for construction projects in D.C. and other local communities, as Norton is doing.
Prior to the start of heavy construction, Norton met with federal contractors to discuss hiring D.C. residents, to determine the job skills that would lend themselves best to D.C. residents, and to identify projects that would be well-suited for D.C. small businesses. As she has done in the past, Norton also makes unannounced visits to federal construction sites and holds roundtables to report progress.
The Congresswoman is planning a roundtable this spring to highlight the records of federal contracts on D.C. construction sites and upcoming job and small business opportunities at federal sites in the District and to address any challenges confronting D.C. employers or residents who want work at these federal sites. Contractors, employees and small businesses will be invited to testify.
GSA continues to staff an Opportunities Center at St. Elizabeths (2701 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE, St. Elizabeths West Campus), which is open weekdays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and provides assistance on all federal projects to prospective employees and helps small businesses with hiring and contracting processes at St. Elizabeths and other GSA sites. The center also offers resume writing workshops, job postings, 8(a) small business training, and community outreach.
Below is the hiring breakdown by company and total hiring at federal construction sites through November 2015. December 2015 hiring numbers will be available for release by February 15, 2016.
Ward 8 Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Project on the St. Elizabeths Campus
Contractor | Project | Total D.C. Residents Employed and percentage of total as of December 2015 |
Grunley Construction | Design/Build of the Historic Center Building | 7 of 179 (3.9%) |
General Dynamics | DHS Technology Integration Program (TIP) | 3 of 76 (3.9%) |
CW Resources | Custodial and Related Services | 65* |
CW Resources | Building Operations and Maintenance Services | 1* |
* No total number of employees reported
Old Post Office Building
Contractor | Total D.C. Residents Employed as percentage of total as of November 2015 |
Trump Construction | 60,761 man hours of 483,467 man hours (12.6% of total) |
Other Large D.C. Federal Projects
Contractor | Project | Total D.C. Residents Employed as percentage of total as of November 2015 |
Clark Construction | Smithsonian National Museum of African American History | 363 of 2833 (13%) |
Grunley Construction | Lafayette Building Modernization | 80 of 630 (12.8%) |
Clark Construction | Harry S. Truman Modernization | 52 of 520 (10%) |