b'BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CSIA 11of women and people of color in construction decadesthe industry. after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed race, sex and national origin discrimination by employers andGiven the fragmented structure of temporary assignments unions. and subcontracting on jobsites, workers who experience discrimination often dont know how to report it, while The report broke down the underrepresentation ofthe threat of retaliation poses a particularly steep women and people of color in the sector, noting thatbarrier for workers seeking to assert their rights and women make up 11% of all workers in the constructionchange workplace culture. workforceincluding office and clerical positionsand 4% of tradesworkers. Black people make upContractors respond7% of construction workers, compared to 13% in theBrian Turmail, vice president of public affairs for the general workforce.Associated General Contractors of America, said the industry has been working aggressively to make And while Bureau of Labor Statistics data consistentlyconstruction more diverse and inclusive. shows that around a third of construction workers are Hispanic or Latino, the report said that withinHe pointed to over 900 of the associations members the industrys ranks, Black and Hispanic or Latino out of a total of 27,000, or around 3%that had employees were disproportionately concentrated insigned onto its Culture of Care inclusion program, lower-paying positions. as well as digital advertising campaigns that reached traditionally underrepresented communities to encourage A vicious cycle of exclusion people to pursue high-paying careers in construction. The report said these types of discrepancies between the industrys 87% White and 89% male workersTurmail also highlighted a 2018 paper the association contributed to a vicious cycle of fewer underrepresentedpublished that made a business case for diversity individuals being hired for available positions. Forand inclusion in construction. years, the sector has struggled to fill open jobs, the number of which increased by 68,000 in April.He said AGC welcomed the EEOCs focus on the industry. Harassment is pervasive on many jobsites and poses a significant barrier to the recruitment and retentionIt is encouraging that the EEOC is also now looking of women and workers of color in the industry, theinto this issueespecially considering its mission report stated.and we welcome them to a conversation and a process that our members are already years into It cited a 2021 survey of over 2,600 tradeswomen thatabout the best and most effective ways to create a found nearly one in four women reported experiencingmore diverse and inclusive industry, Turmail said near-constant sexual harassment, while one inin an email. five women of color reported always or frequently experiencing racial harassment on the job. Associated Builders and Contractors also said it was onboard with combating the issues outlined in Going beyond its usual focus on civil rights, the agencythe report. called out the harassment on jobsites as a workplace safety issue, citing evidence in an academic studyABC and its members oppose violence, coercion, that suggested an increased risk of workplace injuryintimidation, racism and the denial of the rights of for tradespeople who experience harassment.anyone, by anyone, at any time, said Greg Sizemore, vice president of health, safety, environment and Finally, the report said that retaliation, while notworkforce development at Associated Builders and unique to construction, was a serious problem inContractors.csiaonline.org'