Introduction to CBA

On September 5, 2012, the Portland City Council unanimously approved the passage of Resolution No. 36954, enacting a model Community Benefits Agreement (“CBA”) for use on City-owned construction projects. In doing so, the City recognized the CBA’s promise as a powerful tool to overcome the historical underrepresentation of minorities and women in the construction industry, both at the worker and contractor levels.

The CBA was initially applied to two pilot projects: the Kelly Butte Reservoir and the Interstate Maintenance Facility Renovation. The success of Portland’s CBA in not only achieving (and exceeding) nearly all of its immediate target goals for the inclusion of women and minorities, but also its promise in the long- term process of reversing those disparities. It is also important to examine some of the reasons for those successes and to applaud the City of Portland and all of the CBA participants for these achievements.

However, the work of the CBA has only begun. In order to realize the promise of the CBA, it must be extended to additional projects across the region as a tool to realize Portland’s commitment to achieving economic equity in both the construction trades and the larger economy.

Portland’s Community Benefits Agreement: A Proven Tool for Advancing the City’s Commitment to Workforce Equity