The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has expanded its rules to require diversity in casino construction; as a condition of being granted a casino license, developers must set diversity goals that target the unemployed and underemployed and set contracting goals that include minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses, according to www.constructiondive.com.
As a result, there are 328 women currently doing construction work at the $2.5 billion Encore Boston Harbor Casino in Everett, Mass., with some women earning $42 per hour. The Encore project set diversity goals of 6.9 percent for women, 3 percent for veterans and 15.3 percent for minorities. For the design phase of the project, Encore's goals are 7.9 percent minority business enterprise, 10 percent women business enterprise and 1 percent veteran business enterprise. Its construction contractor goals are 5 percent minority business enterprise, 5.4 percent women business enterprise and 1 percent veteran business enterprise.
As of August 2017, the project had exceeded by 0.3 percent its 6.9 percent goal for women in the workforce.
The Northeast Center for Tradeswomen's Equity is leading a statewide initiative in Massachusetts to see 20 percent of the building trades comprising women by the year 2020.
