HomeMy WebLinkAbout2676RESOLUTION NO. 2676
WHEREAS Initiative Measure 200, a state ballot measure that attempts to eliminate
affirmative action policies and programs for women and minorities in public employment,
education, and contracting throughout the State of Washington, will appear on the ballot for the
November 3, 1998, General Election,
WEREAS the City's voters and the public deserve to be engaged in balanced and
educated understanding of the merits and significance of affirmative action policies and practices
in public employment, education, and contracting;
WHEREAS affirmative action seeks to ensure equal opportunity, remedy discrimination,
and include women and minorities in all professions and trades;
WHEREAS the City of Bremerton has long practiced affirmative action and equal
employment opportunity beginning with Ordinance 3135 in 1974, and as evidenced by BMC
2.28 and its general employment practices through the present;
WHEREAS affirmative action programs create opportunities for our children to compete
and fully participate in the social and economic life of society, despite the obstacles of racism,
sexism, and cultural bias;
WHEREAS one of the primary goals of affirmative action is to ensure the inclusion of
qualified women and minorities in sectors of society where they have been historically
underrepresented;
WHEREAS affirmative action has improved the overall ability of government and
business to meet the needs of the diverse populations they serve through: ( 1 ) the creation of an
expanded labor pool to include the talents and skills of all communities; (2) enhanced economic
opportunities in the public contracting process; and (3) availability of educational opportunities
for all of the City's young people;
WHEREAS affirmative action programs enable the City and region to more effectively
compete in the international marketplace through the creation of a more diverse workforce;
WHEREAS the need to maintain affirmative action policies and programs is clearly
substantiated by historical and present employment figures which indicate that parity has not
been achieved for women and minorities in the w'orkforce;
iREAS women continue to face discrimination in the workplace as evidenced by
demonstrated wage inequity, fewer benefits, and fewer upper management positions;
WHEREAS the majority of minority and women-o~vned businesses continue to
experience economic exclusion, despite the jobs they create in the community and their
contributions to our economic base;
WHEREAS recent history indicates that there remains much work to be done in social
and employment opportunities in the City of Bremerton;
WHEREAS empirical evidence indicates that the abandonment of affirmative action in
public contracting has resulted in a dramatic drop in utilization of minority and women-owned
businesses;
WHEREAS college admissions statistics reveal that the abandonment of affirmative
action in public education has resulted in a dramatic drop in minority enrollment in higher
educational institutions, subsequently eroding opportunities to acquire the skills an knowledge
necessary to attain economic security and self-sufficiency;
WHEREAS the passage of Initiative Measure 200 could have an significant negative
impact on the City's convention, tourism, and trade industries;
WHEREAS many local and regional people, businesses, and organizations, including:
The Boeing Company; Washington Water Power; Kaiser/Group Health; Port of Seattle;
Association of University Women; Tacoma Chapter, NAACP; Korean Women's Association;
Tacoma, Ministerial Alliance; Washington Association of Churches; Pierce County Chapter,
HISPAC; League of Women Voters; Tacoma Urban league; Pierce County Labor Council;
Washington Federation of State Employees; Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective; Pierce
County Chapter, N.O.W.; Governor Gary Locke; King County Executive Ron Sims; former
Governor Dan Evans; Kitsap County; the Seattle City Council; the City of Tacoma; the City of
Vancouver; the Washington Business and Professional Women; Washington Association of
Churches; Filipino American Political Group of Washington; and the Washington Education
Association strongly support affirmative action and oppose efforts to end it;
WHEREAS Initiative Measure 200 threatens to erode the progress that has been made
through affirmative action to create a more inclusive society; and
WHEREAS the City of Bremerton is resolved to protect equal opportunity for all of its
citizens and promote diversity through outreach and recruitment programs targeted to women,
minorities, and people with disabilities;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Bremerton City Council that the
Bremenon City Council opposes Initiative Measure 200 and reaffirrns its commitment to
affirmative action programs that seek to remedy discrimination; tbster a diverse society, and
ensure the American dream that equality of opportunity is available to all.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council believes its strong support for
affirmative action sends a clear signal to the City's communities, especially to the City's young
people, that all individuals have an equal place in America's future.
PASSED by the City Council of the City of Bremerton this 21st day of October, 1998.
DAVID FARR, Council President