As the Pasadena Unified School District moves forward with plans to negotiate a Community Workforce Agreement tied to its $1.4 billion in Measure O and Measure R bond funds, a local hiring advocate is pressing the Board of Education to embed enforceable local hiring and small business requirements into the deal.
In correspondence and public comment, Ronald K. Matthews, CEO of RKM Construction and formerly the district’s local hiring coordinator, warned that the current framework lacks measurable benchmarks and accountability.
“When the Board adopted Resolution 2021, it set clear, enforceable goals: 25 percent small business participation, 25 percent local service providers, 25 percent local tradespeople, and 5 percent female tradespeople,” Matthews wrote. “By contrast, Resolution 2780—though supportive of small business outreach—provides only voluntary goals and no enforceable percentages.”
Matthews cautioned that without binding commitments, the District risks repeating what he described as the shortcomings of its prior Community Workforce Agreement under Measure TT, which he said failed to produce transparency, regular reporting, or measurable outcomes for local workers.
He urged the Board to include several benchmarks in a new agreement, including specific hiring percentages from Resolution 2021, monthly or quarterly compliance reporting for residents in Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, enforceable small business participation goals, and student apprenticeship and career pathway deliverables.
“This is an opportunity to build not just schools, but also trust, opportunity, and equity,” Matthews said. “Without measurable commitments, the economic benefits will not reach the communities whose tax dollars are funding these projects.”
The Board adopted Resolution 2780 last year, which created a Small Business Program and outreach initiative, but it does not include direct requirements for hiring local workers or measurable outcomes.
Resolution 2021, passed in 2008, tied to Measure TT bond spending, did set enforceable percentages but was never embedded into the District’s Community Workforce Agreement negotiations.
The Sept. 25 discussion is expected to determine whether the Pasadena Unified School District will direct staff to bring those earlier standards back into play as part of the upcoming Community Workforce Agreement.
Thursday, September 25 at 4:30 p.m. Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (Room 236), 351 S. Hudson Ave., Pasadena. For more call (626) 396-3600 or visit https://www.pusd.us/about/
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