Title
Ordinance supplementing the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title One: Administrative, Article VII: Procedures, Chapter 161: Contracts, by adding a new subsection at §161.16.
Body
WHEREAS, Individuals with criminal records suffer from pervasive discrimination in many areas of life, amongst the most difficult is attempting to obtain employment; and,
WHEREAS, Employers have increased the use of background checks considerably with the majority of large employers in the U.S. now screening their potential workers for convictions; and,
WHEREAS, Research shows that the lack of employment is a considerable cause of recidivism; with people who are employed proving significantly less likely to be re-arrested; and,
WHEREAS, Previously incarcerated people embody a group of job-seekers, ready to contribute and add to the workforce; and,
WHEREAS, Barriers to employment for ex-offenders is a major contribution to the creation of permanent members of an underclass that threatens the health of the community and weakens public safety; and,
WHEREAS, Elimination of the obstacles to employment provides economic and social opportunities to a large group of people living in the city; and,
WHEREAS, This ordinance is intended to support the successful reintegration of ex-offenders into the community by eliminating obstacles to gainful employment once released from prison; and,
WHEREAS, This ordinance is intended to improve the health and security of the community by helping people with criminal records to reintegrate into the community to provide for themselves and their families; and,
WHEREAS, This ordinance is intended to ensure that Applicants with histories of criminal convictions are not discouraged by the City of Pittsburgh's employment application process has and are not discouraged from applying for city employment.
The Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, Title One: Administrative, Article VII: Procedures, Chapter 161: Contracts, is hereby supplemented by adding a new subsection, h., at §161.16, as follows:
CHAPTER 161: - CONTRACTS
§161.16 - REQUIRED PROVISIONS IN CONTRACTS
(h) Every contract shall contain a provision stating that the contractor and all of its subcontractors shall comply with Chapter 181, Personnel, at §181.12(b), subject to exceptions for public safety agreements/contracts and those entered into with other political jurisdictions, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the United States of America. Any other exceptions shall be made only at the City Solicitor's recommendation, and then only with the Mayor's written approval. Any such recommendations and approvals shall be attached to the contract and filed with the City Controller's Office and the City Clerk.
This subsection also applies to contracts and agreements the City enters into with instrumentalities of the Commonwealth for which the City is the parent agency with the exception of those instrumentalities which are multi-municipal (i.e., Allegheny County Sanitation Authority; Sports and Exhibition Authority for Counties of the Second Class; Steel Valley Authority and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.)