Alaska DOT conducting MBE study
On May 21st the
Alaska Department of Transportation held a special meeting to discuss MBE programs. Only three speakers spoke at the event.
One MBE company owner said that her company had suffered since the state dropped its requirements for hiring MBEs on state construction projects. But two other speakers representing two other Alaska construction companies, said that the program was unfair and that minority business owners should fight for work along with everyone else.
The state of Alaska Department of Transportation, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, the municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska Railroad Corp., are conducting a study looking into whether the agencies and their prime contractors are adequately using minority business owners when hiring for some construction projects, and if not, if it is due to discrimination.
Past Federal and state studies have shown unfair hiring practices, providing a legitimate concern. It has been common for states to change policies every few years and run surveys as to the effects of race discrimination upon the business environment.
Below is a photo of the beautiful landscape that construction workers view in Alaska.
