GRAPHICS: MassGaming encouraged by Plainridge Park Casino’s recent diversity report
- December 12, 2014
- by MGC Communications
- 0 comments
The following is a message from Director of Workforce, Supplier, and Diversity Development Initiatives Jill Lacey Griffin:
In keeping with the mandates of the statute, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will require frequent status updates from its licensees pertaining to its progress and achievement in workforce and vendor diversity. I’m pleased to report that the Commission was encouraged by data recently received from its Category 2 slots-parlor licensee, Penn National Gaming, regarding ongoing efforts to ensure that minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses have access to the economic benefits of construction at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Massachusetts.
Penn National Gaming has authorized their prime contractor, Turner Construction, to spend $56.7 million since the February 2014 groundbreaking. Of that, 25.1 million has been committed to minority-, women- and veteran-business enterprise contractors. Penn National and their contractor Turner Construction have dramatically exceeded their goals in all of the diversity categories as they relate to subcontractors.
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The Plainridge Park Casino project has also met the minority workforce goal of 16% set by the Expanded Gaming Act. Veterans compromise of 10% of the construction trade members working on the project. Women laborers accounted for 4% of the workforce, falling short of the goal to employ 7% women laborers.
MassGaming will continue to work with Penn National and Turner to improve gender diversity at the Plainridge Park Casino site. Penn plans to take a number of steps to address this issue. Penn National and Turner will meet with the Policy Group on Trades Women’s Issues. Penn has also extended an invitation to the group to join its next internal diversity committee and advise the company regarding their workforce diversity goals.
In addition, Penn National reports that the project is providing employment beyond the region, with individuals traveling to the Plainridge site from Southeastern Massachusetts, Metro Boston, the North Shore, Central Massachusetts, and Western Massachusetts.
The Commission remains deeply committed to ensuring workforce and vendor diversity, and looks forward to the next update about the Plainridge Park Casino.