Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Minneapolis ponders on same-sex benefits for city contractors
A story published today by the Star Tribune reports that the City of Minneapolis has moved toward requiring city contractors to provide benefits to the gay and lesbian partners of employees.
The City Council's Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved the requirement, which would take effect in January 2004.
Companies with city contracts worth more than $100,000 would be subject to the new provision. The ordinance has a number of exceptions, including companies with fewer than 21 employees and faith-based contractors.
Major construction projects also were exempted because they often include union employees with negotiated contracts that would be difficult to alter. A union official told the committee he would set up a group to study the issue of including such workers in the domestic partner effort.
Council Members Gary Schiff, Dean Zimmermann, Dan Niziolek, Scott Benson and Robert Lilligren sponsored the ordinance. Benson said the change would help ensure that the city hires high-quality, competitive contractors who offer a full benefits package to attract top employees.
The proposal was modeled on a San Francisco ordinance. Los Angeles, Seattle and Berkeley, Calif., have similar ones.
The full council is expected to vote on the provision Friday
