Philadelphia Plan Law and Legal Definition
The Philadelphia Plan refers to a local construction industry initiative of senior Philadelphia officials to help to eradicate employment discrimination by executive orders.
The plan required contractors doing business with the federal government to commit themselves to self-determined goals of minority employment within a range of acceptable standards set by the government. The Department of Labor conducted hearings and gathered statistical information to prepare the plan and established that minority participation in the six trades (ironworkers, plumbers and pipe fitters, steam fitters, sheet-metal workers, electrical workers, and elevator construction workers) was approximately one percent despite the fact that minorities were 30 percent of the construction industry in the area.
