Harris County Commissioners Court this week set a $15 minimum prevailing wage for construction laborers working under county contracts, one of several workforce protections the court enacted.

Court members also directed the purchasing agent, county attorney and county engineer to figure out how to evaluate prospective construction vendors based on their safety records, health insurance coverage and openness to hiring employees who have criminal records.

In addition, county vendors working on federally funded projects must provide certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration training for workers and supervisors, and the Community Services Department is required to create new job training and apprenticeship programs.

“The workplace policies being incorporated demonstrate how labor standards can transform our communities,” said Linda Morales of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation.

The initiative, spearheaded by Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, was announced to coincide with the second anniversary of Hurricane Harvey. Ellis said New York, after Hurricane Sandy, and New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina, put in place similar rules as millions of recovery dollars flowed toward construction work.

“As we rebuild our region,we cannot address all of the inequities. but we can address some,” Ellis said at a news conference Wednesday morning. He added, “To build a truly resilient community, in the wake of Harvey, we need to be proactive about economic policies to create more opportunity for working families.”

Ellis said construction firms and labor groups have warned that the Houston area has a shortage of construction workers, which could slow local governments’ ability to complete recovery projects. Better wages, benefits and job training opportunities could help lure more qualified workers to the industry, he said.

Maynor Alvarez Cua, a painter, said he would have benefited from the new policies. Alvarez said he worked on the city-county joint processing center, where he earned $12 per hour. Alvarez said a colleague working on an unsecured 10-foot ladder fell and broke his nose, despite an OSHA recommendation that a spotter be used in such situations.

“I’m tremendously excited for the new law. It’s going to make a great impact on the families of construction workers,” he said with the help of a translator. “These standards need to be fulfilled so they are more than just words.”

Houston Contractors Association Vice President Jeffrey Nielsen said the group’s members already provide many of the benefits recommended by the county, and pay laborers at least $12 to $14 per hour. He said construction firms would comply with whatever regulations the county passes, but cautioned that taxpayers may pick up the tab for additional training.

“We’re going to do them, because they’re our client,” Nielsen said. “The bottom line is, the county is getting less miles road miles per dollar spent.”

The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Houston Gulf Coast Building and Construction Trades Council, Workers Defense Project and other groups helped the county shape the policies. Nick Wertsch, a Houston staff attorney for the Workers Defense Project, said Ellis took an interest in the issue after the city of Houston enacted similar worker protections in April.

“He was very much an equal partner in pushing for these things,” Wertsch said. “After the city started moving on this, the county took note.”

zach.despart@chron.com