Repost: "Jobs for All" - Telling the Real Stories of Access to Opportunity

On April 10th, Gamaliel hosted Telling Our Stories: How to Organize a Powerful People’s Field Hearing (or Roundtable) on Jobs, a webinar that focused on telling the real stories of access to job opportunities in the construction field. The recap below includes links to the online event's PowerPoint presentation and video as well as information for those interested in organizing field hearings regarding construction job access.

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PowerPoint Presentation: Slides
Video link: Telling our Stories

A Timeline for Organizing a People’s Field Hearings

“Jobs for All:” Telling the Real Stories of Access to Opportunity

Who: People of faith, leaders in the community, elected officials at all levels of government—especially Members of Congress—U.S. Department of Labor regional staff, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regional staff, other decision-makers

When: Late spring and summer 2014

Why: For too long, low income people, people of color, and women have been denied access to quality jobs and career paths in the construction industry because of outdated federal regulations. Now is the time for reform. “Jobs for All” People’s Field Hearings provide a powerful vehicle for telling the real stories about access to opportunity in the construction industry and for calling on decision-makers to act now to create an economy that works for all Americans.

Resources: We have provided several sample resources on the Gamaliel/TEN website from transportation field hearings held by our affiliates. These may be adapted for the “Jobs for All” field hearings.

• Commitment Card (PDF)
• Field Hearing Bulletin Insert (PDF)
• MORE2 Photo and Story Release
• Program (PDF)
• Pulpit Announcement
• Save the Date Postcard (PDF)
• Transit Story Want Ad

Timeline:

• Three weeks to six weeks (or more) ahead of field hearing:
• Assemble your leadership team – give special attention to the following lead roles: targets, logistics, media, turnout, agenda roles and preparation
• Develop the agenda for your field hearing
• Begin turnout process
• Invite targets (Members of Congress, local and state elected officials)
• Enlist agenda participants, including facilitators
• Meet with representative of host congregation
• At least two weeks in advance of the field hearing:
• Reach out to media
• Check in about turnout
• Follow up with MOC offices and other elected offices
• One week ahead of the field hearing:
• Train facilitators
• Check in about turnout
• Follow up with MOC offices and other elected offices, as needed
• Reconfirm logistical needs with host congregation
• Two to three days ahead of field hearing:
• Hold field hearing rehearsal
• Check in with media about presence at event
• Submit press release to all media outlets
• Day of field hearing:
• Arrive early for set-up ( prep for arrival of targets, media, individuals on agenda, facilitators, other participants)
• Hold pre-meeting with those who have roles
• Host evaluation following the field hearing
• Within 24 hours following field hearing:
• Submit report, media received, and photos to “Dream for All” Campaign Staff
• If no media was present at field hearing, send a brief story with photos to the press


©2014 Gamaliel

Repost: Cory Booker, Tim Scott team up for the first time

Great article in The Washington Post about bi-partisan support for registered apprenticeship programs! Here's a preview:

"On Wednesday Booker and Scott teamed up to unveil their first significant piece of legislation designed to help create hundreds of thousands of paid apprenticeships in highly skilled trades, including construction, manufacturing, health care, energy and telecommunications. The hope is that the program will help create jobs for younger Americans, especially minorities struggling to find work. 

Booker and Scott’s LEAP Act (Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs) would provide tax credits to employers who offer apprenticeships to younger job applicants. Companies that offer apprenticeships to people under age 25 would receive a $1,500 tax credit and a $1,000 credit for apprentices above age 25."

Check out the whole article, written by Ed O'Keefe, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/09/cory-booker-tim-scott-team-up-for-the-first-time/.

Repost: Council addresses how to diversify workforce on city construction projects

An ordinance to increase diversity within the construction workforce is being considered by Seattle's City Council!
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by: Aaron Burkhalter, Staff Reporter

People of color and women make up a small portion of the workforce on city-funded construction projects. This year, people of color made up 25 percent and women represented 6 percent of the workforce on city-funded projects, said Nancy Locke, director of city purchasing and contracting services for the city of Seattle.

The Seattle City Council is exploring how to change that. The nine-member council will vote in September on a resolution directing city staff to research and propose a program that would hire more people from disadvantaged communities for construction work.

The city council’s Economic Resiliency Committee discussed the resolution Aug. 7.

The resolution stems from a request by Got Green, a South Seattle environmental and social justice nonprofit, and the Targeted Local Hire Coalition. The groups want the city’s construction contractors to hire a percentage of the workforce from poor communities, perhaps using the median income of a ZIP code or census tract as a guide.

Other cities require that up to 50 percent of the jobs on city construction projects go to people from those disadvantaged communities.

In Seattle, the Women and Minority-owned Business Enterprise program requires the city to contract out a percentage of work to businesses owned by women and people of color. It encourages the city to hire on-the-ground workers from disadvantaged communities, but does not require it.

It hasn’t helped, Locke told the Economic Resiliency Committee Aug. 7.

It’s difficult to legislate diversity in Washington state because voters passed an anti-affirmative action initiative in 1998 that prohibits state and local governments from hiring based on race or gender. Seattle is required to accept the lowest bid on a project and cannot select the contractor with the most diverse workforce.

Labor unions would support a targeted local hire program, said Jermaine Smiley of Laborers Local 242. Construction workers have a history, he said, of hiring from disadvantaged communities.

“Our union 100 years ago was started on the workers nobody wanted: African Americans, Irish workers,” Smiley said.

View the original article at http://realchangenews.org.