Working In These Times

Gregory A. Butler 28 Dec 2009
10:16 pm

Speaking as a former vocational instructor and coordinator of a vocational training program, I can safely say that, in general, “job training” is not a solution to unemployment

In fact, it makes things worse.

Most so called “job training” programs basically serve as a screener - that is, bosses make potential job applicants jump through the hoop of a training program, because it helps them sort through the large pool of job applications they receive and enables them to only hire the applicants they feel are most “motivated” (that is, the ones who will go through an unpaid training program).

Beyond that, for the 70% of the labor force who do unskilled work, there is no real need for pre hire “job training” - since their job tasks can be learned on the job, on the boss’ time, rather than pre hire on their own time.

As for the specific job problems for former prisoners, we need a wholesale revampment of the nation’s prison system.

Victimless ‘crimes’ like drugs and prostitution need to be legalized and all persons incarcerated for those offenses need to have their records expunged.

Also, the present trend to criminalize bad behavior (drunk driving, domestic violence ect) needs to be abolished, and all the folks jailed for those crimes need to be released and have their records expunged.

But even with the expunged records, there are those long gaps in employment records created by prison sentences.

The solution there is to have the government financially compensate the above categories of ex offenders - basically by paying them for the time they spent in prison, and paying them post release until they can get a job, for as long as it takes for them to find a job.

Considering the fact that there are not enough jobs to go around, this, rather than bogus “job training” programs, would be the way to go.

Frank (Pancho) Valdez 29 Dec 2009
11:40 am

Hmmm… I see brother Butler’s point. Mining isn’t exactly rocket science. The other issue is will ex-cons join the UMW or help break it? People in vulnerable positions such as former inmates tend to be exploited by employers and forced to do things most people would refuse to do.

As to the limited amount of available jobs, Obama should and must enact a similar program to the WPA as did president Roosevelt. Our citiesare in need of repair and/or complete rebuilding. Streets, bridges, parks, schools are falling apart and federal money should be used to alleviate this.

Another solution is to make it illegal for American manufacturers to flee to Third World countries where they exploit the labor force and available natural resources.
Federal laws that actually fund big companies to move thier factories to foreign nations must be abolished!

Unemployment can be reversed, but our president must be willing to confront the issue force change that will assist us, not the bosses!

Gregory A. Butler 29 Dec 2009
5:27 pm

I agree with you about the potential that these miners could be used as scabs - and they almost certainly WOULD BE used as scabs in the event of a revival of the UMWA (which is presently a union in decay - they’ve gone down from a 200,000 member union in a 250,000 worker industry in 1979 to a 40,000 member union - less than 20,000 of whom are actual coal miners - in a 150,000 worker industry).

I agree about the jobs program too - although the WPA is far from a model - it was the Workfare of it’s day, there were frequent strikes by WPA workers demanding better pay (since they basically worked for their family’s welfare checks), it actively discriminated against Black, Latino and American Indian workers and it was used as a Democratic Party patronage program to get Franklin Roosevelt reelected and was gutted by Roosevelt after he won the 1936 election.

Also, a jobs program based solely on construction work will be an all male jobs program - since the industry is 99% male and actively discriminates against women workers.

We need PUBLIC SERVICE JOBS (education, health care, social services, youth services)to employ the majority of women workers who are in pink collar trades.

Frank (Pancho) Valdez 30 Dec 2009
8:49 am

You are right. Construction trades tend to be dominated by males and a public service jobs program would benefit a lot of people including the aged, disabled, youth, people who are seeking employment, etc

I could also see such a program benefitting the public school system as well as nursing homes, clinics and hospitals. Damn Greg, you’re a genius!

Gregory A. Butler 30 Dec 2009
1:20 pm

Thank you, Brother Frank!

I’m glad you like my ideas so much!