July 27, 2007
HANDS OFF OUR JOBS!
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Rosie couldn't have survived on today's minimum wage |
Women transitioning from welfare to work or a billionaire mayor—who should Governor Eliot Spitzer listen to this week when he decides whether to veto the common-sense Nontraditional Employment and Sustainable Wage bill? We're thinking the women, who want a fair shot at good jobs in traditionally male-dominated professions. Unfortunately, if the statement a Spitzer's spokeswoman gave earlier this week is any indication, the well-born Governor is leaning the wrong way on the issue.*
The Monday, July 23, edition of City Limits Magazine quoted Spitzer mouthpiece Christine Pritchard saying that "postponing work engagement doesn't fit with a blended strategy of employment experience plus skills enhancement." Her words are a foreboding complement to what Mayor Michael Bloomberg spokesperson Dawn Walker told the Update this week: "Delaying entry into the job market until a sustainable wage job is available goes against our philosophy of valuing all employment. This bill does not recognize the importance of finding employment even at a low wage and then increasing salary over time."
To supporters of the Nontraditional Employment and Sustainable Wage bill, "postponing work engagement" sounds like a fancy way of saying that people coming off of welfare rolls should take jobs that pay only slightly better than welfare instead of receiving training for jobs that will lift them out of poverty. Advocates fear Spitzer will bow to Bloomberg pressure.
"State public welfare association and New York City have gotten complacent and are unwilling to look at real opportunities," said Mike Kink, Housing Works statewide advocacy coordinator. "Thinking long-term is what's going to bring people out of poverty."
Bill co-sponsor, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, a "huge fan" of nontraditional employment opportunities, agreed. "Our bill is necessary to help lift women and their children out of poverty and to keep them from returning to a life of hopelessness,” Montgomery said.
"This job keeps me healthy"As the Update reported last week, the Job Training bill, which passed easily in the Senate and Assembly, requires welfare offices to make more of an effort to place women in higher-wage, male-dominated professions. The bill also requires welfare officers to recommend more people overall for such programs.
Spitzer's last opportunity to veto is the stroke of midnight on August 1. Before he makes a decision he should hear from women like Housing Works client Alandra Mitchell. After being on public assistance, Mitchell decided to enter Housing Works' Job Training Program and is being trained in the testosterone-filled field of Information Technology, which has a high demand for workers. Mitchell, who has struggled with learning disabilities, was on public assistance, and is HIV-positive, said this training gave her a second chance. "Job training really helped me turn my life around," she said. "If I had to take a low-paid job where I was on my feet all day, I'd probably be in the hospital right now. It is something I'm good at that keeps me healthy."
Spitzer should also take a look at what happened in Portland, Oregon. Portland sought to reduce long-term reliance on public assistance by increasing earnings but took a long-term perspective. Staff encouraged participants not to take their first job offer but to hold out for decent wages and benefits. Job training was available for those with low skills. Over a two-year study period, the program raised average annual earnings for all participants by $921 relative to the control group—more than any other program studied—and lowered cash welfare payments by $598. (For a full report click here).
*The good news is that we have until July 31 to urge Spitzer to help women rise up from poverty. Download this letter and use it as a model to write to the Governor urging him not to veto the Nontraditional Employment and Sustainable Wage bill (A.3366/S.3201). It is a good idea to fax the letter to his staff at: 518-474-1513 as well as mailing it. Or you can email him by going to his website at http://www.ny.gov/governor/ and hitting "contact the Governor."