New Haven Independent

Posted by: SWHAT | March 9, 2007 12:13 PM

It never ceases to amaze me how backwards some folks are. Instead of attacking the commission, why aren't legislators looking at ways to create laws or policies and provide resources to advance minority hirings? It's easy to force...coerce or encourage hiring on government jobs but does that translate into long term non govt jobs. Unfortunately some of these people think that the commission is always going to be there forcing the employer to hire them and so they don't try to establish their own working relationships independent of the govt. When that employer moves on to a job in seymour, do you think you can call Nicole Jefferson? Setting up workers against the commission is a useless exercise and I am unclear as to what the Board expected to accomplish. That office has done much to get people jobs and build up their experience in the field considering all the red tape and resistance they face from both prospective workers and construction companies. Futhermore, the City can leverage its position in many other was and through various departments when a non govt funded project is concerned. Continue to lambast that office and its director and a lot of brown folks will be shit out of luck ..you think things are bad now? Go back pre 2000.

Posted by: Ralph Rechtenberg | March 9, 2007 12:15 PM

This is about as socialist a proposal as it gets. An elected official requires a private company to maintain a hiring AND firing quota of a specified racial group. I would be ashamed if anyone were forced to hire me because of any attribute other than my ability to do good work for a reasonable price. Why does Man Up think otherwise? Why does that organization believe it is entitled?

The city doesn't require the funds for these mandated positions to come from city coffers. Why not? Why don't they specify who will work for the private company, where they work and what they do? Better yet, Connecticut! What an awful state of affairs.

Posted by: poor education | March 9, 2007 1:05 PM

Maybe some of the new schools could offer trainig in the trades. The problem, and I know this from years in construction, is that many of the people are laid off since they do not have any skills and quite often a poor work ethic and sometimes a bad attitude. Good jobs are available in the trades, and they won't be replaced by computers or other technology. It is a very secure area for employment for at least the next twenty years. With New Havens demographics, and few kids going on to college, or for that matter even graduating, a trade training school would be ideal. Then create a summer jobs program where the students could get hands on training repairing those terrible houses on Francis Hunter Drive, or offering to help qualified homeowners get home repairs done in the neighborhoods where the trainees live. It makes a person feel very satisfied when they can see how their efforts have improved the neighbrohood they live in, and tends to foster a sense of pride. They could easily do things like siding, replacement windows, porch repair, painting, drywall, insulation, landscaping and basement clean-up. Use the on the job experience to teach good on the job habits, and indentify the behaviors that often cause dismissal. My comments do not consider race or gender, since I have seen the problems in all forms. It's about socio-economic tiers and life-skills and effective training.

Posted by: John Padilla | March 12, 2007 2:44 PM

As a workforce consultant with some knowledge and experience in this area, I can say without hesitation that there are many examples of successful construction hiring initiatives around the country that have moved hundreds -- if not thousands -- of blacks, Latinos and women into the building trades, so it can be done. Look no farther than Hartford to see a successful model. Unfortunately, in New Haven we often want to take shortcuts, so we create "initiatives" that have no program infrastructure, lack an effective recruitment and screening process, and do not provide supportive services. Someone is placed on a site and told "good luck". In an industry where frequent layoffs are part of the norm -- racism is not the overriding factor here -- people who work in construction have to prepare themselves financially and emotionally to deal with this reality. The money is good when you are working, but when the ground freezes, you can often find yourself out of work. What happens to the individual who is laid off? Is there anyone they can turn to for assistance in getting placed with another contractor? Also, asking to track the number of hires is the wrong question. You need to focus on the number of hours people are working since this is the true indicator of how long they are actually employed on the job. I question how many New Haven residents placed by CEO have become journeymen -- which generally requires a minimum of 6,000 hours (three plus years) on the job to achieve that status. My last point is that you cannot -- and should not -- try to force contractors to hire someone. They will hire good employees --regardless of their color, ethnicity, religion or persuasion. It's that simple! Come to work on time, work hard, follow direction, and you'll be fine. There's no secret there. Construction is very physical, demanding work and many people who go into it quickly conclude it is not for them -- that is one reason why so many drop out.

JP

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | March 12, 2007 4:34 PM

"With New Havens demographics, and few kids going on to college, or for that matter even graduating, a trade training school would be ideal."???

Why are we so quick to surrender the dream of most New Haven kids going on to 4 year colleges, graduate schools, and careers that are potentially far more lucrative than trade jobs would provide? Where are the collective aspirations for the children of our city? Why do the ministers train their bullhorns only on entrepreneurs who come to town to set up shop, and why do Yale students join the picket lines to rail against institutions like the hospital which builds a new cancer center? Where's the vision?

If labor leaders, ministers, politicians, and activist Yale students really want to represent the best interests of the working class people of New Haven, why don't they point out the real disparity? KNOWLEDGE.

Why will the Yale students, who fight for labor union rights while doing their stint in New Haven, go on to make MILLIONS of dollars more during their careers than will current New Haven high school students? Because they are going to a great college! Hey Yalies, Stop leading the fight for the economic scraps! You know better than that. If you really want to help working families in New Haven, then help to make the public schools as good as the schools that you all attended. You want to fight for the economic rights of the working class? Then fight to give New Haven kids the same chance that you all had!

"The great civilizations of history didn't fall because they didn't have ideals. In fact, they had wonderful ideals. They fell because they didn't live up to their ideals. Our Pledge of Allegiance concludes with the words, "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." When the majority of our black and brown children are consigned to schools that fail to educate them, we are not living up to our ideals." - (Cory Booker, Mayor Newark NJ, March 2007)

Posted by: Poor education | March 12, 2007 7:58 PM

Just read U.S News, the 3/12/2007 edition to see if college is really right for everyone. How about the families that can't afford it? How many kids drop out due to having children and can't get to college, in fact they are working on GED's. The trades are good paying jobs. Plumbers, electricians and HVAC employees make fine wages and can rasie a family on them. College is not for everyone, and is not always feasible for kids in poorer families. I would thinkn in N.J. you would be familiar with the need to offer opportunites and choice to all students

Posted by: Ralph Rechtenberg | March 13, 2007 8:00 AM

"When the majority of our black and brown children are consigned to schools that fail to educate them, we are not living up to our ideals."

Please...it has very little to do with skin color.

The public schools generally fail to educate to anything other than a level of minimal competence. There is little challenge.

But the parents as well don't seem to want their child challenged intellectually. Few are actively engaged in their child's coursework. If they were to push their children in math or science as they do in football, we'd see a section in the newspaper devoted to educational accomplishments, rather than the local high school scores.

Posted by: Willie Williams jr | March 14, 2007 5:03 AM

Construction Trades Is NOT! For Everyone. Nicole Jefferson of CEO, Empower New Haven and The NAACP Seem To Think You Can Pile A Bunch of Black Men Together In A Class Room and Get Good Results. If A Man/Person Is NOT! Motivated and Motivatible 10, 20, 30, 40 Years Ago It Ain't Gonna Happen Now!. These Men Were Baited Into Trainning Thinking That They Gonna Get Paid $24.00-$25.00 per. Hr. After Graduation. 90 % of Them Are NOT! Intellectually Capable of Building A Dog House Alone Without Direct and Constant Supervision. They Can't Even Build A Bird House After Graduation. The Intellect and Base Skills Are NOT! There. If You Don't Love What You Do...The Vibes Are NOT! There. When You Love Something, You'll Do It For Free. EXAMPLE: There Are 132 Black Churches and Storefronts In New Haven County. 600 Men and Women Have Graduated From The Construction Trades Basic Class. DO YOU See Improvements and Beautifications or Structural Improvement To These Church Buildings?. They Will NOT! Even Paint The Outside of Therr Own Churches.
When You Love Something: Cause, Belief, Person, Child, Dog, You'll Do It For FREE!. They Want To Get Paid $24.00 per. Hr. For $5.00 per. Hr. Work, That Does NOT! Compute Mathmatically. It Takes 10-15 Years To Master Those Skills.

Posted by: FIX THE SCHOOLS | March 14, 2007 8:17 AM

Many towns in CT. have been allowed to set up restrictive zoning laws which effectively keep out affordable housing, and as a result, CT. has concentrated it's poorest citizens in it's cities.

Many of our poorest citizens are black or hispanic. So this IS about color. If we are to live up to our ideals, we must find a way to educate all of our students regardless of background.

It is not practical to ask poor parents of color, most of whom were cheated out of a quality education themselves, to serve as college educated role models for their children. Some can do that, lots can't. We won't get anywhere if we wait for disenfranchised parents to lead the homework brigade. As difficult as it might seem, our best opportunity to eradicate widespread poverty is to reform the delivery of education in our cities' public schools.

Posted by: mark | April 5, 2007 7:59 PM

The growing appeal that malcolm and King fight hard to equalize opportunity for other minorities as well as our self reflect, so why the discrimination among our self when the one that fought to help you enjoy your rights today came through blacks not your own.