New Haven Independent

Posted by: streever | November 19, 2009 8:42 AM

If these individuals are concerned with state projects, why are they picketing New Haven? Because they live here? New Haven does lead in hiring minorities. The economic situation is bleak world-wide, but we still lead in this. If protesters are unhappy about i-95 and state construction jobs, that's Jodi Rell for you. Next time show up & vote for a better candidate for Governor!

Posted by: Born In The USA | November 19, 2009 9:23 AM

why was CORD and people from the Yale unions there?

Posted by: Someone who has read too many of Nicole Jefferson's reports | November 19, 2009 9:41 AM

... Mr. Jones must not have pulled in enough voters form King John. I suggest that He FOIA some CEO reports over the last three years. Oh well this is New Haven after all.

Posted by: Tim | November 19, 2009 9:53 AM

Shouldnt a job go to the best person for it? Not to a person based on race etc.?

I could only imagine what it would be like not working for 4 years, but get a job based on your qualifications not your race

Posted by: Pat | November 19, 2009 11:30 AM

Tim is naive is he believes jobs go to the best person and race isn't a factor.
My father was in the trades his whole life and spoke openly about the discrimination on jobs, something he supported because of his ignorance.
Years later he trained and became an advocate for African-Americans who had to be hired because federal law required their inclusion.
We have many talented and trained trades people here in New Haven, but they need jobs.

Posted by: IF CORD WAS THERE | November 19, 2009 11:32 AM

If CORD and the unions were at this march, they should be ashamed. I hope they were not. Felder has repeatedly demonstrated his anti-Latino worker perspective. And Felder previously joined with out of town nativists to attack the unions for being supportive of Latino immigrants.

Are their memories that short?

Have they asked their brothers and sisters in the construction trades which partner with CEO about whether New Haven has the best minority representation on job sites in the state? The head of the Laborers (a union with sizable African-American membership) wrote a letter to the editor discrediting Felder's uninformed views and made up numbers at his last protest.

If CORD and the unions were not involved, then please clarify.

At Felder's last protest, the NHI was able to just interview black construction workers coming out of Roberto Clemente during lunch break -- all of whom said there was really good representation on the site. Seems like he moved downtown so evidence would not be right there in his face to discredit his inaccurate claims.

Why anyone would protest with this guy given his history is beyond me. Hopefully CORD and HERE are not involved in an effort to split our community along racial lines.

Posted by: Tim | November 19, 2009 2:08 PM

Pat -

No I am not naive, but how does getting hired because of your race a good thing?

So you think its right if someone does construction in New Haven, that the work site will has to have x number of blacks and x number of other groups? Even though that means some people working at the site arent as qualified as someone else who applied?

Mr. Jones states he hasnt had a job in four years, could it be that he isnt qualified for the jobs he is appling to?

Posted by: Been Called worse | November 19, 2009 2:11 PM

Am I the only one who sees the irony in Mr. Felder looking to be treated equal but separate?

Posted by: streever | November 19, 2009 3:29 PM

Been Called Worse:
Probably not the only one, but I definitely disagree with you. Mr. Felder and other's realize that they are routinely discriminated against in hiring. This is statistically demonstrable and I can tell you with 100% honesty that I've seen it happen at jobs I've worked on. There is a whole set of "code" that people use. "I don't think he'll be a (pause) good fit" said after they realized the applicant was african-american.

I fully respect Mr. Felder's views, but I do wonder if he's looking after the wrong target. I think the State sounds like his problem.

Posted by: hurtz | November 19, 2009 10:12 PM

The CEO is a joke and everyone knows it. They say they train New Haven people for construction jobs but I know lots of people who have gone there and gotten nothing. They leave their phone numbers and no one ever calls. When you call them they take a message and no one calls. They are useless.

Posted by: No Mayor Daniels? | November 19, 2009 10:53 PM

Wasn't Mayor Daniels at the last one of Mr Felder's protests of this kind at the school construction site? Paul was he at this one?

Its important to determine who or what, if any, established individuals or organizers are at these kinds of rallys. If connected individuals or groups are there, they should be able to justify their actions. If not, then less credence can, and should, likely be paid to their "demands". Don't know if there will be a follow up story but I would sure appreciate one.

Posted by: Alan Felder | November 20, 2009 8:03 AM

"Truth for ever on the Scaffold, Wrong for ever on the Throne"

Posted by: man up | November 20, 2009 8:10 AM

"New laws are not engugh. The emergency we now face is economic, and it is a desparate and worsening situation. For 35 millon poor people in Americia........there is a kind of strangulation in the air. In our society it is murder, psychologically, to deprive a man of a job or income. You are in substance saying to that man that he has no right to exist"

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

Posted by: notimon | November 20, 2009 12:30 PM

Alan its simple. The community particularly the black community need to come together and register as voters, then have a community meeting in wards that are most affected by this poison, unite on the issues that are being over looked in our communities and vote the Mayor and Aldermen that represent that ward out, if we dont see change. Nicole Jefferson has no bragging rights considering she is not graduating plumber, carpenters, sheetmetal workers or electricians, she is graduating laborers, and that is all those EEOC programs are doing. It puts a pretty face on the Administration but behind all the make up is years of back room politics with the General Contractors, we can make a difference by simply getting people out in our community to vote people out of jobs.

Posted by: Ms. K | November 20, 2009 4:13 PM

As I cannot take either side because I don't have the breakdown of the number of African Americans vs. Latinos, whites etc, I can comment on discrimination in the construction workforce. My husband has worked in construction for years and has heard consistent comments from White contractors that they said they hire Latino immigrants more often than Blacks because they can pay them less money per hour. Of course this is not going to be documented in their employment manual. But we have to stop being naive. Yes, an individual should be hired based on their qualifications, but it is just not the case. We need to stop wearing blinders.