CORD Seeks Jobs Proof

Four years after it brokered a development agreement with Yale-New Haven Hospital, a community group is seeking proof that the hospital is hiring as many local workers as promised.

Two dozen members of Community Organized for Responsible Development (CORD), led by pastor Abraham Hernandez (pictured), paid a visit to City Hall Wednesday to ask Mayor John DeStefano’s help in pressuring the hospital to provide better data on a promise it made in 2006 to hire city residents. The pledge was made as part of a landmark agreement with the city that paved the way for the construction of Yale’s new Smilow Cancer Hospital.

As part of the deal, YNHH agreed to invest millions of dollars in economic development, a youth initiative, traffic improvements, establish two ​“career ladder” programs, including one with nursing students at Gateway, and continue to make voluntary payments to the city.

CORD’s inquiry concerns a part of the agreement where the hospital pledged to hire 100 city residents per year into permanent full time jobs, and create a new ​“comprehensive training” program to help city residents get job skills.

YNHH Vice President Vin Petrini said the hospital has complied with, and in some cases exceeded, all the requirements in the agreement. He said YNHH has hired at least 654 city residents since the agreement was signed in June 2006 — a number that exceeds the 400 that were required.

“Hiring over 650 NH residents, especially in this economy, is something we can all be proud of,” he said.

CORD is pressing for more detailed information on the new hires. In a petition delivered to mayoral Chief of Staff Sean Matteson Wednesday, CORD asked the city to request the following information from the hospital: The zip codes or ward numbers of the new hires, the jobs they were hired into, and whether they remain in full time positions today.

Petrini said the hospital has complied with annual reporting requirements. Every year, YNHH reported to the city the zip codes and types of jobs of all employees who were part of a ​“career ladder” program to encourage internal promotions. That list includes some, but not all, new hires.

CORD organizer Gwen Mills said the zip codes don’t always specify which neighborhood the new hires are from. She said CORD suspects, from talking to people in the Hill, West River and Dwight, that not many people from the surrounding neighborhoods have landed full time jobs at YNHH. She also said she does not believe YNHH has done enough to provide a ​“comprehensive training program” for city residents.

Part of the agreement calls on the hospital to ​“maximize the number of positions filled by residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Hospital’s campus.” To that end, the agreement calls on the hospital to partner with educational institutions and work force development groups to train local residents for hospital jobs. The training component was meant to help clear an obvious hurdle, Mills said: Many nearby residents aren’t job-ready; they need an extra push.

Petrini said YNHH has held numerous job fairs and has worked with STRIVE New Haven, a workforce readiness training group. YNHH interviews graduates of STRIVE’s workforce readiness classes and communicates with STRIVE about which jobs are open, Petrini said.

Petrini stressed, and Mills acknowledged, that the hospital has complied with many other components of the agreement. He rattled off a long list of contributions YNHH has made since the pact took effect, including $4,132,669 in voluntary payments to the city. Click here to read the latest list.

“I’m confident we have not only met the letter but the spirit of the agreement,” Petrini said.

Mayoral Chief of Staff Matteson said he would review CORD’s request and make sure the hospital is in compliance with all aspects of the agreement.