Posted on 03/28/2004 6:08:59 PM PST by chance33_98
Community Leaders Demand that DOL Secretary Elaine Chao Support Low-Wage Workers, Hundreds Gather at Her Home
3/28/2004 5:21:00 PM
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To: National Desk
Contact: Emily Severson, 708-466-4433; http://www.npa-us.org
WASHINGTON, March 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Hundreds of community leaders from National People's Action (NPA) are paying a visit to the home of Department of Labor's (DOL) Secretary Elaine Chao on Sunday, March 28. They are demanding that low-wage workers receive quality job training and access to permanent jobs.
Leaders plan to arrive around 6 p.m. to Chao's house, located at 217 C Street, NE, in Washington.
There have been 3 million jobs lost in America since 2001. One out of five people in the workforce faces unemployment each year. The Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is supposed to provide job placement and job training for low-wage workers. However, community groups around the country have found that WIA is not serving the needs of low-wage workers. Rather it is referring job seekers to temporary and day labor agencies and embracing the idea that any job is a good job. Many of these jobs do not provide any benefits or opportunities for advancement.
The groups visiting Chao are part of National People's Action, a 33-year-old multi-racial/ethnic, inter-generational non-partisan coalition of hundreds of local community organizations that volunteer their time to make communities throughout the United States safer, healthier and more stable environments.
"Workers are dealing with discrimination, harassment, and unsafe conditions," said Randy Smith, a leader with the San Lucas Workers Center in Chicago. "It doesn't matter how we are treated, if the employer doesn't care for us, he or she can call the (temporary) agency to send someone else to replace us. We have no rights."
On Saturday, NPA leaders met with DOL Policy Director Jacqui Sholholm to discuss the DOL's agreement with Manpower Inc., the largest temporary agency in the world. NPA asked Sholholm to form a partnership with NPA to work toward solutions to improve opportunities for low-wage workers.
Unfortunately, Sholholm denied the request, so leaders decided to take their concerns to Chao to ask her for a meeting to discuss the partnership.
"We came to Chao's house today to let her know that NPA has had enough with the Department of Labor lying to low-wage workers," said Lee Hutchins of the Anti Displacement Project in Springfield, Mass. "Workers need stable and better paying jobs. NPA will not stop until low-wage workers receive the respect that they deserve."
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