Victory in LA

History made. The MTA board approves project labor agreement. from Mark Ridley-Thomas on Vimeo.

Yesterday, I got to witness an historic day in Los Angeles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board voted in favor of negotiating an agency-wide Project Labor Agreement and Construction Careers Policy.

The purpose of a PLA agreement is to facilitate the construction industry and to promote employment opportunities by building high speed rail transportation. The PLA specifically will help out the people in low-income areas who need employment the most as well as provide a more green transportation option. 

Many organizations such as Strategic Concepts in Organizing & Policy Education (S.C.O.P.E.) came together as one coalition and fought to get this legislation passed. Check here for more info.

Posted by:

LaNisha

Let’s Do Lunch

Central Ohioans are feeling the financial crunch. However, one might not recognize the economic crisis being experienced by a growing number of Columbus residents if they went by the unprecedented amount of construction and physical growth of the city itself.

To get a clearer picture of how well families are doing, one need look no further than the school lunch line, the cash register that is.

Since access to free or reduced-priced lunch is based on actual earnings and not estimations, a look at the amount of students who qualify will tell us a lot about the changing economic situation of the Central Ohio family.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

Obama Administration Makes Youth Employment a 2012 Goal

As the 2012 presidential election approaches, it is becoming painfully clear that the U.S. economy may be the topic helping voters decided which candidate to choose. Unemployment has remained relatively high across the nation, but some populations have been hit harder than others. The Obama administration has made progress in its attempts to stabilize unemployment, and job growth has been on a small but steady rise. But if stabilizing the economy is the greatest challenge for the 2012 election, then increased employment is the only solution.

While job growth has increased, the questions regarding who is gaining employment still remains. Today, the White House released a press release announcing the Summer Jobs Act to employ nearly 180,000 youth between the ages of 16-24 nationwide. The White House has been encouraging youth employment since 2009, and has worked with many private companies to ensure that young people received on-the-job training and paid internship positions. However, today they took an aggressive stance toward youth employment stating:

“America’s youth can’t wait for Congress to act.”

Obama is moving forward without Congress by proposing $1.5 billion to make sure that youth can be hired not only in the summer, but year-round.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Ife

From College Graduation to #OccupyMomsHouse

Graduating from college has been a wonderful accomplishment for me, considering the fact that I am the first person in my immediate family that has graduated from college. I couldn’t be any less excited about embarking on my career path. Struggling to find work and make money is a concern that most individuals know all too well.

Speaking from personal experience, graduating from college has been both a privilege and a burden. I was overwhelmed and excited the day that I crossed the stage to receive my BA in Broadcast Journalism. I never once thought that my life after graduation would be so difficult. I found myself living back at home several months before graduating from college, just to soften the blow of having to pay rent with a part-time job salary. I found it extremely difficult to find a full-time, entry level position within my field after graduation.

College Graduation: A Privilege and a Burden

Posted by:

Terin

Political Quick Hits: October 21st Edition

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

• Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed Thursday in his hometown of Sirte. Gaddafi was captured alive after a NATO airstrike but reportedly, he died during a crossfire between transitional government troops and his loyalists. His death comes two months after rebels took control of the capital Tripoli, where Gaddafi had ruled as a dictator with an iron fist for 42 years. A formal announcement of Libya’s liberation will be made on Saturday. President Obama pledged U.S. support for Libya after Gaddafi and told the people of Libya, “you have won your revolution.” (Reuters)

Continue reading for the caucus tease…

Posted by:

Justin Burkhardt