What We've Accomplished

Well, we ain't done bad folks!  We started with a pure volunteer effort, (still is) with absolutely no budget and no name recognition.  Accomplishments to date:   Not in Order!

1. Formation of The National Capital Jobs Coalition,  Creation of a Platform including: a)mission statement, b) objectives program planks, c) strategic approach. 3) Establishment of an Executive Committee with five meetings conducted. 
2. A free meeting environment and headquarters at The National Graduate Univeristy. 
3.  Strategic meetings with Council Committee Chair's Legislative Director with written in put and acceptance for legislative action, 
4. Outreach meetings with ONE DC, JobsWithJustice and others, 
5. Provision of testimony before two Council Committee Hearings of Housing and Workforce Development. 
6. A Public Education Job Action At the Bozouto RI Ave. Job Site. 
7. Conduct of First Source, Second Chance event attended by key Council legislative staff, Union Leaders, and community members.  
8. Creation of a name, logo, and brand ...!!) 
9. Establishment of an NCJC Blog: dcfirstsource@blogstpot.com

We suggest we hold a meeting the second week in January.  The purpose will be to update alliances and coalition members, to set forth the schedule for the next seven First Source, Second Chance meetings and to put together the planning committe for the DC Reunited Event in late April/Early May of 2011.

NCJC SUBMITS TESTIMONY TO CM BROWN'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ROUNDABLE

200 Journey worker Electricians out of a job because of cheating contractors an a lousy city enforcement and legislative ineptitude.

I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said, "... My country right, keep it right, my country wrong, make it right.  DC is wrong!  it is up to us, its citizens to ....MAKE IT RIGHT1  It is plain wrong to have thousands of DC workers drawing unemployment when they could be gainfully employed and producing tax revenue to offset the present horrendous budget shortfall.  When will they EVER learn!

The excuse for NOT hiring DC workers has been,"... They don't have the skills necessary."  Well, yesterday we had twenty journeymen Electricians many of whom testified about how contractors skirt the law be duplicitous hiring practices and how, with all these millions of dollars in construction going on here in the city

The following testimony.  It was delivered by Linwood Martinez (Il Gato) Bentley, Co Director of The National Capital Jobs Coalition.  It was given to Council member Michael Brown, at large and his Housing and Workforce Development Committee hearing on Jobs Creation.

My name is Linwood  (Il Gato) Martinez-Bentley; I am Executive Director of The National Capital Jobs Coalition.  I was born here in The District.  I’ve taught in the DC Public school system and have been a social activist and advocate. I was a teenage participant in the struggle in the mid sixties for Civil and Human Rights as well as self-determination for our nation’s capital, the struggle continues.  Without decent paying jobs there is no prospect for a productive life for anyone in the neighborhoods of this City. 

The National Capital Jobs Coalition was founded upon two pillars.  These two pillars must be part of the foundation for any revitalization of Washington, DC.  The first is an effective and enforced first Source Law.  We do not have such a law at present.  The second is the creation of new green industries to employ our people in the neighborhoods and communities of The District.

Although there are a number of groups and organizations advocating for Jobs and for First Source improvements, most advocate for other issues as well, health care, gender issues, children’s rights, educational advocacy, organized labor, etc.  The National Capital Jobs Coalition speaks with one voice.  We speak for the vast unemployed and underutilized human capital of this city.  We stand side by side with our constituents and we ask all who support this effort to join us in solidarity. 

This is our Mission Statement:

The National Capital Jobs Coalition (NCJC) organizes, actively supports, and advocates for the creation of just, decent paying, jobs-with-a- future for the residents of The District of Columbia.

The Coalition Platform:

Washington, DC is a geo-political and economic center.  It is a significant commercial hub as well.  Here in the District is where much of the business of the nation and the world is centered.  Unfortunately most of these jobs are not accessible to DC residents.  Non-residents of the District of Columbia fill 70% of these living-wage jobs.  Economic opportunity for the citizens of The District cannot continue to be a second - or even a third- tier priority for our city government.  We believe that the under funding and inattention to the as WIC as noted in the committee’s report, is prima facie evidence of that neglect

Trinidad and Ivy City lie in the shadow of the nation’s capitol, but they have more in common with third world countries than the headquarters of global politics and governance. This is not the world of our communities and neighborhoods. The DC of power and affluence is not the DC of 40% unemployment and the blight of abandoned buildings, poverty, despair, and social disintegration.  The old top-down jobs programs no longer work.  These temporary jobs and make-work projects are ineffectual band-aids on the gaping wound of urban poverty.  Job training programs for non-existent jobs are a cruel joke of political expediency.  DC communities need new, creative, and innovative strategies, not old failed solutions with new names. 

As a first step the DC Government needs to accept the fact that large development projects are a principal source of economic development, and must ensure that the benefits of these developments accrue to all the citizens of our city. 

Given our platform we would like to make the following points and in this order.  First Source first, then Workforce Development.

First Source:

We realize that this is a long-term contest and that we fully expect to stay engaged as long as necessary.  As to specifics we have three principal issues to address, both as advocates here in the halls of government and as activists out in our communities.  These are the three issues:

1.    Active Compliance

2.    Engaged Enforcement

3.    Prohibitive Penalties

For the sake of brevity, I will leave the specific recommendations to my written testimony.  Here are some general comments relative to these three issues we intend to pursue.

The first is Active Compliance.

We expect contractors and construction firms and all those covered by First Source to engage in a pro-active regimen of compliance with both the letter and spirit of the law.   This means designation of a First Source compliance officer to provide a single source responsibility within the organization.

Second, we will also expect Engaged Enforcement.  The office of First Source compliance within DOES should have a right to expect contractors and construction firms and all those covered by First Source to engage in a pro-active regimen of compliance with both the letter and spirit of the law.   This means open posted statistics regarding the companies present compliance states including other appropriate signage and postings to inform the public about First Source compliance.

Now the third and final issue, we will aggressively advocate for Prohibitive Penalties to assure that there are substantial consequences for evasion.  In addition to claw back provisions and invoice payment suspension in the present amendments, it is essential that penalties are meaningful and have sufficient economic consequences to be taken seriously.  This should included possible contract cancellation and prohibition on future city contract bidding.

Now our comments on Workforce Development

We believe our Workforce here in the city neighborhoods has been failed by society from the very top to the bottom.   With 30 to 40 percent virtually illiterate, the commercial sector uses that as an excuse to avoid and avoid our laws on hiring DC citizens.  Our position is that literacy can be taught on the job and that if the training is properly designed, literacy should not be a barrier to many procedural jobs.  In this city the unemployment rate for persons of color with a high school education or, GED is around 20%, for those without such a certification it is only 19%.  In this city there is no premium for a high school education.  We believe a strong public private partnership needed.  It should be similar to the Japanese Keiretsu.

In fact it would be a Social Keiretsu.   This could also address another much ignored issue: Jobs Creation.  As we mention in our platform, we need to stop training people for jobs that do not exist.  The incubator of any economy and the major source for new job creation is the small business.  We need a comprehensive program to identify community needs and to encourage through funding and training, poor people to start and run their own businesses in the neighborhoods.

With that I conclude our testimony.  I thank the chairman for this opportunity and we look forward to working with DOES, This Council and anyone else who shares our passion for this city and its residents.

Respectfully Submitted

______________________________________________

Linwood Martinez-Bentley

Executive Director

The National Capital Jobs Coalition

NCJC'S WARD 5, FIRST SOURCE SECOND CHANCE A SUCCESS

If  You Hold It (and have lot's of patience) They Will Come ...
We held our First Source, Second Chance Forum last night in Ward 5 at Optimism 3301 12th Street here in Brookland, NE.  It was hot ... we had knowledgeable speakers:  Kilin Boardman Schroyer, Legislative Director for Councilman Michael Brown (he will speak himself next time), we had David Schwartzman, a noted champion of worker's rights, Stanley Macey former Chairman of United Planning Organization, along with representatives  of Organized Labor and local Ministries.  NCJC presented its offical Platform with a professionally produced powerpoint.  It was a grest success by everyone's comments and emails we received as well.

We Want a New Deal and a New Deck That isn't Stacked Against Us!
 We argued that First Source is a Red Herring bill used to put the people of DC to sleep and make them think they have a fair deal on jobs.  Well, we've got news.  The deck has been stacked against us and the dealer has been cheating.  We want a new deck, a new game, now that we have a new dealer.

We Need New Initiatives and New Ideas to Create New Green Jobs!
We made the point that the old job and workforce development strategies of large infrastructure projects just won't work in this new, post meltdown, jobless recovery world.  We need new and innovative ideas for NEW INDUSTRY for DC.

First Source is a Battle in the War for DC Jobs

There is Only One:  Washington, DC
Washington DC is still the epicenter of the world.  Not Paris, Not London, and no Not Bejing either.  Every global business has, or plans to have offices here in the district.  Someday in the future that may change, ... but, not today!  DC does not have to play suck up to construction companies and developers.  If you don't want to pay DC's fair. living wages, if you won't comply with our laws ... go build somewhere else. I don't care what you say, Crystal City does not have the cache of:  Washington, DC.

Question: Do Our Political Leaders Have the Will to Give First Source a Second Chance?
Our leaders are going for the  cheap seats.  They give away land and tax concessions for no good reason.  They do this in order to curry favor and gain political campaign contributions, they have bargained away decent living wages for a generation of DC workers.  The present First Source Law is a joke and a cruel one for those of us who believed that First Source really meant that 51% of workers on these projects would be DC residents.  The law has more holes in it, more opportunities for avoidance than the Income Tax Laws in Italy.  Example: of the $700,000 approx appropriated for enforcement, not one dime has been spent in doing so.  That's with a 30% compliance record according to DC Journal.   The real question is ... Do our elected officials have the political will to make it a real law that will protect our workers and prove that DC can control its own destiny?

First Source is a Battle in the War for DC Jobs

There is Only One:  Washington, DC
Washington DC is still the epicenter of the world.  Not Paris, Not London, and no Not Bejing either.  Every global business has, or plans to have offices here in the district.  Someday in the future that may change, ... but, not today!  DC does not have to play suck up to construction companies and developers.  If you don't want to pay DC's fair. living wages, if you won't comply with our laws ... go build somewhere else. I don't care what you say, Crystal City does not have the cache of:  Washington, DC.

Question: Do Our Political Leaders Have the Will to Give First Source a Second Chance?
Our leaders are going for the  cheap seats.  They give away land and tax concessions for no good reason.  They do this in order to curry favor and gain political campaign contributions, they have bargained away decent living wages for a generation of DC workers.  The present First Source Law is a joke and a cruel one for those of us who believed that First Source really meant that 51% of workers on these projects would be DC residents.  The law has more holes in it, more opportunities for avoidance than the Income Tax Laws in Italy.  Example: of the $700,000 approx appropriated for enforcement, not one dime has been spent in doing so.  That's with a 30% compliance record according to DC Journal.   The real question is ... Do our elected officials have the political will to make it a real law that will protect our workers and prove that DC can control its own destiny?

Building the Coalition

The National Capital Jobs Coalition continues to grow.  On Tuesday of this week we met with ONE DC who have an ongoing jobs program as part of their Social Action agenda.  Members of NCJC also met with key staff from JobsWithJustice and  discussed the First Source amendments and the potential for substantive change in day-to-day management.  Specifically of interest were issues around Compliance, Enforcement, and Penalties.  We agreed to mark up the amendments, as discussed and to draft additions and to submit them to the round table next week.  SMARTDC's ED was present at a combined meeting at ONE DC offices and made clear the specific problems experience by Ward 6 on the other side of the Anacostia.

The Need for New Green Jobs -It became clear to all that the fundamental underlying problem is not the ineffectual and hamstrung bill, but the issue of employment for the under utilized human capital assets of our communities.  New Green Industry must be found and our people trained to work in them.  First Source is an example of how special interests can skew even the most well intentioned legislation and render it an obsticle instead of a facilitator for new jobs.  The parties agreed to meet again and to continue to engage the system and the city wherever possible.  First Source needs a Second Chance.

Now ... about DC Jobs

This is NOT the DC of Your Father (... or, mine)

The Washington DC I knew when  I worked on the Hill in 1962 no longer exists. That was before the METRO, before MLK's historic speech, before JFK's tragic end in Dallas ... it was a long time ago.  At that time in the burgeoning expansion after WWII and Korea ... before Viet Nam there were plenty of jobs for all levels of people here in the city.  DC was often the first stop (or, the last) for many fleeing the low pay, segragated towns and cities of the last of the old south.  DC was a jobs haven for low skilled young and energetic people.  Those days are long gone.  The Government Printing Office will never again need all those paper folders, typists, clerks, and even porters (we now have fork lifts)  Modern technology has largely obviated most of those "entry" level jobs.

No Low Skilled, High Paying Jobs

Although some of those jobs exist in the hospitality and convention fields, the DC job of today is high tech, computer literate, and well, very well educated.  Quite frankly, it is so competitive that getting a job as a file clerk (yes, there are still some of those) is difficult... one needs a Masters Degree for even very low payed entry level jobs ... AND the federal government is cutting back and under an austerity jobs freeze.  A high school education today is not much help in getting a job.  The unemployment rate for people of color with a high school education is about 19% ... but, for those without, it is still only 20%.  One percentage point for a four year high school education.  The market has devalued secondary education it would seem.   Recently published stats on US education are not very good when we compare out kids to other countries ... BUT, what about here in DC!  Where are we going to get employment for the folks in Ivy City where illiteracy runs 30 to 40% by some estimates?

Training is NOT Education  

Education is about Concept - Training is About Tasks

The answer is job training and NOT education!  Too much of what is called training today is really education.  in adult education we need a new paradigm.  It needs to be Adult Training.  When the training is over people need to be able to perform on the job and not just answer multiple choice questions.  Recently a construction project here in DC had to shut down its Concrete pouring operation ans sub contract it out to an outside vendor because the crew that had been hired form a DC based so called jobs training program were incompetent.  ... more on DC Jobs and how we plan to create new industry and new green jobs in coming blogs ... stay tuned!

The Coalition in Action

 we plan to follow up on this visit and to document actual practice on site as opposed to accepting un audited reporting documents.

In keeping with out mission and operational objectives to monitor and report on First Source participation and compliance issues, two members of the National Capital Jobs Coalition, (NCJC) made an unannounced visit to the EYA Construction site at The Saint Paul's Chancellor's Rowe Town homes in Brookland.  We met with several contractors on the site.  Although quite pleasant and cooperative none of those we spoke to seemed to understand the details of The First Source agreement.

Tony Rodrigues whose card lists him as Superintendent of Cuco & Son Concrete Construction, ofSterling, VA, an EYA contractor said he had five employees and had just hired one person from DC.  He seemed to believe that this made him compliant with the First Source legislation.  Glen Fritz, President of Deneau Construction whose company builds, Storm Drain, Sewer, and Water Main facilites said that, he believed that a First Source agreement was in effect but that he had no DC employees on his raster.

Finally, Its clear that many of these contractors are unsure of the law and don't understand their responsibilities under First Source anyway.  We visited the site construction trailer and met Mr. Mark King, Construction Manager for the project.  EYA lists its headquarters on his card as "Bethesda, MD."  Mr. King noted that his job as construction manager began when the excavation ended.  He acknowledged that a First Source agreement existed and offered to cooperate with us in any reasonable way ... we plan to follow up on this visit and to document actual practice on site as opposed to accepting un audited reporting documents.

First Source, How DC is being robbed every day!

On October 28, 2010 The National Capital Jobs Coalition, NCJC conducted a public education job action at the present construction site on Rhode Island Avenue.  The so called Rhode Island METRO project.  We used the sidewalk and stayed on public property.  In no way did we interfere with the project.   A representative of the company came out to talk to us and presented their position that Bozzuto is in compliance with First Source legislation.  The company took pictures of all marchers and we, took pictures of them.

Let us state categorically that NCJC"s issue is not about compliance.  It is about fairness in both the letter and spirit of the city’s relationship with its taxpayers and its vendors.   We do not expect any Commercial Construction Company to pay more for labor than absolutely necessary.   However … The First Source agreement calls for signatories to pay a "... living wage."  The use of non employee contractors to evade this provision appears to be common practice.

The following is based upon information provided by Bozzuto Construction Company.  In September there were 168 people working on the site at Rhode Island Avenue.  The total number of DC workers employed was 26.  

The common belief, fostered by official sources is that 51% of all new hires for this project will be from The District.  In fact, from our perspective it is an entirely different picture..  26 is 15.5% of the workforce not 51% as commonly held.  This is a projected 107 million dollar project with 168 people employed with only 26 from the district.  This is patently unfair.  Where is the economic benefit to the people of the district.  

Why is this possible?  It is because the construction contractor uses out-of-city “sub-contractors”.  It is a strategy devised to limit employment of DC labor and to maximize profit. 

This is how developers and contractors evade obeying the law.    The sub-contractors present documents that show they already have their day laborers or regulars "on staff", This allows them to avoid hiring DC residents.   These, so called, existing staff are therefore exempt from the First Source rules.   An additional benefit of this strategy is that the construction company and contractors don't have to pay the required wages/benefits, as called for in the First Source agreement. … and this is how 15% becomes 51%.

  We are advocating for stronger legislation that would prevent these “strategies”.  Everyone wants developers in DC to be profitable.  It is in no one’s best interest to make the district a no profit zone.  We seek only fairness and a level playing field for all parties to this issue.  This is why NCJC held a public job action to educate and inform the people of the district about the hundreds of thousands of dollars being drained from our economy by carpet bagging construction contractors who blatantly lie about the numbers, the labor force, and the relationship with their, "so called" employee.  In fairness we need to say that we have no hard evidence of this practice on the part of The Bozzuto Construction Company.  We do intend to watch them and others to determine of and how hiring practices effect the people of our city.