Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/load.php on line 651

Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/theme.php on line 2241

Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4387

Deprecated: Function get_magic_quotes_gpc() is deprecated in /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 4387

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/load.php:651) in /hermes/bosnacweb08/bosnacweb08bf/b1577/ipg.rifuturecom/RIFutureNew/wp-includes/feed-rss2.php on line 8
Where’s the Work – RI Future http://www.rifuture.org Progressive News, Opinion, and Analysis Sat, 29 Oct 2016 16:03:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 Help Wanted: Job(less) Fair At The State House Today http://www.rifuture.org/jobless-fair-at-the-state-house-today/ http://www.rifuture.org/jobless-fair-at-the-state-house-today/#respond Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:48:59 +0000 http://www.rifuture.org//?p=21374 Continue reading "Help Wanted: Job(less) Fair At The State House Today"

]]>
Calling all un- and underemployed!

Tired of pounding the pavement and dredging craigslist to find a job? Sick of sending out resumes only to get no response, or a “Thanks, but no thanks?” Unemployment benefits running out, forcing you closer to the brink of financial collapse?

Make your voice heard today!

Today, at 3 p.m. at the State House, Where’s the Work, Rhode Island?  will be holding a Job Fair…. wait, scratch that, a Jobless Fair.

This is an opportunity for the 53,000 unemployed — and thousands more underemployed — Rhode Islanders to demand real action by the General Assembly to lower the unemployment rate in the Biggest Little.

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, and state tax breaks like the Jobs Development Act have failed to generate enough jobs to significantly impact the unemployment rate.

Where’s the Work? is an initiative of Ocean State Action designed to increase public awareness and understanding of the unemployment crisis in Rhode Island. Politicians can throw around numbers and statistics regarding unemployment, but there is one very important thing that gets lost in the mix – the people and their real experiences as they try to weather the financial crisis.

“A lot can and needs to be done at the state level to address the unemployment problem,” says Mark Gray, Ocean state Actions Where’s the Work campaign organizer,” for instance, Connecticut has created a subsidized job training and employment program that has employed about 1,300 people in over 400 small businesses in the last year.”

Gray says that while Rhode Island’s total unemployment rate has fallen slightly, the long-term unemployment rate — those that have been out of work for longer than six months — hasn’t budged.

“We need a new approach. Clearly the state’s past efforts are not working, and this economy is not working for a significant segment of the population.”

Today’s rally is a chance to put the stories of unemployed Rhode Islanders front and center to reshape the public dialogue about our economy and make sure that our elected leaders better understand the urgent action that their constituents need.

Attendees to today’s rally are asked to dress as if attending a job interview and bring their resumes.

Even if you are currently employed, please consider attending this important event. After all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll have a job tomorrow.

]]>
http://www.rifuture.org/jobless-fair-at-the-state-house-today/feed/ 0
RI Not As ‘Generous’ As GoLocal Report Indicates http://www.rifuture.org/ri-not-as-generous-as-golocal-report-indicates/ http://www.rifuture.org/ri-not-as-generous-as-golocal-report-indicates/#comments Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:16:24 +0000 http://www.rifuture.org//?p=17669 Continue reading "RI Not As ‘Generous’ As GoLocal Report Indicates"

]]>
GoLocalProv reported on Monday that Rhode Island owes the federal government $200 million for unemployment benefits.  When the Great Recession hit, there wasn’t enough money in the state’s unemployment trust fund and we had to borrow to make up the difference.

But about a third of the way through the article a subhead asks, “Is RI too generous?” and goes on to refer to a study on the website 24/7 Wall St. which labels Rhode Island as the “most generous” state in the country when it comes to handing out certain benefits.

GoLocalProv referenced the same study on December 25.

The implication is that Rhode Island has to borrow money from the feds because the state is doling out extravagant unemployment checks.  But the reporting in both the 24/7 Wall Street piece and the GoLocalProv posts that cite is severely lacking in context.

While it may be true that Rhode Island is the second highest in the country for unemployment payments as a percentage of weekly wages, this is just one way to measure the “generosity” of UI, and nowhere does the article m­­­ention how these payments compare to the cost of living in our state.

According to the Economic Progress Institute’s 2012 Standard of Need, a single adult in Rhode Island living solely on the average unemployment benefit of $381.89 weekly would come up $4945.72 short for their annual living expenses.  A single parent receiving the same benefit while trying to care for two kids would be short $37681.72.

Granted, that single parent might be eligible for other forms of assistance to help close that gap.  But what if we use the example of “Christina” on page 6 of the EPI’s report (see graph at right)—say she gets laid off, and let’s assume that like 24/7 Wall St. says, she receives 43.4% of her wages in unemployment payments.  That comes out to $10356.54 annually—and while we hope Christina isn’t out of work the entire year, the average length of unemployment is still around 40 weeks, so that’s not too unlikely of a scenario.

You can see how it becomes impossible for Christina to make ends meet when faced with a long-term unemployment scenario, even with our state’s “generous” unemployment payments.  And this hypothetical situation is a tragic reality for many unemployed workers in Rhode Island—folks I meet week in and week out as part of the Where’s the Work project.

Rhode Island having to borrow $200m from the Feds to cover unemployment payments has nothing to do with those payments being “over-generous” (which they clearly are not) and everything to do with a failure on the part of our leaders to plan appropriately for—and respond adequately to—this  unemployment crisis.

]]>
http://www.rifuture.org/ri-not-as-generous-as-golocal-report-indicates/feed/ 3
OSA Hires Mark Gray for ‘Where’s the Work’ Project http://www.rifuture.org/ocean-state-action-hires-mark-gray-to-the-lead-the-wheres-the-work-organizing-project/ http://www.rifuture.org/ocean-state-action-hires-mark-gray-to-the-lead-the-wheres-the-work-organizing-project/#respond Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:42:29 +0000 http://www.rifuture.org//?p=16380 Continue reading "OSA Hires Mark Gray for ‘Where’s the Work’ Project"

]]>
Ocean State Action today announced the addition of Mark Gray to their organizing staff, naming him the new Where’s the Work? campaign organizer after the departure of Aaron Regunberg, who has moved on to serve as Director of the Providence Student Union.

As Where’s the Work? campaign organizer, Gray will spearhead Ocean State Action’s continuing efforts to increase public awareness and understanding of the unemployment crisis in Rhode Island by putting the stories of unemployed Rhode Islanders front and center to reshape the public debate about our economy and make sure that our elected leaders better understand the urgent action that their constituents need to address the unemployment crisis.

“We are thrilled to have Mark join our team,” said Kate Brock, Executive Director.  “He has demonstrated the talent, creativity and diligence needed to help mobilize and empower Rhode Island’s un- and underemployed workers.”

Gray has spent the last two years with Clean Water Action Rhode Island where he worked as a grassroots organizer on numerous campaigns, including diesel emissions reduction efforts and extended producer responsibility.  In addition to serving as Recruitment Director for Clean Water Action’s renowned field canvass operation, Gray also led the organization’s highly successful efforts to support endorsed General Assembly candidates in the 2012 election.

“I am sincerely honored to be joining Ocean State Action,” Gray said.  “The personal stories of those struggling with unemployment as a result of the economic crisis are getting lost in the noise of data and statistics.  I am grateful for the opportunity to help these voices be heard.”

Ocean State Action is a coalition of community and environmental organizations, professional associations, and labor unions who have been fighting for social and economic justice for over two decades.  

]]>
http://www.rifuture.org/ocean-state-action-hires-mark-gray-to-the-lead-the-wheres-the-work-organizing-project/feed/ 0