Tag Archives: jobs

Does MTA Construction Endanger Jobs?

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An F train at the Church Avenue F and G subway station. Photo: Jonathan Percy

In reports and articles about the economy we tend to focus on the unemployed and the underemployed. But with a scarcity of jobs on the market and a surplus of workers looking to fill them, keeping a job once you get one is critical.

A June article from Business Insider listed absenteeism and bad time keeping as the #4 most common reason that employees are fired.

As part of the MTA’s Viaduct Rehabilitation Project, a series of repairs that will continue through fall 2012, service on the F and G subway lines have been repeatedly disrupted throughout Brooklyn. One area in particular that depends on these two lines for service to and from Manhattan is Kensington. On Thursday morning I spoke to several commuters waiting for the trains that would take them to work. I wanted to find out just how much issues with train service affected their daily commutes.

Laura, 26, from Kensington on how train delays cause her frequent problems:

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/383/files/2011/10/Commuting_Laura.mp3|titles=Commuting_Laura]

Nancy, 51, discusses how she’s learned to pass the time during her long commute:

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/383/files/2011/10/Commuting_Nancy.mp3|titles=Commuting_Nancy]

Phillip, 47, from Flatbush is pretty forgiving of the MTA despite the occasional strain on his commuting time:

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/383/files/2011/10/Commuting-Phillip.mp3|titles=Commuting Phillip]

Natural sound from the Subway platform:

[audio:http://cdn.journalism.cuny.edu/blogs.dir/383/files/2011/10/Commuting-Natsound.mp3|titles=Commuting Natsound]

 

Job-talk in Zuccotti Park

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Diverse in ideology and demands, many occupiers of Wall Street agree that jobs and the economy are central issues of their movement.

Protesters have gathered in Zuccotti Park for the last 26 days to express frustrations over a variety of ideas.  Jobs and the economy have been hot topics of conversation amongst the occupiers.

Photo by Alex Robinson

“10 years ago you could select what company you wanted to work for and find a job very easily. Now you have to be on a list and send out 300 resumes without any promise of employment,” said Carlos Cabrera, a 34-year-old Brooklyn man who has been at the protest since its first day, September 17.

Cabrera was a paramedic for 12 years before losing his job. He has been unemployed for the last year and a half. Cabrera said that he has considered going back to school to rebrand himself, but it would put him in debt.

Sharon Kennedy, 62, a retired attorney for the state’s court system attended the protest for the first time today.

“Two of my three children are having trouble finding work. One has actually had to go to Korea to teach English for a couple years because he couldn’t find a job when he got out of college, so there’s a very direct impact on our family,” she said.

Kennedy attributes Occupy Wall Street to the recession and unemployment. She said that the recent economic downturn highlighted the long-standing social inequalities of the country.

“I’m here to express my support for the jobs bill because I think that it will create jobs and reduce some of the income inequity by making the wealthy pay more of their fair share then they do now,” she said.

Survey says: Is Columbia Project good or bad for West Harlem?

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Columbia University has been in the process of a major expansion project that will weave the university further into its West Harlem location. The expansion, called The Columbia Project, has been underway since the final public approval was made by the New York State Public Authorities Board in May 2009.

According to the Columbia University site that focuses on the project, the plan will result in 6.8 million or more square feet of space for teaching, support services and underground parking and the growth can also create new jobs. However, one Columbia University site about the expansion explains that negative results would be the closing of an estimated 80 or more businesses and destroy 132 affordable housing units, the influx of Columbia University affiliates to the area could increase housing costs and the new businesses that derive from the expansion could cater more to new residents.

Basically, the expansion most likely will change the original character of West Harlem.

Community Board Manager of district 9 Eutha Prince said that there is practically no commercial space, and with the school expansion, people and businesses are being displaced. “Businesses are closing, there are not as many ‘mom and pop’ shops,” she said.

Let’s face it, New York is crowded enough. Columbia University is already taking on a global expansion, Phase One, to Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi, which is explained more in four separate YouTube videos . There isn’t a lot of room for a well-known school to expand so the neighborhood has to put itself in a position where it would sacrifice small businesses.

However, Columbia University as mentioned before suggests job possibilities, or 6,000 as a result of the expansion. Jobs include administrative assistant jobs, cooks, lab technicians and mechanics, which are open to various ages and skill levels, retired or new to the workforce.

Please fill out the survey to express your thoughts on the pros and cons of this expansion and for me to continue researching possibiities.

Social Media Diary

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  • On September 22nd, I posted my question on Twitter and linked to my blog post in the following tweet:

Tweet

I used the hashtags #USPS, #postoffice, #SouthBronx, #Bronx, and #jobs as they seemed like they were the most relevant that would garner the most amount of hits.  I however failed in attracting any response.

After I didn’t receive any reply to this either, I started to wonder if there were better hashtags for the Bronx and the South Bronx, and found out that people use #bx as a Bronx hashtag.

I tried using some other hashtags, and rephrasing my query in order to attract possibly business owners in the South Bronx.  I still did not unfortunately receive any response. Because so much of the South Bronx’s population is living under the poverty line, I think it is safe to assume that a lot of them have very limited internet access. A lot of the unemployed people of the South Bronx (who are the people who I am most interested in speaking with, in all likely-hood do not peruse Twitter).

  • On October 5th, I posted the following on Flickr to promote my question and blog post:

I posted my question and link in the description of the photo, and added relevant tags (Melrose, South Bronx, Post Office, USPS…).

Elderly Residents of Melrose Lament Possible Loss of Post Office

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The possible closure of their post office will mean more than a loss of jobs for residents of Melrose.

The US Postal Service has announced a list of post offices due to close by year-end, which will inevitably mean layoffs for postal workers.

Photo by Alex Robinson

The Melcourt Post Office, situated on Melrose Ave, is one of the branches facing the axe. This could mean the two main employees of the branch could lose their jobs, but Branch Manager Tinka Williams is not worried. “I have 20-something years in, so they have to find me some place. They can’t just lay me off,” said Williams.

Williams said she is more concerned about how the branch closure will affect the residents of the neighborhood.

“It’s a bad thing for the area, because we have a lot of elderly people around here and they need this. This is close to them, and easy to get to,” she said.

With the closure, elderly residents of Melrose will find themselves without somewhere to do essential things such as paying bills.

Ethel Griffith, a 63-year-old retiree of the community said she is at a loss as to how she will cope without it.

“I send my checks for my rent, my check for my light and gas, my cable. I send my checks from here,” she said.

For the many residents living under the poverty line in Melrose, using the Internet to carry out these functions is not an easy option, as few have Internet access at home.

Proximity is a big issue for the elderly in Melrose, said Williams. Without the Melrose branch nearby, some will have to travel all the way over to the 149th and Grand Concourse branch.

“Please, please don’t close the post office. Leave something for us. Do something for us, please,” pleaded Griffith.

If your local post office closes, how will it affect you?

Would You Miss the City’s Worst Post Office?

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The Post Office in Kensington, Brooklyn

The post office in Kensington, Brooklyn. Photo reproduced by permission of Jim Henderson

The recession, budget problems and a decline in the amount of mail being sent and received have combined to force the government and the United States Postal Service to consider drastic measures.

Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe publicly outlined a plan that would cut service, create massive layoffs and potentially lead to the shutdown of thousands of processing centers and post offices across the country.

CNNMoney reports that President Obama recently spoke out in favor of ending Saturday mail service as a way for the Postal Service to save money and avoid cutting jobs. The news cite previously discussed how the layoffs, potentially 120,000 of them would effect one of the nation’s largest employers of minority workers.

For the residents of Kensington, Brooklyn all this doom and gloom might not be such bad news. Their local post office has often been referred to as the worst post office in New York City. Complaints range from slow waits and rude staff to mail delivery well after business hours. Several years ago a Wiki page sprang up collecting complaints from customers and even local politicians. The site also links to a popular Youtube video of an enraged man literally “going postal” on a rude teller.

So you might expect that people in Kensington won’t be too upset if their mail service is cut, since it can’t get much worse. You might even think that many residents wouldn’t shed a tear if the branch closed completely.

“It’s still the worst.” Said Connie Lambropoulos, a local restaurant owner.

Lambropoulos however, along with many other local residents say that the post office still has plays a critical role in their daily lives. “I do need it for my business. I use it for all my business mail” She admitted. “So I would miss it if it was gone.”

How much do you still use your local post office? If your neighborhood had the “worst post office in New York City,” would you miss it?

New York City: Looking for job answers in odd places

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Are textbooks and squeegees the key to NYC’s economic future?

As New York City’s unemployment rate holds steady at nearly 9 percent, the city is making a grab for any project that could bring jobs to its increasingly hopeless residents – no matter how niche or obscure.

That’s the driving force for a new deal between the city and Pearson PLC, the British education and publishing giant that also – in a small twist of ironic fate – owns the Financial Times. Pearson will be putting down roots on Hudson Street, bringing an estimated 628 jobs to NYC. (Never mind that the building renovation alone will cost almost $135 million before those jobs ever even materialize.)

See Mayor Michael Bloomberg announce the Pearson deal here.

But some New Yorkers aren’t waiting around for the city’s fancy plans to come to fruition. The Daily News recently reported on the reappearance of so-called “squeegee men” in the city – guys who wander through traffic with a bucket of water and a squeegee, offering to clean car windows for a buck or two. It’s a job that had virtually disappeared since the early ‘90s – the last time city unemployment was as high as it is now.

Another city jobs plan that may not pan out so well: The upcoming “Wal-Martization” of NYC. New numbers show that if Wal-Mart reaches the same market share – 21 percent – in New York City that it has in the rest of the country, the city will lose nearly 4,000 jobs and more than 100 smaller local businesses. Maybe Wal-Mart doesn’t really have everything New Yorkers need.

But what, then, do New Yorkers need? What industry (or industries) holds the answer to the city’s unemployment crisis?

No Youth Jobs = Violence ?

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Ten days after 18-year-old basketball star Tayshana Murphy was gunned down in Harlem, the two young men allegedly responsible for her murder are in police custody, officials said Wednesday.

Despite a visible police presence in Harlem, youth violence has spiked in the past few years. (Photo: Sarah M. Kazadi)

As Murphy’s family mourns, her killing has shed light on the steady rise in youth violence and gang related crimes in the area. East Harlem community leaders say the surge could be largely attributed to the lack of jobs, and initiatives to create more opportunities for youth employment are underway.

Harlem hasn’t been spared from the job market’s downward slant. With overall unemployment in the area almost doubling the national rate, the youth labor force – falling between the ages of 16 and 24 – is also feeling the blow. The National Urban League reports that youth unemployment among minorities, who make up a large chunk of East Harlem’s population, hovers around 39 percent.

The high unemployment rate has coincided with the recent spike in youth violence, and community leaders have tied the two trends. Raichelle Thompson, a 21-year-old lifelong East Harlem resident, said youth violence in her neighborhood is at an all time peak. “The younger the group, the more deaths. Kids with guns and no diplomas, it’s really crazy out here,” she said.

At a community board meeting in February, East Harlem police said gang violence was their toughest challenge, and that gang members ranged from 13 to 21 years old. There are about 24 active youth gangs spanning Harlem, according to a DNAinfo report, some even using social websites like YouTube to taunt each other.

Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito established the El Barrio/East Harlem Youth Task Force in response to the alarming numbers, organizing events on youth violence and putting an emphasis on youth jobs. Congressman Charles Rangel has teamed with other local elected officials and the NUL to gain support for the Urban Jobs Act, which promises to “provide critical resources for non-profit groups to prepare at-risk youth for new employment and educational opportunities.”

With the initiatives freshly under way, it will be a while before we can determine whether they can create more youth jobs and slow down youth violence. Percentage wise, how much do you think the lack of jobs is to blame for the spike in violent youth crimes? What other factors should be addressed to stop the trend in communities like Harlem?

Does lack of employment for NYC youth increase gun violence?

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Employment has been difficult for many since the recession. And despite Harlem being listed as one of the top 10 safe neighborhoods in Manhattan, there is still violence, especially gun violence. A New York State Mission Society organization, Operation SNUG, is working to halt gun violence throughout the state of New York while implementing employment program experience that NYSMS has.

In West Harlem, Operation SNUG Project Director Robin Holmes said that she works with summer internship programs, and this past summer she had around 1,300 applicants when only 300 jobs were available. According to Holmes, the gun violence could be related to the lack of employment for younger individuals

“Even though a lot of people think crime is down, murders and shootings are not,” Holmes said.

Operation SNUG (“guns” spelled backwards) was launched by the NY state senate in 2009 and has been working toward reducing gun violence mostly with adolescents.

The most recent shooting was of a young girl, prominent is basketball, named Tayshana Murphy, 18. She was shot and killed on Sept. 11 in the Grant House in West Harlem between Morningside and Old Broadway. According to an article on the NY Daily News, she was killed by other teens because of mistaken identity during a “turf war.”

Ray McLaughlin, who works as a community assistant at the CD9 board, located by the Grant House, said that he feels most violence in NYC is community based and lack of money for desired lifestyles cause violence. “People within the communities are fighting. People try living above their means in Harlem and it causes tension and crime,” he said.

According to an article on Patch.com, unemployment dropped from 6.9 percent in August 2010 to 6.6 percent last month and the labor force also dropped from 17,500 to 17,100 workers from 2010 to 2011, according to a recent New York State Department of Labor report.

This poses the question, does the lack of employment for adolescents in NYC increase the threat of their involvement with gun violence?

 

The American Jobs Act Controversy

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President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the American Jobs Act in the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 14, 2011 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the American Jobs Act in the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 14, 2011 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


The American Jobs Act continues to raise debates in the American society.

  • Jobs Plan Approval and Disapproval: The Gallup Daily research on a three-day rolling average shows growing disenchantment with President Obama’s jobs plan.
  • President’s Plan: In the Jobs Act sent to Congress on Monday, President Obama wants high-income workers to assume a greater tax burden. Mr. Obama says taxes won’t go up for those earnings below $250,000.
  • Tax Hikes for Jobs Creators: The tax hikes plan would only affect large companies. Oil and gas companies’ tax subsidies would be cut. Besides, The Jobs Act would raise taxes on some hedge fund managers and on corporate job owners. Republicans, including House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-VA., insist the plan contains a tax increase on “job creators”. However, defenders of the plan say wealthy individuals, hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners do not create many jobs.
  • The Jobs Act and New York City: Mr. Obama’s plan is intended to help small businesses in New York City; 400, 000 state firms will receive a payroll tax cut. Besides, The Jobs Act will provide immediate investments of nearly $3 million. in New York highway and transit modernization projects. It could mean about 39,000 jobs in the city. The plan suggests considerable investments in education and construction projects. At the same time, Republicans say the victory of Bob Turner over a Democrat David Weprin in New York’s 9th congressional district is another sign of unhappiness with Obama’s job plan.