They came from all over the state. Including Lynn.
And, after months of prep work and meetings they got a splendid editorial in the Boston Globe (who described the young people as “earnest” a throwback to Tom Winship we think.)
MANY BOSTONIANS over the age of 40 can recall the ease of finding summer employment during their teenage years. But it’s not so for today’s teens, especially without the help of city officials who employ young people in city work crews or match them with corporate partners.
Today, scores of Boston teens from the Dorchester-based Youth Jobs Coalition are scheduled to demonstrate for summer jobs in the Financial District. They are targeting Fidelity Investments, which last year employed only a handful of teens through the city’s summer jobs program, according to city officials. Other financial-services firms, including State Street, Liberty Mutual, Bank of America, and John Hancock, hired more from the city program.
And then they did extensive outreach to various local media that included an official data packed Report YJC Report that documented the situation and suggested some specific solutions.
We have explained 6 reasons of the value of youth jobs and the consequences to youth, communities, and the economy when so many youth lack jobs. We have talked about companies that have stepped up to provide jobs. We have spotlighted that it is a major problem that when just looking at Boston employers, we find 86% of 590 larger employers are not hiring youth and we have named some of these companies. Some institutions in the health care sector must step up and hire youth too. We’ve shown that the state has done some funding to help and needs to do more, while the City of Boston has done a lot, and the federal government is now doing $0 in funding for youth jobs
Some of the media coverage included interviews with students in the Lynn Item and some great videos. First one called Youth Jobs Rally from the State House News, then see Univision, and Chanel 22 from Springfield. Fox news did one too, but only counted to 200 in the headline. Bad eyesight maybe? Thankfully a fact checker corrected the text.
And finally the Governor responded with his own press release that sounded a trifle defensive, but as long as he continues to “strongly support” youth jobs, he’s ok with us.
Governor Patrick continues to seek funding for such initiatives through 2013, which will afford employers the resources to increase the number of opportunities available to the youth of Massachusetts.
Meanwhile………….they work with their own legislative delegations. Can you spot Rep Liz Malia here?
cross posted on the Mass Policy and Organizing Leadership Academy
Which benefits middlemen to the tune of $33 million, and gets sold off to Mammon (aka Bank of America).
I worked for Exxon (cashier), but today my library told me their corporate headquarters might be in Irving, TXS. I pray that I find the composure to fight for Irving Street and all streets Framingham against the All Jacked Up gas prices.