by Christin Brown | October 19, 2012 | News Releases
Harrisburg – October 19, 2012 — Senate Democratic Leaders today called Pennsylvania’s latest employment report “unfortunate, but not surprising” given the lack of interest in rising unemployment on the part of the Corbett administration.
“It’s a trend that needs to be reversed immediately,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “The national economy and economic picture are improving while Pennsylvania is going in the other direction.”
For the first time in six years, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is higher than the national rate, and the state has fallen from seventh to 38th in job creation. The state’s unemployment rate for September was 8.2 percent, well above the national average of 7.8 percent.
“The rest of the nation is showing job gains and economic recovery and Pennsylvania is economically in reverse,” Hughes said. “The administration’s answer is to give tax breaks to wealthy corporations while it cuts programs that train Pennsylvania’s workforce and keep our citizens employed.”
Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee said the jobs trend is disturbing.
“The fact that our unemployment rate is higher than the national average is eye-opening,” she said. “The governor’s lack of comprehensive job and development plans cannot be ignored any longer – we need investment in education, transportation and workforce training programs that will put Pennsylvanians back to work immediately.”
The Democratic leaders called on the Corbett administration to end more than a year of procrastination on transportation and job creation plans and detail to the legislature what he wants in the way of legislation.
“There are plenty of good ideas to create jobs,” Costa said. “When we return to session we should have a detailed transportation and jobs plan from the administration in front of us that has the support of businesses, unions and public officials across the state. Right now, we’re getting only silence from the Corbett administration.”
Among the plans cast into legislation is one from Senate Democrats called “PA Works” which is aimed at creating more than 80,000 new jobs.
PA Works would make use of state resources, leverage private resources and make critical long term capital investments that would create new opportunities for future growth and development.
-30-
by Christin Brown | April 15, 2011 | News Releases
Philadelphia – April 15, 2011 –Senate Democratic Policy Committee Chair Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton/Lehigh/Monroe) said Democrats will hone their PA Works jobs and economic development plan with many of the ideas offered at yesterday’s roundtable discussion in Philadelphia.
“I thought the region’s labor, business, government and training experts who took part in yesterday’s discussion had some great ideas for getting people back to work,” Boscola said. “My committee will continue to seek local input as we visit different regions of the state and discuss aspects of our “PA Works” legislative package.”
Mark Boyd, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, discussed the need for consolidating and making job training programs more efficient and effective. He called for simplifying contract systems and placing more emphasis on finding work opportunities for the disabled, uneducated and ex-offenders.
“I would offer zero taxes for companies that bring Pennsylvania high-paying manufacturing jobs,” Boyd added.
Everett Gillison, Philadelphia’s deputy mayor for public safety, agreed, suggesting that workforce development is an important component of public safety and attracting employers to a community. Ryan Boyer, business manager for the Laborers District Council added, “The best social program is a job.”
Patrick Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO said there needs to be a greater coordination between employers and job trainers to make sure people are being trained for existing long term jobs. He also suggested putting a greater emphasis on offering incentives to attract more employers to Pennsylvania.
“Ninety percent or more of solar heating components are made in China,” Eiding said. “Why not give them an old facility in Kensington, give them the building, any available tax credits and help them get started.”
All of the roundtable participants commended the Senate Democrats’ PA Works package. They said it would help get more people to work and help the state emerge from the recession.
Boscola said PA Works would create more than 28,000 jobs while actually saving state taxpayer dollars. She said the Democratic plan would leverage $2 billion in private investment to help put people to work, cut business taxes and help small businesses be more competitive, rebuild the state’s aging infrastructure, foster the growth of promising new clean and green energy industries and retool worker training programs.
In addition to Eiding, Boyd, Boyer and Gillison were: Pat Merk, Health and Safety Director, Finishing Trades Institute; Stacy E. Holland, co-president, Philadelphia Youth Network; Liz Robinson, executive director of programs, Energy Coordinating Agency; and Gary Masino, president of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19.
Senators joining Boscola were Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Shirley Kitchen (D-Phila.), Mike Stack (D-Phila.), Christine Tartaglione (D-Phila.), LeAnna Washington (D-Phila./Montgomery), Larry Farnese (D-Phila.), Vince Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery), and John Blake (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe).
by Christin Brown | April 7, 2011 | News Releases
Harrisburg – April 7, 2011 – The Senate Democratic Policy Committee will hold a roundtable discussion on job training issues at the Temple Corporate Learning Center in Philadelphia next week.
“Any legislative effort to stoke our economy and create jobs must include an aggressive job training plan,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), who chairs the committee. “While Senate Democrats have already introduced job training bills, I am eager to get input from Philadelphia region employers, union representatives and workers on how best to train our workers for good jobs today – and tomorrow.”
Boscola said creating jobs and strengthening the state’s economy must be the top legislative priority this year. She said getting people back to work is the key to rebounding from the recession.
“We need to pinpoint what is working, and what is not, and how we can move forward on this important issue for the people we represent,” Boscola said.
The roundtable discussion will be held in Philadelphia at the request of members from the Philadelphia Senate Legislative Delegation. It will be held on Thursday, April 14 at 11 a.m. at the Temple Corporate and Learning Center, 2450 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia. The public is welcome to attend.
In February, Senate Democrats unveiled a six point legislative plan, called PA Works, which is aimed at invigorating Pennsylvania’s economy and creating jobs.
“The beauty of the Democratic legislative package is that it would create more than 28,000 jobs, while actually saving state taxpayer dollars,” Boscola said.
She said the Democratic plan would leverage $2 billion in private investment to help put people to work, cut business taxes and help small businesses be more competitive, rebuild the state’s aging infrastructure, foster the growth of promising new clean and green energy industries and retool worker training programs.
MORE
For the Philadelphia hearing, Boscola said the committee would focus on job training. Democrats have introduced these PA Works job training bills to date:
- Consolidate job training programs under a single state agency by creating an integrated “one-stop” system of workforce investment and education services (Yudichak);
- Redirect federal resources to create an on-the-job training program, modeled after Georgia Works (Tartaglione);
- Establish a Shared Work program to relieve the stress on unemployment compensation (UC), modeled from Missouri’s Shared Work program (Tartaglione); and
- Provide “Green Workforce” training grants. (Kitchen)
In addition to committee members, those expected to take part in the informal roundtable discussion include: Patrick Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO; Pat Merk of the Finishing Trades Institute; Laura Shubilla, president/CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network; Mark Boyd, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries; Everett Gillison, deputy mayor of public safety; Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council; Liz Robinson, executive director of programs, Energy Coordinating Agency; and Gary Masino, president of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Philadelphia.
