Which Way, L.A.?
How Are We Spending the Workforce Investment Act?
The City of LA is about to pass 220,000 dollars on to Staples to train 200 new employees as part of a federal welfare program, but the giant retailer will only pay trainees the minimum wage. That's a dollar less than the "living wage" the city requires its contractors pay their employees. Community groups are outraged, insisting that welfare reform should create career ladders, not drop people into dead-end jobs. We get three perspectives on the Workforce Investment Act program from the woman who oversees it, a community projects director, and the man who helped implement LA's living wage law. Reporter's Notebook: Holden Hires Two Former Colleagues - Term limits won't keep two termed-out councilmen from working at City Hall. Colleague Nate Holden, whose term runs for another two years, has hired former colleagues Rudy Svorinich and Mike Hernandez as consultants. He says the opportunity to take advantage of their experience and skills will give the city "a big bang for its buck."
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe City of LA is about to pass 220,000 dollars on to Staples to train 200 new employees as part of a federal welfare program, but the giant retailer will only pay trainees the minimum wage. That's a dollar less than the "living wage" the city requires its contractors pay their employees. Community groups are outraged, insisting that welfare reform should create career ladders, not drop people into dead-end jobs. We get three perspectives on the Workforce Investment Act program from the woman who oversees it, a community projects director, and the man who helped implement LA's living wage law.
Holden Hires Two Former Colleagues - Term limits won't keep two termed-out councilmen from working at City Hall. Colleague Nate Holden, whose term runs for another two years, has hired former colleagues Rudy Svorinich and Mike Hernandez as consultants. He says the opportunity to take advantage of their experience and skills will give the city "a big bang for its buck."
