TK Flory’s Heartbreaking Job Offer Withdrawal: A Reminder of the Struggles Faced by Black Workers in L.A.
City’s Workforce Equity Demonstration Program: Aiming to Bridge the Gap for Black Workers in L.A.
When Tekoah “TK” Flory, 31, received a job offer from the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting last September, he was overjoyed. Flory considered this as a big step towards a steady career after working her way through a string of minimum pay jobs for years, including traffic control at Dodger Stadium. Their happiness was short-lived, though, as Flory was devastated and forced to start again when the city withdrew the employment offer in January. Through the city’s Workforce Equity Demonstration Program, a joint venture between the Los Angeles Black Worker Center and the L.A. Department of Public Works, with the goal of removing the obstacle of civil service examinations and giving Black workers access to training and career prospects. Flory’s experience highlights larger issues that Black employees in Los Angeles face, as the city struggles with a startling 17.5% job vacancy rate due to budget problems. Black workers’ access to public jobs has become a worry, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to contemplate eliminating open posts. For Black communities historically, government work has been a source of security and wealth since the Reconstruction Era. But in contrast to other demographic groups, Black people have experienced disproportionate job losses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and are now facing greater unemployment rates.
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200 Black Workers from Job Training Program Remain Unemployed – L.A. Broken Promise!(PHOTO: Flckr)
UCLA Labor Center Study: Government Jobs Offer Better Benefits for Black Workers
Advocates emphasize how crucial it is to maintain and increase possibilities for Black workers in the public sector, notwithstanding the obstacles. With higher pay, benefits, and job protections than the private sector, government employment plays a significant role in improving the socioeconomic condition of Black workers, according to the UCLA Labor Center’s 2020 study. Initiatives like the Workforce Equity Demonstration Program are vital steps towards creating inclusivity and economic empowerment within communities of color, as Black workers retire at high rates and there isn’t an adequate pipeline to replace them. But the sluggish progress in keeping promises to employ skilled Black laborers highlights the urgent need for increased responsibility and prompt action to break down obstacles and guarantee fair access to jobs in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
