Workers
Assistance Committee
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Chicago Federation of Labor | |
Workers
Assistance Committee |
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Success Stories
In partnership with Richard J. Daley College, the CFL Workers Assistance Committee trained and placed eight dislocated workers into skilled manufacturing positions. The program, funded by The Workforce Boards for Metropolitan Chicago’s Critical Skills Shortage Initiative (CSSI), provided training to laid-off workers interested in welding and machining (with some computer numerical control instruction). Daley College and its three partner agencies, Central States SER–Jobs for Progress, Southeast Chicago Development Commission and the CFL Workers Assistance Committee, recruited Workforce Investment Act participants for the program. The agencies offered job readiness, resumé writing, and job search skills assistance to ensure participants gained employment promptly after graduating from the training. Daley College also sought input from manufacturing businesses to ensure the program fit their skill needs. The CFL Workers Assistance Committee recruited 14 program participants; 10 people completed the program and eight of those obtained positions earning an average of $11.46 per hour with benefits. Three additional participants will finish the program soon. “The Workers Assistance Committee helped me understand why it’s important to learn new skills in manufacturing,” said Miguel Orozco, a graduate of the training program. “Learning more helped me sell my skills better and now my income is higher than it’s been in 16 years,” he said. Mr. Orozco was laid off from Kellogg’s in December 2005 after 16 years working as a maintenance mechanic. He enrolled with the CFL Workers Assistance Committee in early 2006, completed the CSSI program and secured a position as a CNC Machine Operator (earning $13.00 per hour). While that position ended recently, CFL Workers Assistance Committee staff placed Mr. Orozco into another position where he will earn $20.75 per hour, nearly $13,000 more annually than he earned at Kellogg’s. Another graduate of the training program is Jose Resendez, who worked at Frederick Cooper Lighting for 18 years before the company closed 18 months ago. CFL Workers Assistance Committee staff first met Mr. Resendez when it conducted resumé workshops at the company before it closed. When Mr. Resendez heard about the CSSI program, he was eager to get started. “I did not want this opportunity to pass by me,” he said. “I knew it was a chance to start a new career,” he said. Mr. Resendez joined the first class offered in machining. He graduated in May 2006 and obtained employment at one of the participating companies. With this new position as a CNC Machine Operator, Mr. Resendez earns $14.00 an hour, higher than his pre-layoff wage. The CFL Workers Assistance Committee would like to thank Teamsters Local 777 and Terrace Holding Inc. for their continued cooperation, hard work, and communication. |
Senior AIDES Program Provides Job Training and Hope
Edwin “Ed” Fladeland, a wistful man with a wry smile, is discovering the value of meaningful work for the first time in his life. He is just one of Chicago’s many seniors who struggle to afford life’s basic needs. His journey to financial independence would be a major feat for any man who lived most of his life without a permanent home, but Ed’s success is even more notable because he’s 61. Thanks to the CFL Workers Assistance Committee Senior AIDES Program, which transitions low-income seniors into the workforce through community collaboration, Ed is working now. He earns a modest $6.50 an hour from the CFL Workers Assistance Committee, receives job training by “volunteering” at a local non-profit organization (which also receives the extra help it needs) and is encouraged to find unsubsidized work. “To search for a job while most of your contemporaries are retiring takes courage, particularly when you may lack the skills to compete effectively in today’s workplace,” said Jamie Graves, CFL Workers Assistance Committee Program Coordinator. “With the help of non-profit organizations like Howard Brown Health Center, we can provide our seniors with the experience they need to work towards financial independence. ”Partnering with the CFL Workers Assistance Committee is a win-win and we are proud to participate in this significant program,” said Michael Cook, President and CEO, Howard Brown Health Center. “The addition of these hard-working, dedicated individuals helps us continue our important work,” he said. The path to financial independence is a slow process and Ed understands that. He has humble personal and professional goals. He hopes to work at a bookstore and one day earn enough money to fulfill his lifelong dream of building his own library. “I’m a big Tolkien fan,” said Ed. I’d love to buy an apartment, and fill it with every Tolkien book, essay, or short story ever created. “It’s going to take plenty of time but I plan on living to see 100, so I’ve got at least another 40 years!” he added. “ E d is a pleasure to be around,” said Jason Cencirulo, Howard Brown’s Volunteer Manager. “Every morning he comes to work with a smile on his face. He’s a great help around the office and is always willing to learn. Most importantly, he understands the value of volunteering and developing his professional resumé while giving back to the community,” he said. “I ’m taking it one day at a time,” said Ed. “You know, I’ve got to build that library while I’m still young.”
Critical Skills Shortage Initiative Provides Livable Wage Jobs