Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis unveiled the details of the labor department’s 2011 budget request that included an overall 2.1 percent reduction in the department’s discretionary budget to $14 billion.
The focus for the Department of Labor (DOL) going forward will include everything from worker retraining programs to beefed up protection of workers rights.
According to the DOL:
Job creation is a top Administration priority as it seeks to spur growth in the U.S. economy. However, it is important to promote the creation of “good jobs,” and the Department of Labor plays a vital role in this goal by serving as a champion for workers’ rights and enforcing statutory rules that protect wages, working conditions, retirement security, and workers’ safety and health.
Specifically, “good jobs” are those that can support families by increasing incomes and narrowing wage gaps; jobs that are safe and secure and give people a voice at the workplace and at the table; jobs that are sustainable and innovative; jobs that export products, not paychecks; and, jobs that rebuild and restore a strong middle class.
Here are some of the highlights from a Q&A with Solis:
* Paid leave: The budget includes $50 million for incentives and start-up funds for states to establish state paid-leave programs. There is an enormous demand for these programs. Nearly half of all private sector workers do not have paid sick leave to care for themselves, and even fewer have leave available to care for another family member when they are ill. Millions of workers risk losing pay and/or their jobs when they are sick or their children are sick. In addition, businesses benefit from these programs. The programs enable them to retain valuable employees, reduce turnover and absenteeism, and increase employee loyalty and morale. Additional information is available in the Congressional Budget Justification for the Employment and Training Administration.
* Protecting American jobs disappearing overseas because of cheap labor: I’m excited to tell you about our new plans to address these systemic problems. First, our trade agreements include obligations for our trading partners that require respect for workers’ rights. But those clauses have not always been enforced. We intend to enforce our trade agreements, including their labor obligations. Secondly, we are also going to use $20 million in newly requested funds for FY 2011 to launch monitoring programs in export factories overseas and post these results on the internet. That way there will be no way to hide exploitive working conditions.
* OSHA and state plans: As OSHA announced in a Congressional hearing last year, the agency will be conducting special studies of all of its state plan programs. Based on the result of those studies, OSHA will decide how to change its state oversight policies. The President is also requesting an additional $1.5 million to support OSHA state plans in FY 2011. OSHA has an aggressive and robust regulatory agenda. The increase $4.0 million dollars in contract funds complements the additional 20 FTE that were approved for standards activities in the FY 2010 budget. In FY 2011, OSHA is scheduled to publish four final rules and four proposed rules, as well as continuing work on numerous guidance products.
* Jobs Corp: The FY 2011 Job Corps request is for $1,707,363,000. This will allow us to continue the work of the 123 centers around the country. Moving Job Corps into the ETA will allow ETA’s other programs to strengthen Job Corps. We can better interconnect with other ETA programs, offer more opportunities for young people, and increase their academic and vocational credentials so they can qualify for a good job. The national search for the new Job Corps director is coming to a conclusion and an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.
* Grants for Health Care Sector and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries: Next week we will announce $220 million in grants for health care and emerging careers, ranging from $2 million to $5 million. In FY 2011, we will build on the foundation that the Recovery Act provided this year by using H1B visa funds to continue a health care training initiative. These funds could be supplemented by including community college resources that the Department expect to jointly administer with the Department of Education.
* Slow or misclassified unemployment insurance payments: I am pleased that the budget includes $65 million for targeted Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments for Unemployment Insurance claimants designed to reduce their duration of unemployment. In addition, there are several integrity provisions in the budget. The budget request includes a legislative proposal to provide state new tools to prevent, detect and collect improper payments. The budget also includes a cross-agency effort to help states identify employers who are misclassifying workers for tax purposes.
And this question from Mark Gruenberg: The department is aiding the unemployed through extended jobless benefits, one-stop career centers and other initiatives to tide people over. But what do you say to a worker who says to you: “I’m qualified, I’m ready, I’m willing, I’m able. I want a job TOMORROW. What are you doing for me to ensure I get a job TOMORROW?” We all know people like that.
Solis’ response:
“Our competitive grants funded under the recovery act have provided over 25,000 training slots. The partnerships represent impressive labor-management partnerships in emerging green industries that could offer workers the immediate skills they need to fill vacancies in turbine and solar panel manufacturing, bio-fuel development, and high-tech manufacturing. Based upon the interest conveyed by our partners, we are extremely hopeful that these partnerships will result in immediate job creation.”
* Help for veterans: Ray Jefferson, assistant secretary, Veterans’ Employment & Training Service, responded — There are two major programs supporting workforce investment for Veterans. The first is our Jobs for Veterans State Grants program. This program funds salaries for about 2,000 employment representatives throughout America in the DOL One-Stop Career Centers. The second program supports preparing Veterans for jobs in the green economy. We have 17 grants, are funded at $9.6 million and will serve 4,600 Veterans.