Workforce Development Council News

Weekly Update

August 29, 2008

 

Congress has adjourned for the August recess and will resume the week of September 8.

 

Upcoming Meetings

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!

WDC 20TH ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL FORUM
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

WDC Board Meeting/Peer-to-Peer Best Practices Session
Monday, September 22, 2008

Please register to attend the 20th Annual Congressional Forum of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Council (WDC) on Tuesday, September 23, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the St. Gregory Hotel & Suites, 2033 M Street, NW in Washington, DC 20036. We will be holding the first portion of the Forum with members of Congress and Congressional Staff.

Click here for an updated draft agenda.

Prior to the Congressional Forum, the WDC Board meeting, as well as a peer-to-peer best practices exchange on a variety of topics, will be held on Monday, September 22 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Please share this invitation with colleagues you think would be interested in participating in a national networking opportunity in Washington, DC. Click here for a description of the Congressional Forum for you to disseminate.

You may now register online at http://usmayors.org/2008CongressionalForum.

If you prefer, you may complete the registration form manually. To access the registration and hotel reservation form click here and fax it to our meeting department at (202) 467-4276.

Room reservations must be made by calling the hotel directly. Please identify yourself as an attendee of The U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting to ensure the group rate. The deadline for hotel discount rate was August 20, 2008.

Your involvement in the Workforce Development Council is a great asset to workforce development across the country. We look forward to your participation in the Congressional Forum.

 

Reports, Announcements, and Articles

New from NCLR

Latino Workers: Fastest-Growing Segment Of Labor Force, Most Disadvantaged
New NCLR Fact Sheet Highlights State of Hispanic Workers in the U.S.

Washington, DC -A new publication detailing the major workplace disparities that Latinos face, Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, was released today by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)-the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The fact sheet highlights the strength and diversity of the Latino workforce, the effects of the national economic downturn on Hispanic workers, and the impact of eroding job quality on benefits and fatal workplace injuries among Latino workers.

There are more than 20 million Latino workers in the U.S., accounting for more than 14% of the labor force. Despite strong participation in the labor force, Latinos are concentrated in occupations that frequently fall short on critical indicators of job quality, including employer-based health and retirement plans. Limited economic mobility bars many Hispanics from achieving the American Dream, leaving them financially insecure during these times of economic crisis.

Workplace disparities are most apparent in the health and safety of Latino workers. Among other factors, the increasing violations of basic labor laws have contributed to the highest recorded number of fatal occupational injuries to Hispanic workers. Nearly 1,000 Latinos were killed on the job in 2006-the highest fatality rate of all racial and ethnic groups.

Latinos are the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, making the state of Hispanic workers a national priority. In addition to Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, NCLR will release an issue brief to provide further analysis of the decline in basic labor protections and recommendations to reverse the rise in fatal injuries among Latino workers.

To download Labor Day 2008: A Snapshot of the Latino Workforce, visit www.nclr.org.

 

ETA Releases

 

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