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Advancing an Economic Mobility Agenda for Low-Wage Workers in Urban America

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Advancing an Economic Mobility Agenda for Low-Wage Workers in Urban America WORKING FOR CHANGE: Advancing an Economic Mobility Agenda for Low-Wage Workers in Urban America The "Working for Change" forum is a monthly series of discussions with legislative staff, advocates and others to forge consensus on an economic mobility agenda. The goal of the series is to mobilize a core group of advocates, practitioners, philanthropists and public officials to act in concert to increase workers' wages and improve workplace benefits. The “Working for Change” forum is sponsored by CSS in collaboration with the Coalition on Human Needs and is being coordinated by Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director of the Coalition on Human Needs. December 2, 2011 “The Time is Now: What is the Plan for Creating Jobs?” was the topic of the December 2011 forum. Keynote Speaker was Dr. William Spriggs, Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor. His talk provided an in-depth analysis of President Obama’s American Jobs Act. June 17, 2011 “Are We Creating a Permanent Class of Unemployed People?” was the topic of the June 2011 forum. The panelists were Dr. Valerie Wilson, Vice President of Research at the National Urban League Policy Institute and Gwendolyn Young Reams, Associate General Counsel from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The discussion focused on the challenges faced by the long-term unemployed as a result of the growing reluctance of employers to hire the unemployed. May 13, 2011 “Transporting People Out of Poverty: Transportation Infrastructure Projects and Job Creation” was the topic of the May 2011 forum. Keynote Speaker was Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-8), Ranking Northeastern Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and panelists included Anita Hairston, Senior Associate at PolicyLink; and Jeff Rosenberg, Director of Government Affairs with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU). April 15, 2011 “The 2010 Census and Urban Communities: Exploring the Impact and Implications Behind the Numbers” was the topic of the April 2011 forum. Panelists were Nancy Zirkin, Executive Vice President for Policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights/Education Fund; and Madura Wijewardena, Director of Research & Policy at the National Urban League Policy Institute. 1 March 18, 2011 “Real Cuts, Real Lives: Implications of Federal Budget Discussions” was the topic of the March 2011 forum. Panelists were Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners; Andrew Fieldhouse, Federal Budget Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Institute; and Dr. C. Nicole Mason, Executive Director of the Women of Color Policy Network at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. February 18, 2011 “Increasing the Employability of the Formerly Incarcerated” was the topic of the February 2011 forum. Panelists were Helen Mitchell, Director of Strategic Planning & Policy Development in the office of Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-7); Tara Andrews, Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs at the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ); Hazel Beckles-Young Lao, Project Director of Planned Reentry for Incarcerated Adolescents (PRIA) at Community Service Society of New York; and Judith Whiting, Litigation Director at the Community Service Society of New York. December 17, 2010 “Living Wages & Economic Development: A Partnership for Growth in U.S. Cities?” was the topic of the December 2010 forum. Panelists were Dr. David Madland, Director of the American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress; Sheldon Shugarman, Executive Director, Wage Commission at the City of Baltimore’s Office of Civil Rights & Wage Enforcement; and Christina McFarland, Program Director, Finance & Economic Development, Center for Research & Innovation at the National League of Cities . November 19, 2010 “From Bad to Worse: The Effects of the Recession on African-Americans” was the topic of the November 2010 forum. Presenters were Algernon Austin, Director of the Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy at the Economic Policy Institute and Michelle Holder, Labor Market Analyst at the Community Service Society. October 22, 2010 “Families in Jeopardy: The Effects of Losing Child Support Programs” was the topic of the October 22nd forum. Presenters were Vicki Turetsky, Commissioner for the Office of Child Support Enforcement at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families; Julie Vogtman, Counsel for Family Economic Security Program at National Women’s Law Center; and Joseph Jones, Founder, Center for Urban Families. September 24, 2010 “Census Data: The Untold Story” was the topic of the September forum. Panelists included Elise Gould, Director of Health Policy Research at the Economic Policy Institute; and Arloc Sherman, Senior Researcher at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. July 23, 2010 “Strengthening Urban Communities: What is the Plan” was the topic of the July forum. Panelists included Bessy Kong, Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Domestic Policy Council; Alaina Beverly, Associate Director at the White House Office of Urban Affairs; and comments by Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director 2 of the Coalition on Human Needs, drawing upon CHN’s soon-to-be released report, The Recession Generation: Preventing Long-term Damage from Child Poverty and Young Adult Joblessness. June 18, 2010 “Can You Afford to Get Sick? Paid Sick Time for Low-wage Workers” was the topic of the June forum. Panelists included Rachna Choudhry, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at the National Partnership for Women and Families; Sherry Leiwant, Executive Director of A Better Balance; Dr. Kevin Miller, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Women's Policy Research; and Krista Pietrangelo, Strategic Planning & Policy Associate at the Community Service Society. May 21, 2010 “If Not Now, then When? Congressional Opportunities to Address Our Nation’s Youth Unemployment Crisis” was the topic of the May 2010 forum. Panelists were Ilana Levinson, Legislative Assistant in the office of U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow; Kisha Bird, Project Director for the Campaign for Youth at CLASP; and Mala Thakur, Executive Director at the National Youth Employment Coalition. April 16, 2010 “TANF Emergency Fund: A New Way to Help Low-Wage Workers” was the topic of the April 2010 forum. Panelists were Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-4th WI) of the U.S. House of Representatives; Doug Steiger, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Senior Policy Analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). March 19, 2010 “Measuring Poverty: What Truly Counts?” was the topic of the March 2010 forum. Panelists were Dr. Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce; Mark Levitan, PhD, Director of Poverty Research at the NYC Center for Economic Opportunity; and Shawn Fremstad, Director, Inclusive and Sustainable Economy Initiative at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. February 26, 2010 “Can Nonprofit Tax Credits Spur Job Creation?”was the topic of the February 2010 forum. Panelists were Dr. Lester M. Salamon, Director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Christian Dorsey, Director of External and Government Relations at Economic Policy Institute; M. Jeff Hamond, Economic Policy Director for Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY); and Susan Rees, Director of Policy and National Projects at Wider Opportunities for Women. January 22, 2010 “Educating the Incarcerated: Learning from New Jersey’s Progressive Reforms,” was the topic of the January 2010 forum. Panelists were Cornell William Brooks, Executive Director at New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, and Juan Cartagena, General Counsel & Vice President for Advocacy at The Community Service Society of New York. December 11, 2009 “President Obama’s Jobs Agenda: Will Low-Wage Workers Get Left Behind?” was the topic of the December 2009 forum. Panelists were John Wilcox, Vice President of Operations at Corporate Voices for Working Families; John W. Edwards, Jr., Executive Director at Northeast Florida Community Action Agency, Inc., and Donald W. Mathis, President & CEO at Community Action Partnership. 3 November 20, 2009 “If it’s Jobless, It’s Not a Recovery: A Jobs Agenda for a Sustained and Shared Recovery” was the topic of the November 2009 forum. Panelists were Allegra Baider, Senior Legislative Associate at the Center for Community Change; Taja Lindley, Gail Aska Policy and Research Fellow at Community Voices Heard; and Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director at Coalition on Human Needs. October 9, 2009 “Creating Jobs for Public Housing Residents: Section 3 Enforcement in Public Housing” was the topic of the October 2009 Working for Change forum. Special Guest was Honorable John Trasviña, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Panelists were Victor Bach, Senior Housing Analyst at the Community Service Society and Aixa Aleman-Diaz, Senior Legislative Assistant for the Honorable Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY). September 25, 2009 Health Care Reform: If they build it, will the public understand it? The need for an Ombudsman program was the topic of the September 2009 Working for Change forum. Panelists were Cheryl Fish-Parcham, Deputy Director of Health Policy at Families USA; Priya Mendon, Director of NYC Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program (MCCAP ) at the Community Service Society;
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