No FJG Link

Ayanna Pressley 21 [Congresswoman (MA-07), 2/18/21, “Federal Job Guarantee Resolution,” ] //mh

Job Guarantee Projects

Job guarantee projects would strengthen communities and retool our economy to achieve inclusive prosperity and leave no one behind. Projects would address national priorities as well as those put forward by local governments and community organizations – with the participation of communities impacted by structural racism, oppression, and disinvestment in the selection of projects. Projects would help to address systemic inequities that the federal government helped to create through racist policies such as redlining, urban renewal, and segregation.

Example job guarantee projects include:

● Ensuring the delivery of high-quality, professional care to children, seniors, and others in need of long-term support in family based, informal, and formal settings;

● Augmenting the staffing of public education and early childhood learning, including Head Start and preschool;

● Strengthening public afterschool programs, libraries, and recreational programs to provide lifelong learning and enrichment for people of all ages;

● Implementing community infrastructure and improvement projects that revitalize neighborhoods and increase accessibility, including:

○ Vacant and abandoned property cleanup; street and sidewalk repair; remodeling and modernization of schools and other public community-serving facilities; and maintenance and renovation of parks, playgrounds, and public spaces;

● Expanding emergency preparedness, and relief and recovery from natural and community disasters, including public health, natural disasters, and environmental emergencies

● Producing works of public art and documentation of American history akin to the WPA’s Federal Arts Project;

● Implementing environmental conservation, remediation, and sustainability initiatives and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and our housing stock to address climate change;

● Rehabilitating and retrofitting our existing affordable housing stock to ensure safe, affordable, accessible, quality homes, and supporting the development of new affordable housing and social housing to address the nation’s housing crisis.

● Other projects that address public needs and can be implemented quickly.

Projects would create net new jobs and would not displace existing public sector workers, and racial equity and environmental sustainability would be key criteria for project selection.

Job Guarantee Compensation and Benefits

Wages for job guarantee employment would be no less than $15 per hour and adjusted on a regular basis to ensure a rising standard of living. Benefits would include: health insurance consistent with that provided to existing federal government employees, paid sick days, paid family medical leave, retirement benefits, and vacation. Workers would be protected against discrimination and harassment by federal labor laws, and would be able to join public sector unions and bargain collectively for better working conditions and compensation. Workers’ data would be protected and their privacy respected, and any creative, scientific, artistic, or cultural works produced by workers would be made open and available for public use.

All adult residents age 18 and over would be eligible for employment, including those with involvement in the criminal legal system. Young people ages 16 and 17 would be eligible for part-time employment. Jobs would be accessible to people with disabilities. Outreach and recruitment would be conducted in multiple languages and accessible formats. Jobs would be full-time or part-time, and short- or long-term, depending on worker needs. Workers would build lasting skills through on-the-job training, as well as paid apprenticeships, credentialing, and other career-building opportunities. They would also receive supportive services, such as childcare and transportation assistance, access to information about reasonable accommodations and specific accommodations, as needed to access jobs and fulfill job responsibilities.

The federal job guarantee would meaningfully expand our social safety net and would not replace any existing safety net programs or benefits, including unemployment insurance.