Vision of the GND is sufficient- they can’t complain they don’t have ground

(Paul, HS teacher/Member of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/06/case-for-job-guarantee-review-pavlina-tcherneva)

The Case for a Job Guarantee is not an overly detailed blueprint of how the author thinks the program should be implemented. It does, however, offer an inspiring vision of what society would look like if we utilized the various talents and skills working people possess. The job guarantee would essentially act as a public option for employment, expanding during periods of economic slowdown and shrinking during periods of private sector job growth. The private sector simply cannot be relied upon to deliver full employment. A never-ending slew of incentives and tax breaks would be needed to make firms get anywhere close to it. This program would give every worker the option of attaining a living wage job through the federal government. There is certainly a lot of work that could be done to improve our society, and there are plenty of people to do it. Employment through the job guarantee would provide a base wage of $15/hour and benefits like health insurance, childcare, and paid leave. This would establish a de facto minimum standard for all employers to meet. Private firms would recognize that if they didn’t improve conditions their workers could always get a better paying job through the federal job program. Importantly, Tcherneva advocates for mandatory increases of the base wage to match inflation. Unemployment offices that exist in every county could be converted into employment offices that administered the federal jobs guarantee. Though the program would be funded at the federal level, it could be locally administered. This could open up opportunities to experiment in more democratic forms of governance, with unions and other organizations participating in developing local job-creating projects. These employment offices could offer training, credentialing, education, and apprenticeship opportunities to transition people out of the program to a job in the private sector. American Job Centers already deliver many of these required services, but they need more funding and support.