TruthToTell, July 11: HIDDEN EMPLOYMENT PLAGUE: Minority and Women Business and Workers-AUDIO BELOW

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The little known and little discussed disgrace that plagues our culture is the failure of  the public sector – our cities, towns, counties and state offices to live up to the laws, the rules and the regulations requiring that public agencies assure the hiring of representative numbers of women and so-called “minorities” – mostly members of communities of color – in agency employment or for public projects – especially public works and transportation projects. These projects are paid for by federal, state and local taxpayer monies – and carry with them the legal and moral obligation to contract with women and minority-owned professionals even as these same agencies spend millions for the services of white-owned industries.

In human rights lingo, we call this Contract Compliance – and most public agencies are far from compliant with their own rules in seeking out and hiring competent businesses and professionals from the ranks of women and of color – or the so-called DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) sector, AKA MBE (Minority Business Enterprises) or WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise.

This issue is generally buried in among the many acts of discrimination that persist throughout the state, throughout the nation. It’s an even subtler form of racism and sexism and, yes, ageism, that is more readily talked about in terms of employment and housing, but is as economically devastating to those communities. Subtler, because it’s hidden inside the more arcane functions of state and local government – purchasing departments and contracting agencies.

Moreover, in the current economy, the reported unemployment rate is already three to four times higher among men and women of color than the generally reported rate (9.2% as of Friday, 7/8) – itself merely a reflection of those filing unemployment claims. Millions more have given up after months of unemployment beyond their eligibility for jobless benefits.

Competing nonprofits have sprung up  to advance the cause of proper training, apprenticeships and hiring of workers of color, in particular, and some may compete with union training programs. But are the jobs even available at the end of it all? Even federally funded projects are feeling the squeeze since private sector jobs have dwindled to a trickle. Last Friday’s jobs numbers show far less hiring in all sectors than predicted. What will all that mean for minority hiring and contract compliance?

TTT’s ANDY DRISCOLL and MICHELLE ALIMORADI ask some of the tough questions of women and minority contractors and those promoting the training and hiring of minority workers, especially trades people.