Getting Construction Workers Back on the Job, Another Missed Opportunity

This Congress has been marked by a number of missed opportunities to create jobs.  One such opportunity presented itself earlier this month during a Workforce Investment Act markup, when Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) offered an amendment that would create 315,000 private sector construction jobs.  Unfortunately, that opportunity was rejected by the Committee majority on a party-line vote.

Last year, Rep. Miller, the senior Democratic member of the committee, held an e-forum, collecting testimony from Americans about their struggles in the job market. Testimony by William from New Jersey was typical of many in the construction trades: 

“I started my apprenticeship in 1988 and attended school for 4 years where I learned the trade of Sheet Metal Worker. I had worked pretty steady during my 20 plus years up until July 5, 2010 that was my last day of employment. I am a very skilled and educated worker with many years left to help build this great nation...I am on my 2nd tier of unemployment and at 44 years old with 2 sons in school and near college age what do I say to them.”

So William has been looking for work. But others need work done.  Here’s testimony from a manager at Contra Costa Community College: 

“...One of the critical challenges we and other community colleges across the nation face is that we are trying to educate and prepare the workforce for 21st century jobs, using 20th century facilities and infrastructure...Unfortunately, the traditional sources of funding we have relied upon are drying up as a result of our struggling economy, placing future improvements and job opportunities in danger...”

Matching workers with jobs is one of the key purposes of the Workforce Investment Act.  So when the Committee marked up a highly partisan Workforce Investment Act bill, Rep. Miller attempted to improve the legislation so that it would put more people like William back to work. 

In fact, Democratic committee members offered a number of such amendments, to no avail.

Rep. Miller’s amendment would create more than 315,000 construction jobs by providing funding to help modernize, renovate and repair 35,000 elementary and secondary schools and hundreds of community colleges in need. The idea is one of the key proposals in President Obama’s American Jobs Act. 

Here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the jobs this program would have been created, compared with each state’s latest unemployment numbers.

*Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and The White House.

By putting money in the hands of local communities for immediate job creation while improving learning conditions for America’s children and workforce, Rep. Miller's amendment would have addressed multiple needs at once.

The average public school building is now 40 years old - with many being far older - and school districts face an estimated $271 billion in deferred building and grounds maintenance costs. This means too many children are attending overcrowded schools with crumbling infrastructure and classrooms that lack the basic technology needed to support improved educational outcomes in those schools.

Community colleges face similar challenges. Nearly 7 million Americans are enrolled in community colleges. An investment in these institutions will be wide-felt in our communities.

This is one area where Congress should be working together to create jobs.  Instead, at the Committee markup, another opportunity to improve the job market for America’s workers – in this case, private sector construction workers – was rejected by the committee’s Republican majority on a party-line vote.