Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Journalist

Book Review - Changing Business From the Inside Out: A Treehugger's Guide to Working in Corporations

    The most effective way to create change that benefits humans above the bottom line is to combine social change efforts with the profit motive under the umbrella of a multinational corporation.

    So writes Timothy J. Mohin in his new book Changing Business From the Inside Out: A Treehugger's Guide to Working in Corporations. And with an eighteen-year career in the field known as corporate responsibility (CR), he provides a wealth of knowledge to back up his claim.

    Read the full article on Philanthropy News Digest, a Foundation Center blog, by clicking here.

Mayor’s Office Holds Disability Mentoring Day

    The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) held a series of events for Disability Mentoring Day, a part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

    The eighth annual event linked jobs seekers who have disabilities with potential employers and provided opportunities for networking, mentoring and work experience in the job seekers’ preferred fields.

    The main event took place October 19 when job seekers were able to shadow professionals to gain knowledge about their day-to-day work and how to prepare for their careers. The employers learned about the value that people with disabilities bring to their professions.

Employment Remains Stagnant for People with Disabilities

    One million Americans with disabilities are looking for a job and can’t find one according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

    Statistics show that the unemployment rate for people with disabilities increased slightly from August 2010 to August 2011 but declined for people without a disability. The total unemployment rate for people with disabilities is now nearly double that of the nondisabled population, according to the DOL data.

Paterson and Blind Foundation Advocate for Fair Wages

    Former Gov. David Paterson and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) are calling for the removal of a clause in the federal Workforce Investment Act that would allow employers to pay people with disabilities a subminimum wage for job training.

    The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP Committee) was scheduled to vote on renewal of the act on August 3 but that vote has been postponed indefinitely. The committee’s vote on the Combating Autism Act, which is scheduled to expire Sept. 30, was postponed until Sept. 7.

White House Disability Leaders Speak to Community

    On July 14, leaders of President Barack Obama’s disability policy team held a virtual town hall meeting with the community. The one-hour meeting was streamed live at www.disability.gov and archived for viewing on the website.

    The advisors who answered community questions were Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy and Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; Jeffrey Crowley, Senior Advisor on Disability Policy and Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy at the White House; and Rebecca Cokley, Director of Priority Placement for Public Engagement at the White House Presidential Personnel Office.

MTA Cancels Access-A-Ride Contracts

    Hundreds of drivers and other employees for two Access-A-Ride contracting companies will lose their jobs by the end of the year due to sudden contract cancellations by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

    Atlantic Paratrans of NYC Inc. had just signed a ten-year contract with the MTA to provide services for Access-A-Ride last spring, and the MTA unexpectedly discontinued that deal on October 1, said Carolyn Daly, who represents the company.

    “We feel strongly that they did not negotiate in good faith with us,” said Daly, president of Brink Public Affairs LLC. She said the company is considering legal action against the MTA.

    Fifty-two drivers for Atlantic Paratrans were laid off in the first week of October, and layoffs will continue weekly through the end of the year. More than 600 union employees will lose their jobs due to the change, including 451 drivers. The company will also dismiss cleaners, dispatchers, mechanics and safety and security personnel. Drivers say they have no severance package.

    Click here to read the full story on Transportation Access.

MTA Cancels Access-A-Ride Contracts

    Hundreds of drivers and other employees for two Access-A-Ride contracting companies will lose their jobs by the end of the year due to sudden contract cancellations by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

    Atlantic Paratrans of NYC Inc. had just signed a ten-year contract with the MTA to provide services for Access-A-Ride last spring, and the MTA unexpectedly discontinued that deal on October 1, said Carolyn Daly, who represents the company.

    “We feel strongly that they did not negotiate in good faith with us,” said Daly, president of Brink Public Affairs LLC. She said the company is considering legal action against the MTA.

Local Businesses Looking to Hire Teens

    For recent Eastlake High School graduate Andy Shee, working a summer job this year was a foregone conclusion. Fortunately for Shee, he was able to find work at the park because of his prior lifeguard experience at the Columbia Fitness Club.

Across the nation, many jobseekers Shee’s age have not been so lucky. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for teenagers rose from 15.4 percent in April to 18.7 percent in May. This is significantly higher than this season last year when the unemployment rate for teenagers rose from 15.3 percent in April to 15.7 percent in May. The unemployment rate for all workers rose from 5 to 5.5 percent from April to May 2008. Here in Sammamish, though, popular employers say they are still looking to hire teenagers as they have in the past.

    Published in the Sammamish Review. Read the story.

Mentors Make a Business Better

    For workers who are seeking to change direction in their industry, climb to the next level, or adjust to a merger or structural change at their company, management experts say finding a mentor could be their best transitional tool. Where can an ambitious person find a mentor? Try retirees looking to give back or stay engaged, and business leaders seeking to improve their managerial skills.

    Published by Bloomberg (formerly BusinessWeek.com). Read the story.

 

Switching from For-Profit to Nonprofit

    Imagine quitting your job to move to an organization that has fewer resources, affords you less control over the product, and offers a lower salary. Sound enticing? How about throwing into the mix more personal satisfaction, a charitable mission, and a greater sense of community? Indeed, it all adds up to a winning proposition for the many workers in the for-profit sector who are making the transition to the nonprofit world.

    Published by Bloomberg (formerly BusinessWeek.com). Read the story.