Part 1: Jobs and Mono-economy of New Millennium

There is a saying” if your neighbor loses his job, it’s a recession, if YOU lose your job, it’s a Depression!”
I’m planning on posting a 5-part series on the subject of jobs. Ironically, my articles on the subject of jobs were first written in the year 2011 and guess what!…not much has changed. Oh, the “year” has changed, the U.S. debt is “way” larger, Wall Street is making more money than ever, Main Street is losing jobs through mergers (Big Time!) and Corporate America is “inverting” itself so they don’t have to pay any taxes. Here’s Investopedia definition of “corporate inversion.” Definition: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corporateinversion.asp?layout=infini

Everyone tries to avoid paying taxes at one time or other. Ironically, the current interpretation of U.S. tax laws allows for corporate “inversion.” When people or institutions try to evade taxes which is an illegal act, and not just avoid taxes which is a legal act, then “things” get interesting. As usual I seem to easily divert from my original topic so I apologize and now back to the topic of “jobs.”

What has triggered this set of postings is an article from Fortune Magazine entitled “Former Disney Workers Are Planning to Sue Their Old Employer”. Basically these litigants are using Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prevents employers from discriminating against an individual based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” In this case, the basis of the lawsuit contends” they are being replaced with subcontracted H-1B, and other temporary work visa, holders.” In other words, firing U.S. citizens and replacing them with non-U.S. citizens. Here’s the link to the Fortune article:
Former Disney Workers Are Planning to Sue Their Old Employer
This link to ComputerWorld has more details: http://www.computerworld.com/article/3007933/it-careers/two-dozen-disney-it-workers-prepare-to-sue-over-foreign-replacements.html

A part of me says, “I love it, the worm has turned!” Instead of Title VII being invoked for race or gender infractions of the law, it’s being used to fight against the off-shoring or perhaps on-shoring of aliens to take American jobs. I know it’s economics, cost-effectiveness, etc, etc. But I’ve been a “victim” of this practice more than once and it goes back to the 1980’s. Hiring “temps” has been going on for a very long time, it’s just not fair sometimes… just not fair.

Just a preview: future posts will discuss job training, the U.S. government’s approach to job training, and a focus on Chicago’s past treatment of job training. Well, that’s the plan and the vision.

Here’s a link to Part 2: Some Past “Prescriptions” to the Jobs Employment Problem

Here’s a link to Part 3:  Jobs, Jobs, Jobs and the Job Training Dilemma

Here’s a link to Part 4: Jobs & Jobs Training, the more things change, the more they stay the same

Here’s a link to Part 5A: Jobs and the Re-tooling of an Industrial Titan: Chicago

Here’s a link to Part 5B: Job Training and the search for  long-term solutions