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Public Employee Press
JTPs get real
jobs in public hospitals Shanique
Huling worked at Alley Pond Park in Queens in the Job Training Program, a six-month
program that prepares participants for employment. In June, Huling joined 54 other
JTP workers who were hired as Service Aides at a Health and Hospitals Corp. job
fair. Thats just great, said Huling when she received
the good news after her morning interview. Im really looking forward
to working at HHC. The 131 new HHC Service Aides, who were hired at the
DC 37 job fair on June 28 and 29, will work 20 hours a week and receive full benefits.
We are committed to ensuring that the JTP doesnt become
a dead end for these folks, said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
The JTP program is for public assistance recipients who have reached their
five-year limit on federally funded benefits. Our goal is to help them become
productive workers with real jobs, said Roberts. In 2004, DC 37 won representation
rights for the JTP workers in a Board of Collective Bargaining ruling. Last year
the union negotiated a 50-cent hourly wage hike (from $7.50 to $8), one sick day
and one personal day and a grievance process violations to the agreement.
In May the DC 37 Delegates Council voted to establish the Job Training Participant
Association to organize and represent thousands of JTP participants. The JTPA
will be part of DC 37s Blue Collar Division, and the union will work with
the city to provide training through the DC 37 Education Fund. | |