Poverty Reduction Project - Modesto

In a third California community, the local government has taken the lead in the effort to mobilize community resources to create jobs or low-income residents. The City of Modesto is one of five cities participating in the Poverty Reduction Project of the National League of Cities.

The two-year Modesto project is designed to help the city build partnerships with community based organization to promote workforce development in this city of 167,000 with high poverty and unemployment rates. It grows out of work that the National League of Cities initiated several years ago designed to explore how economic development could be used as a strategy to reduce poverty.

The Modesto initiative began earlier this year when the mayor's office was asked to put together a team of 15 to 20 people, including elected officials and representatives of community based organizations, unions, business and faith organizations. They focused on ways to strengthen the local workforce development system. The National League of Cities is available for technical support and consultation.

An important part of this effort was a multi-organization project to get more Latinos into the construction trades. Some initial hostility to unions was overcome after representatives from the Building and Construction Trades Council met with representatives of community groups to discuss what it will take to help potential applicants get into building trades apprenticeship programs.

They are working now to get the city to sponsor a formal pre-apprentice program to provide assistance in English proficiency, math and reading skills and other forms of assistance to prepare potential applicants to enter apprenticeship programs.

Local unions and community groups have also raised the issue of prevailing wages. A few years ago, the city voted not to require the payment of prevailing wages on city funded construction projects. Local unions and others working in the community have come forward to argue that if the city seriously wants to generate higher wages and better jobs in the area, they need to back their words up with action. The prevailing wage question is being reconsidered. It is also likely to be an issue in upcoming elections.

In the meantime, the city has come up with seed money to allow some of the community organizations involved to move ahead with their job preparation activities. Alliances are being formed with the community college to see if they can provide additional help. The emerging coalition is also conducting research on other ways in which public policies can be changed or modified to encourage the creation of good jobs.

While there is no easy solution to problems facing low-income workers and communities, the union movement has a lot to contribute - especially when it can build partnerships with local community groups.

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