How Many Ex-Cons Can We Sign Gannett Up For?
Did you see the editorial in yesterday’s D&C about how everyone should hire an ex-con or two?
Jobs for convicted felons returning from prison.
Some people flinched at the suggestion made during this newspaper’s “Where Do We Go From Here?” forum held Monday night to explore new ways to combat violence in Rochester. The idea should be pursued.(Snip)
Take Duffy’s idea for providing jobs to ex-offenders. Getting a buy-in from the RBA is crucial. But so is partnering with local trade unions and schools to provide job training.
(snip)
Getting leaders to talk about community concerns is a step forward. But to make huge strides in the push to reduce violence, leaders must come out of their silos and find ways to work in tandem.
How many ex-cons have the folks at Gannett hired lately? How about a couple of them for the newspaper union that has been without a contract for how many years (10 or 12)?
Oh, wait, I’ve got it, hire a few of them to work security in the lobby of the Gannett Building downtown — you know that place that has the tightest security in Rochester. That way when the public (that the editorial board cares so much about) shows up Jim and Tom and the rest of the folks up there can stay cloistered in their upper floor offices nice and secure and at the same time feel good about themselves in knowing they’ve provided jobs to the less fortunate.
It sure beats putting them on school grounds for construction work.
One Response to “How Many Ex-Cons Can We Sign Gannett Up For?”
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Many companies around Rochester have received massive state grants earmarked for the hiring of ex-cons. I worked for one of these companies (Jasco over on Mt. Read Blvd., formerly Alliance Tool and Die) shortly after my honorable discharge from the Marines in ‘99. What a waste of my time it was.
One reason why many companies around Rochester (primarily contract manufacturers) have hired these folks is for the cheap labor, and the grants. Actually, they might not be grants, but tax credits. At any rate, they get money or credits from the state to hire these schlumps, to do all manner of jobs which used to pay moderately well.
I agree with your idea-let the wonderful corporate offices of the Old Gray Lady there on Exchange get a taste of their own medicine. What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.
Having worked in close quarters with these folks, I’d have to say I was safer in the Marines, over in Somalia, then at Jasco. At least Gary Rogers and Dutch Sommers (amongst others) were able to line their pockets, all the while employing these idiots and running what used to be a great job site into the ground.
Yeah, former drug dealers used to making $5K/week are gonna take a job at Jasco or the D&C paying $8/hr. Uh huh. Right. Besides, who would want to work around a$$holes like that to begin with?