Economy and Society

Published on political affairs pa, by Erica Smiley, December 09, 2009.

• Twas the night before the unemployment reports, and all through the clearing,
• Young workers slept haunted by jobs disappearing;
• Having gone into debt for training and education,
• Only to discover no jobs available in their vocations;
• Barely scraping by to cover bills and the rent,
• Of all unemployed, young workers are 48 percent ; 
• God forbid they are allowed to build a savings,
• Work only one job, buy a house or a haven;
• And the cultural implications go often unknown,
• Like 1 in 3 young workers still live with parents at home;
• And their parents’ situation is no less dire,
• Working multiple jobs, and no hopes to retire;
• Even grandparents still work to maintain their healthcare,
• Too young at 63 to obtain Medicare;
• And thus the labor pool is older, no room for the youth,
• Unless they join the military, become yet another troop;
• Joining those looking for security and a steady income,
• Enough to start a family and maybe save up a sum;
• So long as they aren’t killed in an unjustifiable occupation,
• A lost generation of youth who only wanted paid vacation;
• It was a tragedy indeed, that made young workers anxious,
• Until something in the distance created a ruckus
• … //

• …
• It was then the young workers saw some figures on the horizon,
• President Trumka? …and Arlene Holt-Baker beside him;
• And other young workers with them, both organized and not,
• Saying, “Fret no more, young comrades, some solutions we’ve got;
• To start, let’s fight for some immediate fixes,
• They won’t change the root of it, but they’ll apply needed stitches;
• Senator Reed of Rhode Island has a proposal for work-share ,
• It would divide up our work hours, and lighten the burdens we bare;
• It could help workers of all ages avoid rash lay offs,
• Maybe it would even help the Mets make the play offs!
• But we digress, when another solution we’re needing,
• Extending unemployment benefits to help stop the bleeding;
• Summer jobs, work studies, and grants for those of us in school,
• Because starting our job search in debt is so cruel;
• We need federal funding to stop cuts in state budgets,
• We need those vital services, and students just can’t afford it;
• But this is just a start, we really need more,
• We need good jobs awaiting us when we’re kicked out the door.

… (full text).