My co-worker who is a temp said she is finally poor enough to get medicaid.

[upaloopa]

Temps here do not get benefits from my employer and it looks like the temp place doesn't have good benefits.

Yesterday I got an email listing a bunch of accounting jobs in the Bakersfield CA area. Over half were temp jobs probably with low pay and lousy or no benefits.
This is evidence of the race to the bottom we are in.

[Safetykitten]

1. But this is just one person. Millions and millions are getting jobs all over...

the country! Actually, they were getting oodles and oodles of part-time jobs, but now we have "just in time" workers, so it's even better! You get 14 hours of work, but have to have be available at any time. What's so bad about that? It's a wonderful day in Obama's America!

My buddy works at a major corporation's call center, and this is what they do. It's modern times and so convenient! The people there fight for time in a big pool, and they are all part-timers, getting that oh so livable 24 hours a week. They are available 24/7 but only work 24. It's so great!

[upaloopa]

3. First time I heard about just in time workers

Things are worse then I imagined.

[Safetykitten]

4. Yes, they are. NPR finally did a story on it.

[upaloopa]

9. I am 67 and will retire with a pension. I feel lucky to have

lived when I did. I feel lucky I am not a young person looking for work today. It almost brings me to tears when I see what young people have to go through today.
My generation (not all of us) let this happen. We were too willing to accept the corporation propaganda. So now and after we are gone in 20 or so years the fight is in the court of young people. Hopefully they can learn from our mistakes.

[Laelth]

15. Many of us are quite resentful.

I get very angry when it appears clear to me (as it often does) that my parents' generation has no clue what younger people are going through today. What's worse is the utter lack of sympathy and understanding that typifies their reactions to us.

Thank you for offering a little sympathy (though I am less thankful for your ready willingness to throw this ball into our court and to expect us to clean up the messes your generation made).

In any event, cheers!

-Laelth

[upaloopa]

16. Two things I am not throwing it in your court

It is time and place you happen to be born in this time and place and this is what is going on.
Second I personally haven't stopped trying to fix things.

[Laelth]

26. I am glad to hear that you have not stopped trying to fix things. n/t

-Laelth

[laundry_queen]

19. I totally agree.

My mom always bitches about the young women at her work who "have no idea what work ethic means. They don't work nearly as hard as *I* did at their age!"

She fails to mention that she got a great job without any education, and had great benefits, great hours, lots of flexibility, profit sharing, share options....and that these young women all have degrees, make the *same* salary she made 30 years ago and have no benefits, smaller profit sharing and no share options for 5 years.

I'm in business school and it's well known (to those who pay attention in school) that if an employee feels short changed, they will make up for it in other ways. I try to explain to my mom that they are being treated like crap compared to how she was treated and so they are shirking. She doesn't get it. She says if they hate it so much they should work at another company and that her company treats employees really good compared to other places. This is true - it's gone downhill everywhere, I tell her. But I explain that is exactly why there is no longer company loyalty and why young people seem to not 'work as hard' (I would argue this though - young people work 'differently'). She's still convinced the reason she is where she is today (net worth over a million, 6 figure salary) is her hard work, and not the timing of when she entered the workforce. She's also lucky she works in Canada where companies don't turf old people because of increase in medical costs.

It's so frustrating to have these conversations with her. She's one of the ones who doesn't have a clue.

[Laelth]

28. Spot on.

Your Mom is not alone. From my limited experience, our elders have no clue and perhaps, can not understand how much harder life is for us. In the grand scheme of things, I am not starving. Life here and now is not nearly as miserable as it might be in other places in the world, but it is also true that the U.S. was at its absolute wealthiest in 1973, and that we have been getting poorer every year since then. It is much, much harder for us to maintain the lifestyles into which we were born and which our parents (unfairly) expect us to maintain.

They have no clue why it is so hard for us. They blame us, personally, instead of blaming themselves for the political choices they made that put us in this position. My gripe is that many, if not most, of them, don't even want to understand. Nor will they take any responsibility.

In my book, that's just wrong.

-Laelth

[upaloopa]

37. From my perspective you are right on many of your points.

I'm 67 and I can tell you that people my age don't understand what you are going through. We only see what life was like for us and are in denial about the changes that have created the problems you face. My guess is the denial is there because like you said we don't want to take responsibility for the world you were born in.
I know this from listening to my mother-in-law talking about my nephews, her grand kids and that they are lazy and are not making anything of their life. Her freinds repeat the same type of ideas.
I know my nephews struggle much harder than I did at their age and that I had many more opportunities they they have.

[Laelth]

38. Your compassion and empathy are commendable.

I appreciate that you feel some responsibility for the current state of affairs and that you can at least try to see the world from the point of view of those of us who are younger.

Thank you for that.

-Laelth

[upaloopa]

39. I try but I don't know enough young people.

There should be a popular TV show or movie that is written by young people to teach us what you want us to know.

[Laelth]

41. As a Generation X'er, I'm not exactly "young," but ...

... Here's what I'd recommend:

Reality Bites - a good intro to Gen X's angst

Generation X - the seminal novel by Douglas Coupland

Those two would be a good place to start. Mrs. Laelth and I, after discussing this a bit, came to the conclusion that the mass media has, generally speaking, ignored the resentment that my generation feels towards its predecessors. That topic does not exactly create feel-good television. My generation has been called "whiners" so often, that we are well-programed to bury our resentment and press on.

In any event, I appreciate your sympathy and your interest in this topic. Among your cohort, you are exceptional.

-Laelth

[upaloopa]

42. well I was young once we hated our elders

that's why we rebelled in the 60's

They drafted me and sent me to war.

I can relate that way only
"up agsinst the wall mother f..ker"

[Ruby the Liberal]

25. Erratic schedules

Not only is work/life balance upset by things like split shifts (8-10am, 2-6pm) but when you add erratic start and end times to that - forget trying to plan anything much less get a second gig.

Here is the NPR story on it: http://www.npr.org/2013/07/18/202744981/part-time-workers-say-schedules-are-getting-more-erratic

[DainBramaged]

5. When did this become President Obama's fault?

[galileoreloaded]

6. when he endorsed it and doesn't do shit to stop it. nt

[Safetykitten]

7. Exactly. He does absolutely nothing as vast groups of people slide into the pit.

[DainBramaged]

8. Really.....

Ever heard of the Republican congress in session, who has blocked every effort to improve the employment situation he has proposed?


No of course not, it's the President's fault because he is an easy target for your hysteria.

[Safetykitten]

10. Meanwhile in a duplicate universe, a President moves mountains for a mole.

[galileoreloaded]

11. Penny Pritzker, former chairman Superior Bank, Hinsdale Ill. stole money and this guy

made her Secretary of Commerce with little backlash or accountability because sycophants all around are afraid to look racist (which, like misogyny is a word tossed around when an argument is being lost) by calling an asshole who sold out (or maybe never cared in the first place)....well, an asshole who sold out.

that's just one anti-american on his Cabinet serving at the request and pleasure of the president....want me to go on?

school is dismissed.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. I vote NEVER CARED IN THE FIRST PLACE! May well have sold out....

Unfortunately, we will probably never know.

[DainBramaged]

14. "and this guy"

Your lack of respect by calling the President gets you instant access to my ignore list. I would expect that kind of a comment from a Puke or Tea Partier, but from a supposed participating progressive on DU.


Nah


I'll pass

[galileoreloaded]

23. i only respect progressives. its called integrity. happy to be on the ignore list of nonprogressives

[frylock]

33. and of course you felt the same about bush?

your feigned indignance is hilarious!

[DainBramaged]

34. Oh well glad you had a laugh

Happy new Year

[frylock]

35. and a merry xmas to you and yours!

[DainBramaged]

36. I don't think so....

[robinlynne]

17. before the republiccan congress, there was a dem congress, remember?

[Safetykitten]

18. Soon, very soon, people will realize that President Obama has been in office many years.

[DainBramaged]

20. So the President HAS TO reverse the damage done during the Booshe years while

fighting a Republican controlled congress NOW RIGHT NOW TODAY or he's useless?


I waited from 1981 till 1992 for Bill Clinton to fix the damage done by Reagan, and all he did was sign a bunch of Trade agreements that screwed the American worker six ways to Sunday, along with the defense of Marriage Act, and President Obama is to blame?


I wonder why I get nauseous here at times. Not today.


Enjoy your afternoon......

[TheMastersNemesis]

30. Obama Did Not Set This Labor Market Up - It Started Under Reagan And Bush Put It On Steroids

Obama cannot change business culture and he alone cannot change it. Only voters can by supporting real pro labor legislators. If you blame the labor conditions on Obama you have been scammed.

[reformist2]

40. At some point, we have to stop blaming ghosts and start badgering current leaders to do something!

Sorry, Obama isn't doing enough.

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. Welcome To The Reagan Revolution

In 1981 Reagan said he would create a service economy. I knew then that full time jobs and decent paying jobs would be going the way of the Dodo bird over time. Yet Americans loved him and vote him in again and kept putting in conservative Republicans who supported Reaganomics. Temp jobs started growing during his first term after the 1982 recession. They now make up about 40% of the work force.

I was at DOL at the time and have been dumbfounded that Americans bought the BS hook line and sinker since 1981. And many still do.

[Gormy Cuss]

29. Yep.

We can thank St. Ronnie for starting this shift in our relationship with employers. Breaking the ATC union was one of the jumpstarts.
I was a temp in the early '80s and even temps could qualify for some benefits after a year of working for one of the bigger temp agencies. Not so much these days.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. YAY! USA! USA! USA! The bestest country in the world!

[Oilwellian]

21. I wish her luck getting Medicaid

It has always been my understanding that Medicaid covers poor children under the age of 18, and those over 65 who live below the poverty line and are in need of nursing home care.

[upaloopa]

22. It's for her son

Her son qualifies to go to a summer camp for poor kids but mom has to provide insurance in case the kid gets hurt.

[Oilwellian]

24. Ah, OK

Hope he has fun at summer camp.

[shenmue]

27. I've been a temp on and off for many years

It is almost impossible to get insurance.

[Puzzledtraveller]

31. Sounds about right

We have done a lot of hiring in my office, over a dozen new caseworkers, across the state, hundreds. What do we do? SNAP and Medicaid, grab a number peeps.

[frylock]

32. congratulations are in order!