Mayor John Gutenberger to Common Council: “Employment Legislation”

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CITY OF ITHACA
108 EAST GREEN STREET

ITHACA, NEW YORK 14850

OFFICE OF
Scucel nt ae
TO: COMMON COUNCIL
FROM: MAYOR JOHN C. GUTENBERGER
DATE: AUGUST 5, 1987
RE: EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION

| would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitude to Raymond
VanHoutte, James Morrisette, William Bennett, Charles French, Donald Chandler,
Richard Sullivan, Richard Matthews and Professor Steve Jackson for having
given so much of their time and talent to their community for over a year and
one-half as they addressed the issues of local impacts of plant closings and
layoffs. These eight people, working together (and unpaid) have produced
unique and historic recommendations for our community. It is my fervent hope
that the entire community will endorse and adopt their recommendations as
partial payment for their efforts on our behalf.

We must esure that these recommendations are implemented and we must continue
these historic beginnings of Business, Labor and Government working together
for the benefit of all in the Ithaca community. To this end, | propose that the
City of Ithaca contract with the labor community to assist the city in employment
stabilization in much the same way the city contracts with the Tompkins County
Area Development Corporation for economic development. This contract with

the appropriate body of the Labor community would call for the following services
to be provided:

A. Perform information gathering, research and communication tasks as
required and to actively seek out businesses which were considering
work force reductions and attempt to retain the level of employment
through the cooperative efforts of all parties. These efforts could include
work rule concessions, tax abatements, financial assistance, or innovative
policies such as job sharing and should require flexibility from all parties.
Tasks should be organized to insure ‘that all parties are able to assist
as much as possible in any efforts to identify or help a business which
is in danger of closing or facing substantial layoffs.

“An Equal Opportunity Employer with an Affirmative Action Program”

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Similar energy and cooperation to
assist the Director of TCAD i

that outlined above should be used to
and the creation of new busi

n working on expansion of existing businesses
nesses.

Conduct and cause to be published a surve
which job skills will be needed in the n
should anticipate a decline. Identify "High Risk" job categories and

groups of workers. Communicate the results to the board of TCAD, and
educational community and the City of Ithaca.

y of local employers to determine
ext five years and which positions

Act as an information resource on the various community based services
available for training, placement, counseling, and financial assistance for

displaced workers. Encourage retraining of "High Risk" employees in
declining job categories.

Act as a liaison between the Office of the Mayor, the Chamber of Commerce,
TCAD, and the Labor Coalition in all matters relating to this agreement

and to cause regularly scheduled meetings of these parties to be held to
assess and monitor the contract.

Maintain regular contact and communication with local labor and business
leaders to promote understanding of, and cooperation with, this contract

and the New York Compact. Encourage local businesses to subscribe to
the principles of both documents.

The purpose of this contract is to help secure the economic future of the citizens
of the City of Ithaca. This contract should also result in the stabilization of

local employment levels and help aleviate the devastating impact of business
shutdowns and layoffs.

| am asking Common Council to join with the ad-hoc committee and myself in
our commitment to employment stabilization by appropriating sufficient funds to
enable the execution of the contract | have described. The ad-hoc committee
has provided the foundation and building blocks for cooperations, commitment
and community concern: it is now.up to Common Council to provide the cement
to build a truly innovative and progressive structure that will protect our
working people and provide shelter to our people who may become victims of
changing times and technology. Common Council has the opportunity to make
Ithaca's light shine even brighter by demonstrating that, in our community,

Business, Labor and Government are united in their efforts to keep Ithaca that
very special place.