HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-04-2022_Open Session_General Comment_Thomas, Dr. Nosakhere_IEBWC_RedactedSAN BERNARDINO CITY COUNCIL
Public Comment
“National Trade Skills Day”
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Dr. Nosakhere Thomas, Associate Director
Inland Empire Black Worker Center
The Inland Empire Black Worker Center (IEBWC) is located at 468 W. 5th Street in San
Bernardino. We were established on December 7, 2021, in response to the alarming data
derived from a 2020 study entitled, “Ain’t no Sunshine: The State of Black Workers and
Demands for a Brighter Future in the Inland Empire” (Smallwood-Cuevas et al., 2020).
This report was the culmination of a collaboration with partners such as:
• BLU Educational Foundation;
• Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement;
• National Black Worker Center;
• Sen. Connie M. Leyva;
• Service Employees International Union,
• Local 721;
• Starting Over, Inc.;
• Time Done;
• United Domestic Workers-American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees Union;
• UCLA Labor Center;
• Warehouse Workers Resource Center; and
• West Valley Water District Board President, Channing Hawkins
• Black Voices News
Data & Findings
The findings suggested that:
1. The unemployment rate among Blacks living in San Bernardino County is nearly
8%
2. Statewide Black workers have the highest level of unemployment in the California
at nearly 11%
3. Black workers in the Inland Empire have the highest unemployment rate as
compared to other races and ethnicities in the region;
4. Black workers in the Inland Empire have the lowest median earnings at $49K/per
year as compared to other races and ethnicities. In comparison, White median
earnings were $61K/year and Asian median earnings were $76K/year;
5. Black women in San Bernardino County have the highest rate of poverty at nearly
26%;
6. The rate of poverty among Inland Empire Blacks (22%) is nearly twice that of
Whites (11%); and
7. There are particularly high rates of Black poverty in the city of San Bernardino.
Call to Action
Considering the above data, the “Ain’t no Sunshine” report (Smallwood-Cuevas et al.,
2020) recommended the establishment of a Black worker center in the Inland Empire to:
• Ensure adequate coronavirus recovery resources are intentionally earmarked for
Black working families in the Inland Empire to address racial and economic
disparities laid bare by the crisis, including disproportionate loss of income due to
unemployment and exposure to unsafe working conditions as essential workers in
low-wage industries such as warehousing, fast food, and retail sectors.
• Develop relevant pre-apprenticeship-to-apprenticeship learn and earn
opportunities in quality careers for young workers to know their rights and to
develop the ability to manage problem situations on the job.
Timeline
Since our inception last December, the IEBWC has been working with Black workers,
employers, government agencies, unions, community-based organizations, and other
organizations to accomplish the above objectives and others. For instance, we are
currently in the seventh week of a 12-week Water Industry Pre-Apprenticeship program
that began on March 21, 2022. This IEWorks Pre-Apprenticeship program was funded by
the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) and the California Workforce Development
Board (CWDB), in partnership with the Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) to ensure greater
Water Industry career opportunities for people of color. Each week, 15 pre-apprentices
come together at the IEBWC to learn soft skills such as emotional intelligence, problem
solving, interview preparation, math, worker rights, survey of trades, and participate in an
OSHA-10 certification. Additionally, they are attending Water Industry and a Water Math
Prep courses on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College two nights per week.
Impact -To- Date
In an effort to share the IEBWC mission and make the community aware of the relevant
pre-apprenticeship-to-apprenticeship learn and earn opportunities in quality careers, we
• Emailed and texted nearly 33,000 residents
• Distributed more than 2,000 flyers to community persons
• Contacted more than 100 persons interested the pre-apprenticeship
• Conducted orientations for nearly 90 people
• Qualified nearly 40 pre-apprenticeship candidates
• Supplied 73% of the IEWorks first cohort
• Established a cohort consisting of:
o 27% Latinx
o 27% Women
o 73% Black
o 73% Men
Media
• The Press Enterprise wrote an inaugural article regarding our work on February 25,
2002 Local News edition.
• LA Times article will be coming out later this month (May, 2022).