Youth demand higher standards and accountability by employers and government!

SF Youth Commission and the Young Worker Project to hold a "Shout-Out" for young worker’s respect, fairness, and opportunity!

Members of the San Francisco Youth Commission and the Young Worker Project will be hosting a "Shout-Out" advocating for respect, fairness, and opportunity for working youth on Thursday, May 1, 2003, 5:00 p.m., City Hall, Legislative Chambers, Room 250. Youth ages 14-26 are invited to attend and to speak about their experiences and needs as a working youth.

Young workers ages 16 to 24 make lower wages than any other age group and are most likely to be among the working poor. In 1997, workers under the age of 25 had poverty rates about twice the overall average (11.6% for workers ages 16-24 compared to 5.7% for all workers). Over 40% of full-time workers in California under 25 have no health insurance. Youth tend to work in low-wage jobs in restaurants, malls, retail outlets, movie theaters, and theme parks. Eight times as many retail workers are murdered on the job as police officers. Overall, more than 60% of workers aged 16-24 work in the nation's service sector.

Youth and concerned members of the community who attend will evaluate existing public policies pertaining to the status and treatment of working youth, learn about the poor working conditions in typical youth jobs, as well as develop appropriate expectations of youth employers. Community college students are more likely to be employed and to work more hours per week than four-year college students. The Governor’s budget that increases community college tuition fees from $11 to $24 would drastically reduce access to educational opportunities for the state's poorest students and those who work to pay for classes, books, and housing. It will force more students to work longer hours at low-wage, dead-end jobs. Members of the Board of Supervisors, College Board, Board of Education, representatives from City Departments and youth advocates will be in attendance.

The goal for this forum is to construct a comprehensive understanding of the needs, concerns, and issues facing working youth in San Francisco. The hope of both the San Francisco Youth Commission and the Young Worker Project is to construct a Young Worker Bill of Rights based on the testimony from the "Shout-Out." Moreover, the Young Worker Bill of Rights will be sent for extensive review and endorsement to San Francisco teachers, labor unions, as well as policy makers who will have the chance to make additional commentary and questions.

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The San Francisco Youth Commission is 17 young people between the ages of 12-23 years who ensure that city policies more accurately reflect the wants and needs of youth. The goal of the Young Worker Project is to empower youth to stand up for their rights as citizens as well as to increase access to quality education and employment. The core objective of the Young Worker Project is to mobilize youth to hold policy makers and employers accountable.