Why we stand up for older workers

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/23376949 w=400&h=225]
Mike Risinger from Over Fifty and Out of Work on Vimeo.

In our talks with the Times Union, the Guild has repeatedly tried to balance the interests of all our members. We’ve long since stopped insisting on a strict reverse order of seniority system for layoffs.

What we have proposed instead is a system that enables the company to keep talented people at the bottom end of the seniority scale, but we have said it’s simply not right to then go to the top and let people with the most time on the job go. If the person is no longer up to the job, the company has an ability to seek their discharge by establishing just and sufficient cause.

So why do we believe older workers should have some measure of protection?

This gives you a pretty good idea. It’s a story about a website where people 50 and older tell their painful stories about what it’s like not to be able to find work again. You can view the whole site here.

Listen to this unemployed workers’ horrifying story: “I’ve been out of work for a little over two years now. My wife doesn’t love me anymore; my kids don’t love me.”

If you’ve ever wondered why we have fought so hard and taken this stand, I hope this helps.