Working Today
Executive director: Sara Horowitz
www.freelancersunion.org
Winner's Statement
A sort of union for independent workers. At its Web site, people can post profiles, network, and browse targeted ads. It offers members low-cost health, life, and disability insurance--and, soon, retirement plans and tax and financial services--and fights for changes in unemployment and tax laws. |
The Freelancers Union has 33,000 members nationally, 13,000 of whom take advantage of health insurance. |
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Year Up
Executive director: Gerald Chertavian
www.yearup.org
Winner's Statement |
Helps bridge the "opportunity divide" in urban areas by training urban youths in Web design and help-desk support, then placing them in jobs. More than 350 people in four cities participate in the intensive one-year program. |
Some 85% of graduates find relevant work, with average starting pay of $15 per hour. Year Up expects to expand to 25 cities by 2016. |
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Recent Comments | 8 Total
August 20, 2009 at 6:30am by Jesica Semon
I tend to see things going this way as well. I'm certain this won't stop at drug use and party behavior (which is actually a ridiculous qualifier as some of the best employees I've seen partied hard on the weekends). What happens when you're denied a job because of some political or religious views you espouse on blog that the HR person doesn't agree with? You know, the kind of information they aren't allowed to ask you in an interview setting. If it can't be asked in an interview they shouldn't be allowed to go looking for that info online. But, I guess you can always make your profiles private so only people you want to see them can.