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OCDA Article Submission by Martin Elliot Jaffe

WHERE IS THE WORKING CLASS? CAREER COUNSELING ADVOCACY FOR THE FORGOTTEN AMERICAN MAJORITY by MARTIN ELLIOT JAFFE

Now that my 40 year career counseling career is over and we seem to be entering another divisive, polarizing political season and a world characterized by turmoil and tumult, I have been reflecting that the last few years there has been one encouraging development in the American workforce: some attention is again being paid to the needs of what I have often termed the working class majority.

I am pleased to note that the current American administration has been focused more than many during my long career on the career development needs of the American working class and some attempts have been made to rectify the decline and systematic destruction over the last 40  years of the most vital career development organizations ever developed—unions.

When I began my career counseling career almost 47 years ago in Lorain , Ohio the smoky air smelled like  prosperity to the thousands of workers engaged in automobile, steel and shipbuilding represented by vigorous unions assuring first rate wages, benefits, working conditions, career advancement—all systematically stripped away in the following years until the American workplace now resembles the vision of political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1651) where life is, “ short, nasty and brutish”.

WHO IS IN THE WORKING CLASS?

In NICKELED and DIMED (1989) Barbara Ehrenreich developed the broad based definition of the working class that has informed my career counseling practice. Ehrenreich wrote , “ by working class I mean not only industrial workers in hard hats but those who are not professionals, managers, entrepeneurs—those who work for wages rather than salaries, spend working hours lifting,bending, driving, monitoring, inputting, cleaning, caring for physical needs, loading, unloading—so defined these jobs are 60-70 % of the American workforce.”  During the Covid era these are the workers keeping or groceries and take out and power stations operating, not working from home ----they keep life in America flowing until better times arrive.

WHO SPEAKS FOR THE WORKING CLASS ?

In 1950 , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics about 35% of private sector employees were union members –by 2020 that figure was at 11%. Full disclosure –in the two public library systems I worked for I have been both a bargaining unit member and a manager; at the social service agency I was a counselor at last 10 years of my career I was in a bargaining unit.

In this short article I don’t have space to delve into all the reasons for union decline  ----minus unions advocacy for the American working class majority is a great void.

For example while NCDA issues calls for and position papers/curriculums on Diversity, Inclusion, Social Justice, they are missing in action on issues of public policy relating to labor concerns.

For example as public employee bargaining rights were restricted or eliminated between 2015 and 2020 I’m not aware of NCDA taking any public stance on this issue.

When China produces Apple products and other sophisticated technological products in plants where conditions are like the conditions  of England in an 1840 Charles Dickens novel or uses Muslims in prison camps  no NCDA position on labor standards has been articulated.

CLASS BIAS IN COUNSELOR LANGUAGE AND APPROACH

So much of the literature of career counseling is indebted to the quasi mystical approach of works like WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? The endless process of searching for meaning and purpose, the filling out of the endless flower exercise in the Bolles world-view ( full disclosure again the endless process with no closure drove me into anxiety ridden fits at a 1984 WHAT COLOR IS YOR PARACHUTE workshop for counselors)

Working class clients tend to be pragmatic and real world grounded, What educational path leads to what career, what are the key skills needed in a specific field? What is the employment outlook.

While we tend to wax philosophical about internship opportunities working class students and counseling clients often ask about apprenticeships or work study.

DO WE STILL BELIEVE IN ASSESSMENT?

My Eureka moment came early in my career after an intensive training session in using the SDS by John Holland, my personal guru and role model. Over the years I have developed skill card sorts based on data, people, things, ideas , materials integrating Holland codes with Occupational Outlook career profiles, personality and career relationships integrating SDS and MBTI---while assessments need to be taken with a grain of salt and not be viewed as set in stone working class career counseling clients never come to my office and open up by saying , “ I want to explore my essence, inner being and path to career integrity.” Grounding our work in the real world assures our relevance in a world of complex choice and change.

“ALEX”

True story  --referred by his uncle, 27 years old uncle described Alex, “ so much potential, so confused”

Recently fired from baker’s assistant job as he stated,” boss and I figured out at same time I did not care about baking”

We did the SDS, identified strong Holland I code (Investigative) Alex told me best job in his varied past was temp job at local university working with rats on blood clotting research. We looked up some OOH titles and career paths, Alex made appointment with community college academic advisor, encouraged him to check back in with questions, we can always meet,etc…….. two years pass, I’m reading an article in Cleveland Plain Dealer about innovative computerized medical tomography ( don’t ask me, I’m not down with science) ….photo of the technician by the tomography flying saucer like machine….ALEX.

ADVOCACY

We are at our best when we encourage and share a career vision with our clients and America is at our best when we have a vigorous empowered labor movement enshrined in our legal system advocating for decent wages, benefits and working conditions—true career development. These are difficult times as Willy Lomans’ wife Linda stated in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, “Attention must be paid.” 

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