Embassy Events

Embassy Co-Sponsors Conference in Presov on Long-term Unemployment

Ambassador’s Remarks for Labor Conference

Commissioner Ishimaru, Deputy Prime Minister Caplovic, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I will keep my remarks brief today so as not to take time away from our distinguished keynote speaker from the United States and the rest of these very important panels.

Thank you for taking the time to attend today’s conference on one of the most pressing issues confronting Slovakia today.  Finding solutions to address the labor shortages you face as private businesses is a critical step in continuing the extraordinary economic development Slovakia has witnessed over the last several years.  Doing so in a way that strengthens the fabric of your society and integrates all of its members is the true measure of a nation’s wealth.  I know that Deputy Prime Minister Caplovic shares a strong concern for these values.

It is my sincere desire that you will hear a fresh perspective today: one that is both inspirational and practical, one that offers both hope and the real-world steps necessary to get there.

The problem of long term unemployment is difficult but not intractable.  I have spent the better part of my life in private industry, and I remember the days when most of my colleagues shared the same general background and outlook on life.  But times have changed; the complexion of our companies is far different now. 

Some of the changes that have taken place were mandated by government; others were voluntary.  In all cases, we in the United States found strength in diversity that few detractors could have imagined possible decades earlier.  Our attempts to expand our workforce and meet our own labor needs involved widening our pool of candidates.  Our companies have found that doing so made both social and economic sense.  I strongly believe it also makes sense in Slovakia.  I look forward to hearing more details about the efforts made here by companies like Whirlpool, U.S. Steel, and Embraco.

Today’s keynote speaker, Stuart J. Ishimaru, can readily attest to the value of a diverse workforce.  Mr. Ishimaru is one of five commissioners at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC.  The EEOC is a Presidentially-appointed commission mandated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Commissioner Ishimaru brings a wealth of experience and perspective to the issue of long term unemployment and to today’s proceedings.  He is in his second five-year term that will conclude in 2012.  Mr. Ishimaru has served in major governmental organizations concerned with civil rights and employment opportunities in the United States, including the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.  His personal story is equally compelling, and I believe the Commissioner may also share some of that story with us today.

Thank you to the other coordinators and sponsors of today’s conference, the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia and U.S. Steel, as well as all of the presenters and participants.  I am very encouraged by your presence.  As we listen to the Commissioner’s speech, the panel describing the labor situation here in Slovakia, some possible models from the private sector, and the views of the long-term unemployed and NGO community, I hope that we can all keep an open mind, learn from the positive programs these companies have undertaken to address this problem, and find concrete ways to make progress on these very important issues.

Thank you very much.