Excerpts from
PUP NEWSLETTER
PHILADELPHIA UNEMPLOYMENT PROJECT - SUMMER 1998
JOBS Campaign Growing
H.B. 2308, a companion to S.B. 895, has been introduced into the House by State Representative Linda Bebko-Jones (D-Erie) with broad bi-partisan support. Seven Republicans joined forty-two Democrats in sponsoring the public job creation bill.
The Coalition for JOBS released a Report on Welfare Reform in Pennsylvania at the One-Year Mark highlighting the problems that will face the state, welfare recipients and the working poor when welfare time limits are reached in March of 1999.
Dozens of organizations around the state have endorsed the campaign and regional meetings in five Pennsylvania cities are being planned to build more support for JOBS. Groups as varied as the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Catholic Conference, Council of Churches, National Organization for Women, and the NAACP are actively involved in the campaign. Several rallies to build support for JOBS have taken place in the state.
Nationally, labor and religious groups came together with community organizations in Washington DC to form a working group to promote public job creation.
The city of Philadelphia has announced a "welfare-to-work" plan that will include 3,000 public
service jobs for welfare mothers. However, Mayor Rendell has made it plain that these are not enough jobs and more resources must come from the state and federal governments to provide jobs for the thousands expected to work or lose benefits in the period ahead.
In the period ahead, people concerned for children, the poor and workers will be raising more powerfully the need for Pennsylvania to use its budget surplus and the windfall realized from welfare reform to provide employment opportunities to our poorest residents.
PUP Leader Denise Ripley speaks at raUy in
Harrisburg to build support for the JOBS Bilk Immediately behind her are Joel Weisberg (PA
Jewish Coalition), Dave Wilderman (AFL- CIO), Jack Frye (AFL-CIO), Ed Toff (GCIU) Paul
Arrington (UNITE!) Rep. Ivan Itkin (D-Allegheny), and Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila.)
JOBS Bill Introduced in the Pennsylvania House
The Coalition for JOBS rallied in Harrisburg to announce the introduction of the House
JOBS bill that would set up a public jobs program for families on welfare. Supported by
the chanting of "JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! from the cheering crowd, Mary Ellen Lloyd
(Presbytery of Philadelphia) told the crowd and the media that the JOBS bill will create
full-time, wagepaying public service jobs for the tens of thousands of families in
Pennsylvania who face losing their cash assistance due to "welfare reform."
Ms. Lloyd added that as the time limit for being on welfare is ticking away, thousands of
mothers and fathers are struggling to find a job that pays a familysustaining wage that
could lead to getting off welfare forever. Citing a study on the State's performance on
its ability to move people from welfare into work, she said that half of the welfare
mothers who did find a job since the "reformed" program began are no longer
working.
Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones (D-Erie) introduced the House JOBS Bill, H.B. 2308. Identical to
Senator Vincent Hughes' Senate Bill 895, the House bill would create 10, 000 public
service H.B for welfare recipients and those who have no income. H.B. 2308 would provide
fulltime jobs paying a minimum of $6.00 an hour or the prevailing wage, whichever is
higher. A typical welfare recipient who gets a JOBS position would receive enough benefits
from the EITC program to push the actual wage to a living wage. Welfare recipients would
retain their Medicaid health coverage and receive child care, and training. And, like S.B.
895, H.B. 2308 contains strong worker protection measures, including prohibiting the use
of JOBS workers in positions where workers are on layoff, strike, or lockout.
The bill enjoys bi-partisan support
from 50 State Representatives, including the sponsorship of the following Republican State
Representatives: John Taylor (RPhila.), Ellen Bard (R-Montgomery), Lita Cohen (R-
Montgomery), Pat Browne (RLehigh), Sen. Vincent Mario Civera (R-Delaware), Jane Orie
(R-Allegheny), and Lynn Herman (R-Centre). The bill has been referred to the House Labor
Relations Committee, chaired by Rep. Joseph Gladeck (RMontgomery), and awaits a hearing.
Meeting with Rep. Linda Bebko-Jones after she agreed to introduce JOBS bill:
(I. to R. Ed Toff (GCIU # 14),
Barbara DiTullio (NOW), John Dodds (PUP), David Wilderman (PA AFLCIO), Madeline Dwyer
(PUP), Paul Arrington (UNITU), Roney Maddox (PUP).
Advocates are urged to contact Rep. Gladeck and ask him to schedule a hearing on JOBS. His mailing address is 41 East Wing, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020. His telephone number is 717-787-2801.
- Philadelphia Unemployment Project
- 116 S. 7th St.
- Philadelphia, PA 19106
- (215) 592-0933
- Fax: (215) 592-7537