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In Boston, Lisa Clausen of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform
Now) reports that the group has already collected 1,000 authorization cards at the city's
four welfare centers. Actions at one of the centers have already won improvements around
waiting times, appointments, access to supervisors, advance warning of what materials are
required for appointments, and distribution of information about basic welfare rights.
Child care and transportation continue to be major concerns.
Members have also forced the Private Industry Council (PIC) to include recipients in all
planning for welfare-to-work programming. Because of their aggressive participation, the
PIC is now pledged to supporting creation of jobs which either pay living wages or include
a timeline for reaching living wages which are defined as income sufficient to bring a
family of four at least up to the poverty line. In addition, ACORN members have negotiated
other guidelines for welfare-to-work programs including requiring on-the-job training to
be related to employee needs; equal rights with other workers on job (benefits, pay,
uniforms); inclusion of unions in planning at worksites they represent; equal status for
non-profits; and continued inclusion of welfare recipients in program design. ACORN
members are working with union representatives on the PIC to set up training programs for
licensed child care workers and women in the construction trades.
Boston ACORN is active in the statewide coalition to confront the rapidly approaching
September deadline for the first round of cutoffs based on the state's two year limit for
receiving welfare. In addition to ACORN, the coalition includes Legal Services,
Massachusetts Law Reform, the Coalition Against Poverty, public employee unions, and
various social service providers and is planning strategies for educating legislators on
the need to revamp the state's welfare reform plan.
Prepared by John Beam for the Workfare Organizing Support Center,
a Welfare Law Center project.
-- from the March 2nd 1998 issue of Welfare News
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