WHEREAS:
State welfare programs are requiring increasing numbers of welfare recipients to rapidly enter employment when most state and local economies do not have sufficient unsubsidized jobs to absorb these tens of thousands of unemployed welfare recipients; and
WHEREAS:
State and local governments are establishing large-scale "workfare" programs in which welfare recipients are required to perform work for government or nonprofit agencies in order to receive their welfare benefits; and
WHEREAS:
Large-scale workfare programs will depress all low-wage workers' wages. Permanent positions and bargaining unit work could be lost; and
WHEREAS:
Welfare recipients placed in workfare slots are often not afforded the legal protections of "employees" and are not covered by employers' personnel policies or union contracts; and
WHEREAS:
Many welfare recipients need education and training before they can gain permanent employment paying a living wage; and
WHEREAS:
A national campaign is needed to fight workfare.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will advocate in favor of welfare reform efforts that take a deliberative approach to moving welfare recipients into employment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to publicize data showing that the low-wage labor market does not contain enough jobs for all unemployed workers, whether receiving welfare or not, showing the wage depression effects caused by large-scale workfare programs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will work against state and local government efforts to dump welfare recipients into workfare slots; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to fight for union concurrence in any workfare program and against displacement of our members and loss of permanent positions and/or bargaining unit work; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will work to ensure that workfare participants are afforded all legal rights of "employees" including payment of the minimum wage, the right to organize, and coverage under employer personnel policies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will advocate in favor of welfare-to-work programs which offer education and training for those welfare recipients who would otherwise not make a successful transition to work; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will spearhead a national campaign with labor and community partners to convince employers to sign "principles" in which they agree to abide by common standards of dignity for all workers, will get media attention for this campaign, and will put forward a positive state and local legislative agenda supporting our workfare campaign issues.
SUBMITTED BY:
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD