Sun, 11 Oct 1998 06:23:07 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1998 06:23:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Franklin Wayne Poley Subject: WRFE Presentation to Community and Social Services Committee (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 17:22:55 -0400 (EDT) From: John Hollingsworth To: workfare-discuss@icomm.ca Subject: WRFE Presentation to Community and Social Services Committee >Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 01:37:14 >To: workfare-discuss@icomm.com >From: John Hollingsworth >Subject: WRFE Presentation to Community and Social Services Committee >Cc: bh295@freenet.carleton.ca, awildman@netcom.ca, ron@tao.ca, valki@magma.ca, achs@glen-net.ca, mrobitai@chat.carleton.ca, Brian_W._Edgecombe@jungle.ott.on.ca, jshantz@ccs.carleton.ca, timusk@magi.ca > >Hello, to all of you in the struggle to end workfare internationally, > >Two social assistance recipients (and wobs!) in Welfare Recipients for Fair Employment (WRFE), an autonomous group for social assistance recipients and workfare workers started by a small group of IWWs here in Ottawa last year, presented the following two statements to the CSS of our regional government. I thought their statements might be of interest to the list, so here they are. If you give me questions or comments I'll pass them on to the group. (Also both Carlos and Audrey are on the c.c. list.) > >The group followed the presentation of the research work of the Monitoring Ontario Works project here in Ottawa-Carleton. We were not the only people who were social assistance recipients who presented, however. > >* * * > >My name is Carlos Murray. I haven't been personally affected by workfare yet. I'm here to make a statement on the part of Welfare Recipients for Fair Employment. The first and only thing for now that we'd like to say about the research is that many people on social assistance are unhappy about the threat of losing their right to volunteer for community groups that they have belonged to for some time, as is the case under the current regulations after six months have passed for community placements. Children are being left unattended by adults because of participation requirements in spite of the lack of adequate child care. people can't afford to "participate" in the program, as the costs of participation reduce incomes on which one can barely survive, and causes hardship to recipients and their families which many cannot or choose not to recognize. > >Welfare Recipients for Fair Employment's position as an organization has been clear, and we work on a participatory, democratic and consensus basis. We don't support mandatory participation in Ontario Works, even if it is a "paper exercise" in the eyes of regional officials, and we don't support mandatory volunteerism. Agencies that try to make us of mandatory volunteers are compromising themselves, and we work to discourage agency participation in this slave labour scheme. > >We also know that pretty well everyone on community placement wants to get work experience and a job. We believe that a better alternative would be a wage subsidy program for the legitimate community-based non-profit sector, and that this work be recognized as work and not merely as a "community placement activity". Also, working on an unpaid basis for non-profit organizations that are professional or industrial associations, under penalty of suspension of social assistance, is completely unacceptable. We demand that these organizations hire their community placements now at regular wages, including the right of said workers to unionize. > >The position of the region has been that Ontario Works was imposed by the province, and the region is in the position of having to comply with it. They say that they need to implement it in a way that doesn't violate people's human rights. When the next recession hits us, and it will soon, we learn that this is impossible. Unless we shut down this program soon, we might be left with an army of conscripted labour doing the dirty work for the politicians, bureaucrats and comfortable classes. > >Thank you, and in the remaining time Audrey Wildman of WRFE will say a few words about Ontario Works. > >* * * > >Audrey Wildman: > >Welfare recipients for fair employment does not see any connection between workfare and employment. Workfare is a means to blame the poor for being poor. If we are committed to a " hands up approach " we would then look at providing support including childcare and job skills training that are needed for today's labor market. Workfare does not create jobs. > >Welfare recipients for fair employment is very concerned about sole support parents who are usually mothers. The right to parent is not even considered in the workfare plan . parenting is work and that if should be recognized as a full time job. Sole support mothers need to have the choice of staying home and raising their children. Sole support mothers need to have fair employment . the right to have a after high school education which would allow them the opportunity to provide for them and their children and to allow them to "break the cycle of poverty. Poor parents and in particular sole support mothers are being penalized by the clawing back of federal support for children (national child tax credit ) This money belongs to the poor families. Not recognizing differences is discrimination. > >Ottawa-Carleton region give the same rights to poor citizens as other citizens of and therefore do not allow for the maintenance workers more power than the police as to the searching of welfare receipts house. >It is interesting that Regional Council has put in place "buffers" to "soften the harshest effects of the changes", but only for "homeowners" and "business owners". > >Welfare for Fair Employment has a mandate to Stop Workfare. We will be at all times supporting and lobbying for the end of workfare employment for welfare recipients. We can be reached at 748-7476. > >Recommendations: > >1. that the Ottawa Carleton region not become a workfare employer. >2. that the Ottawa Carleton region put in place the right to parent until children are no longer the responsibility of the parent. >3. that the Ottawa Carleton region fund agencies that provide for the advancement of sole support mothers for fair employment. >4. that agencies that participate in the workfare program be responsible for providing fair employment at the end of six months and that if they do not, they will no longer be able to participate in abusing poor people for cheap labor. > >-> Workfare-Discuss, the list for fighting workfare internationally >-> To subscribe, send subscribe workfare-discuss to majordomo@icomm.ca >-> List web site, http://www.icomm.ca/workfare/ > > -> Workfare-Discuss, the list for fighting workfare internationally -> To subscribe, send subscribe workfare-discuss to majordomo@icomm.ca -> List web site, http://www.icomm.ca/workfare/