WORKFARE AND WELFARE REFORM

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has long had an interest in welfare reform. The AFT has worked to improve income and services provided to those among us unable to work. However, many on welfare are not unable to work but are unable to find a job because of a lack of skills, child care, or available employment. AFT members deplore a welfare system that fosters dependency and support the idea that those on welfare who are able to work should be helped to get and hold jobs at decent salaries. The movement toward a public assistance policy that relies on work, however, should not endanger the jobs and working conditions of regular public services employees; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers supports the establishment of national policies and adequate federal support that would allow states flexibility in designing training, placement, and support programs without the creation of federal mandates governing levels of recipient participation; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers endorses the development of voluntary programs designed to move public assistance recipients from dependency to work and opportunity; and

WHEREAS, such programs should offer job search and job placement to recipients who are employable and for those without marketable skills, job training, support, and placement services that lead to unsubsidized jobs yielding an adequate standard of living; and

WHEREAS, workfare that merely forces welfare recipients off assistance and into work is a discredited approach that will not produce results for our country:

RESOLVED, the American Federation of Teachers urge the president and Congress to forge a national policy designed to support state efforts to truly assist those able to make the jump from welfare to work; and

RESOLVED, that workfare jobs not be used to displace regular public service employees who currently operate our schools and other public services.