We must ensure that measures are in place to prevent this from happening. The new federal law offers limited protection for current workers faced with losing their jobs as a result of welfare reform. In fact, the new law only prohibits employers from laying off employees with the intent to replace them with welfare placements. Lower-skilled workers are particularly threatened by the loss of protections that were contained in the old welfare law. The new federal law is silent on many of the workplace protections workfare participants had been entitled to under the old law, including minimum wage, health and safety coverage, the right to join a union, and protection against discrimination.
All workers deserve the full protection of the law.
We in organized labor know that the establishment of a sub-class of workers without labor protections will bring down the wages and working conditions of all workers. Real welfare reform must not take job opportunities away from people who already have them. Real jobs must be created that pay workers enough to raise a family and lift them out of poverty. Everyone who works should enjoy the same rights and have the opportunity to join a union. We should not create a sub-class of workers.