[van-announce] Mass Casework Victory!

[malliga at resist.ca]

Active Community Presence victorious!!

For the last four weeks the Anti-Poverty Committee (APC) with the Housing
Action Committee (HAC) has been participating in the ‘Active Community
Presence’ campaign.  The campaign was launched by the ‘End the two year
time limit Coalition’ which is a body representing dozens of diverse
organizations all working in solidarity to rescind the welfare cuts.

The first two visits to the welfare offices on December 8 and December 15 
were met by legions of police and security guards who would not allow
welfare recipients and their advocates into their offices.  All across
Vancouver MHR management shut down offices and workers were not allowed to
assist their clients.  Excuses given to clients and advocates ranged from
bomb threats to lunch breaks to fires.

The excuses are meant to suggest that the workers' safety is put in
jeopardy by welfare recipients demanding their rights en masse.  The true
crisis facing welfare workers is the pending closure of welfare offices
and large-scale lay-offs.  The welfare workers' union BCGEU militantly
opposes these cuts and openly supports the Active Community Presence
campaign. All BCGEU workers have received faxes, e-mails and conference
calls from individuals and local executives within the union to explain
the actions of the Coalition.

We denounce the actions taken by management on behalf of the Ministry of
Human Resources.  By not allowing recipients access into their offices
they are denying the people's rights to benefits and appeals.  Also
disturbing is the ministry's refusal to allow advocates to do their jobs
on behalf of their clients.

The APC and HAC have over the last two encounters inside the offices,
secured exemptions for over 50 recipients that would have otherwise
received their final checks this upcoming February 25.

We need as a movement for social justice to come together from all corners
of organizing and defend the rights and dignity of poor people. The BC
Liberals must not be allowed to continue their assault on unemployed and
poor working people. We must fight to win!

This coming Monday January 5 we request that all available supporters and
advocates join with the Coalition to participate in mass case
work-advocacy, to leaflet outside welfare offices and to protest the
welfare time limits.  We will meet outside the Waterfront office located
at Main and Powell at 2:30pm.

To receive more information on the Active Community Presence please
contact the Anti-Poverty Committee at 604.682.2726 or email apc at resist.ca

To join the end the two year time limit coalition please contact End
Legislated Poverty at 604.879.1209 or at elp at telus.net

United we will win!