Return to Current Issue

Jobs and Affordable Housing Campaign
Minneapolis, MN

A year ago, through our involvement in National People's Action, the Jobs and Affordable Housing Campaign (JAHC) in Minneapolis, MN became aware of the Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the responsibilities of local "One-Stops," or Workforce Centers as they're called in Minnesota. According to WIA, people who are unemployed or underemployed should be able to go to a One-Stop and access any employment services or job training they need in order to get a job that pays a livable wage.

Doesn't that sound good? Since most of our leaders are unemployed or underemployed, it sounded good to them too, and they decided local One-Stops were worth pursuing.

We had conversations with people in JAHC about their past experience with One-Stops. Not surprisingly, what sounded good on paper (WIA) was far different than reality for our people. Most had never heard of the One-Stop Workforce Centers, and those that had visited a One-Stop found they weren't useful in any way. People had pretty much written off the One-Stops as a waste of time, yet millions of public dollars pour into these jobs and training centers each year, specifically to assist the people in our organization.

Everyone agreed this was a problem that needed to be addressed, and we would be the ones to address it. Our first action was to investigate and document the operations of local One-Stops by sending in "testers" (in other words "spies"). Twenty-six people agreed to be testers. They went to local One-Stops armed with a long list of services available (according to WIA) and simply asked to get them. What did they get?

Nothing. Over and over again.

Why use testing?

First, power is not given-it's taken. We've all heard this before - one of the basic premises of organizing. Testing of One-Stops is a great example of how our organizations can take the power. Prior to the testing, the power relationship between the One-Stops and our leaders was one of service provider controlling the purse strings over clients or "needy persons." Our leaders felt like clients whose lives and well-being were at the whim of long time bureaucrats, and who felt helpless against the system. As testers, our leaders were no longer clients, but the outside agitators who had the power to evaluate and expose the lack of accountability of One-Stops.

The power taken by our leaders was not felt just by them; it was a real takeover felt by the systemic powers of the local One-Stops, to the Workforce Investment Board, to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Dept. of Economic Security, to the Governor's Workforce Development Commission.

As soon as the "testers" exposed the One-Stops, we were seen as a force feared by some, admired by others, and at the least, as an organization that couldn't or shouldn't be ignored.

After we released a report on our findings and had a public hearing with Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN), Rebecca Yanish, commissioner of the Minnesota Dept of Economic Security said she needed to respond to our allegations and validate the lack of accountability uncovered with the local One-Stops.

Then, the president of the Ramsey County Workforce Investment Board contacted us for a meeting. And a state representative, serving on a transition team to merge all workforce development programs into one department within the state, said our testing report was used so much in their deliberations it could almost be called the Transition Team's Bible.

Second, testing created a shared experience, with shared anger among our leaders. After each visit to a local One-Stop, people came back more angry about the poor treatment they received and clearer about the lack of accountability. When we all came together to discuss their experiences, people were united in their anger, and the ideas of what they wanted changed at the One-Stops flowed freely. Carrying out the testing over a six-week period built the momentum and anger simultaneously and was a great impetus for action. Testing also gave leaders confidence in their expertise. In negotiations with local One-Stops and state bureaucrats, when the excuses started to roll off their tongues about why they couldn't do this or that, and when they started to question the experience of our leaders, our leaders pushed back with strength and clarity. In my 10 years of organizing, this was the strongest and most confident I'd seen new leaders engaged.

Finally, the testing of One-Stops was fun! We can't forget to have fun. At the wrap up session, we had a party in which people shared their stories and told some jokes about One-Stops.

Now that it's a year later, we plan on re-testing to document what progress has been made and expose the continuing problems of the system. It will be a great time for leaders who did this before to share their expertise with others, while getting new people involved in the issue. I'll keep you posted on the results.