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SPRINGFIELD, MA_ After a year of storming meetings, going undercover to investigate a local one-stop, commissioning a report on its investigation and repeated negotiations with government officials, the Anti-Displacement Project (A-DP) has won a local victory with national implications. A-DP's year-long campaign climaxed in early June when the Mayor and the Regional Employment Board (REB), the local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) watchdog group, agreed to A-DP's demand to change a corrupt for-profit controlled "one-stop" career center to a locally controlled non-profit.

In a monumental victory, A-DP won demands from the REB that put an end to the failed services at FutureWorks, the local one stop career center. The REB, composed of local business representatives and community organizations, is responsible for monitoring local WIA funds and programs including FutureWorks. Originally A-DP won reforms to REB's Five Year Plan for WIA programs, including: prioritizing low-income job seekers for job training and basic education, a $5,000 individual training account for training, services for Russian and other non-English speakers, increased opportunities for youth, and childcare services and increasing the training voucher cap to $5,000.

These reforms were supposed to apply to all one-stop centers, including FutureWorks. But after an undercover investigation a year ago, A-DP members learned that FutureWorks clients had been lied to about training vouchers and denied access to basic education and skills training. A-DP decided it was time to shut FutureWorks down. While Springfield mayor, Michael Albano needed to make the final decision on whether the one-stop's contract should be renewed, A-DP determined the mayor didn't have enough political power to go against the businesses that supported FutureWorks.

A-DP focused on the REB as a secondary target, putting pressure directly on the businesses involved in REB. And A-DP leaders went straight to the source. Months after a March meeting, REB members' ears were still ringing from a packed room of A-DP members chanting, "We're tired of being screwed!" as they presented the REB chairman with a golden screwdriver. This meeting took place soon after A-DP's undercover investigation into FutureWorks and its failed compliance with WIA and local regulations. A-DP leaders infiltrated FutureWorks to ask for the training and training vouchers that they were entitled to under the law.

After 32 people were routinely denied training and training vouchers A-DP added more pressure by releasing its report "FutureWorks: Roadblocks to Success. How FutureWorks is a Dead End Street." A-DP also began to lobby state and federal legislators. They won meetings with eleven legislators, with nine agreeing to either send letters or call Mayor Albano demanding the FutureWorks' contract be terminated. Community leaders also met with REB members in order to put pressure on the REB not to renew the contract.

The power building continued when the A-DP joined with Jobs With Justice and the Pioneer Valley Labor Council for a 250-person rally in front of FutureWorks. A-DP's campaign created public outcry, giving Albano enough political support he needed to end the FutureWorks' contract. This victory was celebrated at the June REB meeting where Albano read the list of reforms recommended by the community organization including the FutureWorks transition from a for-profit one-stop to a community-run job center; the increased access for Russian speaking immigrants; including on site working English and ESL classes; weekly GED classes; prioritization of low income adults for job training and a 10 percent increase in youth services.

"There's strength in numbers. A-DP made it happen. We made it possible to shut down FutureWorks and give the contract back to the community. This means more training vouchers and better job services for our members and the community," said Emma Caballero, an A-DP jobs strategy team leader. Albano also agreed to meet with A-DP to pursue a series of additional solutions posed by A-DP leadership for greater oversight. These include: setting aside 50 percent of all WIA funds for training; tracking and reporting of all job seekers by race, income, rate of training program completion, wages and length of employment; bi-annual meetings for the new non-profit to report the results to the A-DP jobs strategy team.