WGBH Journal; Workfare Court Injunction, J.P. Stevens Boycott, Potholes And Consumer rights, Postcard Convention

Good afternoon and welcome to GBH Journal. I'm Bill cabinets. On Today show we'll have a report on the recent court injunction on the Massachusetts workfare program. We'll hear about the local blackout of J.P. Stephens product. And we'll get some advice about what to do if your car is damaged by a pothole. And a closer feature on my flickr postcard convention. The state's controversial workfare program came to a complete halt last week after having been in operation for only a month and a half. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Paul Garrett entered the court order to stop the program which requires unemployed fathers on welfare to work on their welfare checks. He did not criticize the program. Instead he told state officials that they had acted illegally in starting up workfare without a public hearing. And he ordered the program stopped until that hearing had

been held. Amy sands spoke with state officials. Their employees and work their opponents and prepared this report on the long term implications of these court injunction. For the time being anyway. Now unemployed father on welfare has to participate in work fare if he doesn't want to. That's the immediate effect of Judge Garrett is ruling and of the sixty two men already placed in the program 20 according to a state official have decided to leave their work assignments which to date have consisted mostly of Jenna Tauriel maintenance painting and driving tasks. In the meantime the state has said April 18th as the date for its court ordered public hearing workfare opponents are planning to take the opportunity to recommend once again that state officials abandon workfare and institute a minimum wage welfare reform plan. Real jobs with real pay as Senator Jack Backman has put it. Charlie Pace is the welfare rights lawyer who argued for the injunction against workfare in Judge Gary's court. I know that many of the comments people are going to make. I'm not

going to be directed at any specific technicality of the workfare program but rather I think the thrust of those comments will be to persuade the state not to have a workfare program at all but rather to have a pilot project Carter welfare reform kind of program which pays wages. It's interesting to note that the federal government did in fact offer to the state this kind of package a job an actual job real pay program which the state rejected in favor of a no pay program. It would seem to me that where welfare reform is is an issue nationally and drawn a great deal of attention and it's looking for new ways to deal with welfare problems that the state would move in favor of new approaches that are yet untried rather than the

backward approach of workfare which has been tried in the past five years in other states and failed education. I would hope the state would take the opportunity to listen seriously to people speaking to people who wish to persuade them that the alternatives of paying jobs program are far more preferable than a non paying jobs program. Charlie could pace his conception of the hearing is not Dick Sullivan's Sullivan is the Department of Employment Security official who was responsible for making workfare go. And now that it is under a temporary injunction for making workfare stop for Sullivan the purpose of the hearing will be to solicit comments on how workfare should be modified through changes in its rules and regulations. The purpose will not be whether or not workfare should be abolished. Well listen to that kind of criticism I think the fact that the agency is holding a hearing is obviously people prepared to listen to any comments people have. Read this time. The payment of.

Wages is not discussed in the regulations is not part of the grant with the federal government. So is it. And I'm sure a number of other probably new initiatives whatever will be brought up. We would certainly. Take that testimony as he said it wouldn't have an effect on the rewriting of the regulations as such we don't deal with those issues. But I'm sure to have an effect upon. Any other subsequent program development on modifications of the program that that that might come up. But the purpose of this hearing is not. Not to discuss the program in general it is to discuss the. Its regulations by which we will carry out the program as funded by the federal government and as approved by the state agencies involved. So you basically feel that once the hearing and the 21 day comment period are over you're simply going to start the program up again with minor modifications according to the kinds of comments you get. These public hearings. That's our intention at this time.

The department climate security is when they make statements like that showing me that they have no intention of genuinely listening or heeding the many comments that will be received because what they are saying when they make statements like that is that they don't want to be troubled with the facts. They in their minds have been made up. And that's really too bad. As Dick Sullivan and Charlie Capades prepare for the April 18th hearing a number of Sullivan's employees in the field are fuming about workfare said one employee Workfare is not being well received by the welfare fathers we've interviewed and I don't think anyone working in our office believes in the program. He added that instructions from the state as to how to run the program have been very confusing or nonexistent. For example he said we didn't receive any notice that workfare was being contested in court until we saw it in the newspaper. This employee had received no information as to whether or not state officials plan to start up work there again after the April 18th public hearing nor had he heard about the hearing itself. When told that Dick Sullivan does plan to go ahead with workfare following the hearing the employee

said maybe whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. I'm Amy sands. People who are politically active do not always limit their activism to issues which concern them directly. Part of the nature of activism often precludes the boundaries of geographical proximity or direct contact. Part of the frustration however lies in the attempt to persuade people to act on issues which are not of immediate concern. Many national groups have developed local branches which are designed to aid with pressure and to provide psychological and moral support.

An example of such activism surrounds the national boycott of products manufactured by the J.P. Stephens company based textile manufacturer is located primarily in North and South Carolina. But local boycotts of Stevens products have taken place nationwide. Reporter Lisa prelate has more about the Massachusetts organization which she profiled in this report. J.P. Stephens is the second largest textile manufacturer in the United States. It operates 85 plants located mainly in North and South Carolina. The company employs forty four thousand workers none of whom is covered by a union contract. Stevens has consistently opposed unionization and has been found guilty of unfair labor practices. Sixteen times by the National Labor Relations Board in addition to labor violations JP Stevens has been indicted for sex and race discrimination and for maintaining cotton dust levels three times the maximum allowed by federal standards in 1976. A coalition of labor religious and student groups

launched a nationwide consumer boycott of JP Stevens products. The organizers hope that the economic effect of the boycott will force Stevens to negotiate with the unions. In Massachusetts consumers have responded well to the boycott and retail stores throughout the state have stopped selling J.P. Stephens products. However many stores including the large retail chains are not cooperating with the boycott. Michael Shear Paani New England boycott coordinator explains what can be done to influence these stores purchasing decisions. This is a consumer boycott. We're asking consumers to make the decisions. Consumers should first then understand what products are being boycotted and like you because sheets and so forth. And second whenever they go into a retail store that's carrying the product they should first of all to tell the department head that they're not buying Stephens products and that the store shouldn't be selling them. And then also asked to speak to the manager about that same issue. And two if

you get a Stephens product for a gift for example brides who have showers oftentimes get sheets and towels and pillow cases for gifts. Well you know they should take a position on this issue and they should return those products and tell the manager precisely why they're doing so and if they succeed the store continuing they can begin to write letters. Essentially what we're asking people to do is if they if they do that as consumers and to if they're really interested they should get involved in the local committee. I asked Mr. Chapin how local consumer pressure can affect decisions in Stephen's plants in North Carolina. It's very important for Boston. And knowing that to send a message to Stevens. Because Steven started here and Stevens played a large part in virtually destroying a number of communities by closing down their plants and moving into the south. So that's very important for us to respond Steve in that way. If we can be effective as boycotting Stevens products in a way

and that is to say in Boston that is to say that we we economically impact on Stevens and Stevens company and they can feel it. Then we will be saying to them we know what you're doing we don't like it. We want it stopped. And we're not going to support you by buying your products. If we can give them that message they will be forced to sit and negotiate fairly for the contract that the workers have already voted for. And in those plants where the it's an even impossible to hold a fair election we'll be sending Stevens the message that they've got to treat people fairly. So anything else that we in Boston or Massachusetts can do beyond boycotting Is there any more direct action that we can take to affect the decision to J.P. Stephens. Is there any legal action that we can take or legislative action. The major legislative action that people can take is to support their senators and congressmen when the labor law reform bill comes

up. Because what one piece of the labor law reform bill will. In practice not allow Stevens to get it on the average of 16 or 20 million dollars a year in defense contracts for at least three years. The bill simply says a piece of the bill simply says that any company found in violation of labor laws for a certain period of time is cut off from the federal contracts. And that's very important so legislatively that's one way that anyone can get help. Stevens workers by asking their own representatives in Congress to support labor law reform. That's legislatively in terms of the the boycott. All right we mentioned the consumer consumer power that people have if they only realize it and act on it in terms of organizing organizing Stevens Pass. Yes there is a way that people here can help that. We are going to be asking Stevens workers to come up to visit us from time to time. And in fact in the middle of

June it will be a whole caravan of Stephen's workers in the brown cotton mill blues band and so forth coming up to New England and visiting all of our coalitions and the different events. And so we can show our support to the Stevens workers personally and that's very important that helps them in their struggle for GBH journo. I'm Lisa through it. In recent weeks obstacles other than fellow commuters have been plaguing Boston drivers namely the appearance of holes in the street popularly termed potholes potholes are a direct byproduct of winter weather up which we've had our share.

Water seeps between the cracks in the street and freezes expands and causes the asphalt to crack even further. Than the appearance of potholes which are capable of damaging any moving vehicle. A car may not have any protection against these holes. The car's owner does have protection against the expense and damages with his or her car may incur. Robert for Lago has more information for the car owner in this report. When spring comes New England all the people who spent the winter complaining about ice and snow turn their raft to another annoyance potholes to all drivers that familiar clunk of the road Kreator usually brings to mind flat tires a broken axle or a bad dent. What can you do if your car is damaged by a bad pothole. Although most people simply assume that such an accident is their fault and therefore pay for the repairs. The city or town who maintains the roadway is legally liable for pothole damage. There are of course a few considerations. First you must file a claim with the mayor Treasurer or

clerk of the town at fault within 30 days. That claim should include the time place and cause of the accident before you have any repair work done. Have an appraiser give you an estimate and put both the estimate and the repair bill for your car with your claim. Now the only stipulation that stands between you and a check from a city government is that the pothole must have been an obvious and longstanding hazard. If your claim is judged valid your check will be in the mail in about a month. If you're not satisfied or your claim is denied you can always bring suit in small claims court. This is a simple process but not one without ground rules. Michael Ryan of the Dedham district court explains how you should prepare for a small claims court case. If a person is going to use the small claims court. To try and get dressed to shit. Then since he was the plaintiff the burden is on him to go forward with the case and present enough evidence that the judge can make a finding that there was a violation. And that this

person. This plaintiff should be reimbursed for the damage done to his automobile. He is the book The burden is on him now to show. That. His cat was injured by a pothole on a specific street in a specific city or town. Just saying that he incurred an injury of say for example a round figure is a $200 because of two flat tires and front end out of line as a result of going through a particle that's not enough. Yet the burden is now more fully on him to send notice to the city a town which is covered by the stature. And if that's not done. Then he spoke closed or stopped from bringing any future claims. I believe the statute mentions a 30 day requirement that he have to send a notice to the other to the city a town where the damage was accurate and then after bringing after bringing it to their attention within the 30 day requirement then he has if he is not fully satisfied through the city attorney

and he has two years to bring an action of two whether it be in small claims or the. Regular civil business in the district court or even the superior court because of the possibility of fraudulent pothole claims. Boston has taken measures to check the validity of any claim against the city. If you file for damages in Boston investigators will make sure you have paid all your taxes parking tickets violations and registration fees. Also any township has the right to check your police accident and insurance records if you file for damage and small claims court certain safeguards and procedures are in fact that aim to protect against fraud. Michael Ryan explains what you might face. What I've seen so far is that the burden is on the plaintiff. He has to show that the damage was incurred by him as a result of negligence by the city attorney. It's not. To use I don't want to sound technical with legal terms terms but it's not prime aphasia evidence.

That. If the plaintiff can just show any damage to his car and B that it could it was incurred in a city a town. That doesn't stop the plaintiff's case in the burden then shift to the town defended to prove that he was not negligent or he should have used steps to rectify a problem. Or pothole in his in the city attack. So the burden is still on the plaintiff to show not only A and B but to show more that the town should have had reasonable notice that there was a defect and they should have taken steps to cure the defect within a reasonable amount of time. But most pothole claims never reach small claims court. The chances are better than good that the city will decide in your favor and mail you a check. If your car is damaged by a pothole it is in your best interest and the best interest of the responsible city. If you seek money for those repairs after all the more valid claims that are made the quicker those road craters will be filled. Remember that when you're finding a path through a hole filled

street for GBH Journal My name is Bob. All to many of us as experienced long distance travels with the receipt of postcards and to most of us postcards have become a symbol of vicariously experiencing other people's adventures. For some our postcard collecting constitutes a serious hobby. The Bay State postcard collectors club was founded in 1949 and it has 600 members. Once a month the club meets in Boston and provides its members with an opportunity to buy or sell or trade their collections. The Hindu god attended one of these

monthly meetings and has this report. On the second Sunday of every month people from all over New England gather in one of the back rooms of the YMCA in Boston. What's the occasion. The meeting of the Bay State postcard Collectors Club. And it's the act of trading several club members or Delta a ologists as they call themselves talked about the appeal of their past time first Vincentio Brian director of the club. Well I think it's a form of American style Sure. There was a golden age of cards from around 1900 to World War 1 and at that time we we had the finest cad ever produced it both in Germany England and in this country. It is a hobby that has grown immeasurably in the last 10 years. I think it's partly because of the great interest in collecting that we find all over the country now. Old furniture old

books old paintings anything. People want to apply. Also I think partly it's because of inflation. People feel that their money is far better invested in a material way that would be in a more active forms whether it be choice paintings choice books to US Open Skies different Rhode Island finds postcards in aid and historical research which he conducts is a kind of concert I collect cards that I can use as resource material and collecting data for local history and genealogical research such as where of people that are identified that might be on a postcard sometimes where postcards of family reunions which were printed commercially that I have that's interesting and shows Brigham Young and twenty one of his wives.

And I just picked it up for almost nothing somewhere and then I went on and I researched my family background of all the wives that appeared on the post. It was quite interesting. You'll find that. Most of the people who ended up in Utah had no England rights behind them. One particular woman was a Huntington and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. And it was some of his kin. She ended up with one as I want to brag of Young's wives. The prices on postcards vary tremendously. Vincentio Brian explains some of the things you can buy for 5 cents and 10 cents and many cards are in the 25 50 and dollar range but the ratrace items they can go up too many dollars for him since I mentioned some of the art nouveau some of those by very special law such as Milkha can bring 30

40 50 or more dollars depending on the subject. One post from one post the categories of postcards represented were infinite. Eugene fortune a dealer from Rhode Island had one particularly interesting box of cards one in women because some people goes for lawyers so people goes for the ladies and postcards. Yeah he said America category. No it's not really a rare category it's just that certain categories people pick up. You know people because certain categories because they like what's on the car. You know some pretty girls and girls and everything else and dress in costume like that which is the old fashion type and that's what they go for mostly men. Yeah yeah. The ladies don't touch him too. They buy better get everything.

Yes. Thank you. See there's so many different kinds of categories and those alphabets the days of the week and every season somewhere for our special days such as St. Patrick's Day at Washington's Birthday. Memorial Day as a series of ships and lighthouses military automobiles transportation of all types of children. Some people like railroad stations airplanes. For Thursday the 30th of March 1978 that's GBH Journal regional news

magazine heard Monday through Friday at 4:30. Producer and editor for the program is Marcia I heard today's engineer when music and I. Have a fairly thrilling with Thankfully thoughtful Thursday. Now you want higher wages let me tell you what to do. Got to talk to the workers in the shop with you. You've got to build you a union got to make it strong but if you all stick together boys don't be long you get shorter hours better working conditions vacations with pay you take the kids to the seashore cos it ain't quite that simple so I better explain just why I got to ride on the Union Train. Because if you wait for the boss to raise your pay he will all be you wait until judgment day it will all be buried. Gone to heaven St. Peter will be the straw boss then boys. Now you know you're underpaid but the boss says you ain't he speeds up the work tell you about a feint you may be

down and out but you ain't beaten. Pass out a leaflet call and meet and talk it over. Speak your mind. Decide to do something about it cos the boss might persuade some bored damn fool to go to a meeting and act like a stool. But you can always tell a stool though that's a fact he's got a yellow streak a runnin down his back he doesn't have to stool you know he'll always make a good living. He takes out a blind man. Well you go to union now I know sitting pretty. Put some of the boys on the steering committee. The boss won't listen if one guy's crocks but he's got to listen if the union talks the better. He'll be mighty lonely. One of these days I suppose he's working you so hard it's just outrageous pay you all starvation wages you go to the boss the boss would yell before I raise your pay and see oh and how often to be feeling mighty slick thinks he's got your union licked. He looks out the window and what does he

see but I'll fouls and pickets and they all agree he's a bastard. Slave driver but he beats his own wife. Now boys you come to the hardest time the boss will try to bust your picket line he'll call the police the National Guard tell you it's a crime to have a union card a meeting might get you on the head. Everyone in your goddamn red young patriotic agents bomb throwers even the kids. Well out in Detroit Here's what they found down in Pittsburgh. Here's what they found down in Bethlehem Here's what they found out and first go here's what they found that if you don't let red baiting break you up if you don't let stool pigeons break you up if you don't let race hatred break you up if you don't let vigilantes break you up you'll win but I mean take it easy but take it.