Friday, November 5, 2010

CTDN: Eviction Blockade/rally tomorrow + Boston Workers Alliance Announcements

Welcome To The Chuck Turner Daylight Network:

The Antidote For The Apathetic

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TWO MORE MSG's
 

 ONE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
Tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 6
10 am - Rally at Pierre's home, 1091 Hyde Park Ave., Hyde Park
11 am - Rally at Sovereign Bank branch 860 River St., Hyde Park
(for rides we will leave together from City Life office at 9:30 am)
Flyer attached
 
Lebrun vigil
     We previously announced a vigil at the home of the Lebrun's.  On Wednesday night, 30 people gathered in candlelight to support the Lebrun's.  Many people spoke eloquently about why they were there.  The event was covered by the Brockton Enterprise.  Thank you to all who attended.  Various political leaders are now calling Bank of America to insist that they negotiate around the BCC offer without insisting on the eviction of the Lebrun family first.
 
 
 
TWO----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BWA Announcements

1.  BWA Voter Power Drive a Success
2.  Ban the Box Goes Into Effect
3.  CORI Coalition Appreciations

www.BostonWorkersAlliance.org 
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1.  BWA Voter Power Drive a Success

Between August and November 2nd, BWA members and volunteers led a deep voter outreach campaign in the Grove Hall area, knocking on over 4,500 doors and having conversations with close to 2,000 people.  Targeting Ward 12, Precincts 2, 6, 9, BWA helped increase voter turnout to the highest levels for a Governor's election in recent history. 

Working with other organizations from the Civic Engagement Initiative, MassVote, and the No, No, No campaign, we also helped defeat two major ballot initiatives that would have had devastating impacts on our neighborhoods.

We congratulate the many organizations that help get out the vote and demonstrated the power and passion of our communities at the ballot box.  Moving into a new year, BWA looks forward to holding our elected officials accountable to the needs and vision of the communities that helped put them in office!

Special thanks to BWA Voter Coordinators: Terri Hinton, Suezanne Bruce, Tiana Kimpson, Tracy Parks, Prenell Sanders, Aaliyah Turner

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2.  Ban the Box Goes Into Effect

After years of dedicated grassroots organizing, BWA and CORI Coalition partners pass CORI reform, and begin to see the products of our hard labor. 

Starting November 4th, "Ban the Box" statewide is now in effect, making Massachusetts only the second state in the country to remove the criminal history question from job applications for all public and private employers. 

BWA and our allies will be launching major educational and outreach efforts, but residents and supporters can also help.  Let employers know, and if you see a job application that is out of compliance, make a copy and send it to the BWA.  The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) is responsible for the oversight and enforcement of the law.  BWA will be setting up a process through which complaints can be gathered and passed onto MCAD. 

See below a recent notice from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security website:

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Reform Update

On August 6, 2010, Governor Patrick signed into law Chapter 256 of the Acts of 2010, An Act Reforming the Administrative Procedures Relative to Criminal Offender Record Information and Pre- and Post-Trial Supervised Release, available at http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2010/Chapter256

The law makes major changes to the way employers and others obtain access to Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and provides important protections to individuals with criminal records.  Some parts of the law, such as the provision that prevents certain employers from asking whether an applicant has been convicted of a criminal offense on an initial written employment application, become effective on November 4, 2010.  Other parts of the law, such as the provisions that reduce the waiting periods for sealing records, will become effective on May 4, 2012.

Effective November 4, 2010 

The Criminal History Systems Board (CHSB) will be renamed the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS).  The day-to-day operational division of CHSB, the agency responsible for the collection, storage, dissemination, and use of CORI prior to November 4, 2010, will become DCJIS.  The board, however, which hears employers' applications for access to CORI, as well as complaints, will retain the name Criminal History Systems Board until May 4, 2012. Businesses and organizations that submitted CORI requests to CHSB and obtained CORI reports from CHSB prior to November 4, 2010 will submit the same CORI requests to DCJIS and will receive the same reports from DCJIS until May 4, 2012.


Certified volunteer organizations will be authorized to obtain CORI for paid staff, vendors and contractors, in addition to volunteers.
 Volunteer organizations working with children and certified under section 172H of chapter 6 of the General Laws to screen volunteers, now will be authorized to obtain CORI reports to screen paid staff, vendors, and contractors, in addition to volunteers. 

The law “bans the box” on initial written employment applications.  Except in instances where an employer is prohibited by law from hiring individuals because of criminal convictions, employers in Massachusetts will no longer be allowed to ask whether an applicant for a job has been convicted of a criminal offense on an initial written employment application.

Effective May 4, 2012

CORI will be available online.

Standard CORI access for employers and landlords.  Employers and landlords will have standard access to CORI via the Internet, for a fee, for the purpose of screening current and prospective employees, volunteers, and tenants.  The standard access CORI report will contain the following information:

Convictions:

o   All murder, manslaughter, and sex offense convictions.

o   Any felony convictions that occurred within the last 10 years or for which the applicant was incarcerated within the last 10 years; and 

o   Any misdemeanor convictions that occurred within the last 5 years or for which the applicant was incarcerated within the last 5 years.

o   Note: If any criminal conviction qualifies to be included on the CORI report under the above rules, then all prior convictions will appear on the CORI report as well, regardless of when they occurred.

Open cases:

o   Any criminal charges pending as of the date of the request, including open cases that have been continued without a finding.

Sealed records will never appear on a CORI report, and the report will not show that a sealed record exists.

Employers who make hiring decisions based on official CORI reports within 90 days of receiving the reports shall be held harmless in negligent hiring lawsuits that allege additional criminal background checks should have been conducted.

Additional CORI access for employers and organizations with specific requirements.  Employers or organizations that require additional access to CORI because of a statutory, regulatory or accreditation requirement will receive the necessary access.  Employers or agencies that received CORI access under a federal or state law that authorized or required them to conduct CORI checks prior to November 4, 2010, will continue to receive access.  Examples of employers that fall within this category include schools, camps, banks, security guard companies, hospitals, day care centers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, councils on aging, public housing authorities, security systems installers, amusement device operators, and insurance companies.

Individual access for self-auditing purposes.  Individuals may obtain a copy of their entire CORI report and may also request, free-of-charge every 90 days, a self-audit that identifies all agencies, organizations, and individuals that have requested their CORI report.  This self-audit will not include any requests for the individual’s CORI made by law enforcement or criminal justice agencies.  More frequent audits may be requested for a fee.  Continue to monitor this web site for more details about this service.

The Criminal Record Review Board (CRRB) will become the name of the entity that investigates complaints.  CRRB will investigate and hear complaints regarding violations of the CORI statutes and regulations. 

The waiting periods for sealing records will be reduced.  The CORI reform bill does not provide for automatic sealing.  The sealing of any non-conviction or conviction will continue to be subject to the conditions listed in sections 100A and 100C of chapter 276 of the General Laws.

Beginning May 4, 2012, individuals may request that their criminal records be sealed  according to the following schedule:

Misdemeanor:  5 years after the conviction or any period of incarceration, whichever is later.

Felony:  10 years after the conviction or any period of incarceration, whichever is later.

Sex offense:  15 years after the conviction or any period of incarceration, or after the obligation to register as a sex offender ceases, whichever is later.  Sex offenders classified as Level 2 or Level 3 will not be eligible to have their convictions sealed.

To be eligible for sealing, an applicant must not have a conviction for any crime during the above waiting periods.

Individuals interested in requesting that their criminal records be sealed must contact the Massachusetts Office of the Commissioner of Probation (OCP) at 617-727-5300.  Additional information is also available at the OCP web site at: http://www.mass.gov/courts/probation/forms.html.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsmodulechunk&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Public+Safety+Agencies&L2=Department+of+Criminal+Justice+Information+Services+%28DCJIS%29&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=chsb_cori_reform_notice&csid=Eeops

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3. CORI Coalition Appreciations

The Commonwealth CORI Coalition was a broad based statewide coalition that moved the passage of CORI reform in 2010.  CCC was an major statewide effort that included the support of over 120 youth, faith, community, labor and legal organizations, dedicated to reversing CORI discrimination in Massachusetts.

Commonwealth CORI Coalition:

Steering Committee

AFL-CIO, American Civil Liberties Union, Boston Workers Alliance, Coalition Against Poverty / Coalition for Social Justice, Ex-prisoners and Prisoners Organizing for Community Advancement (EPOCA), Massachusetts Communities Action Network, National Association of Social Workers, Neighbor to Neighbor MA, SEIU 615, SEIU 1199, Survivors Inc

Action Committee

Alternatives for Community and Environment, Boston Public Health Commission, Brockton Interfaith Organization, Chelsea Collaborative, Chelsea United Against the War, Community Change Inc, Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Jobs With Justice, Mass Organization for Addiction Recovery, Project HIP HOP, Project RIGHT, Union of Minority Neighborhoods, Victory Programs Inc, SPAN, Teen Empowerment, WILF

Notable Leaders / Public Officials

City Councilors: Felix Arroyo, Stephen Murphy, Ayanna Pressley, Chuck Turner,
State Representatives: Liz Malia, Gloria Fox, Byron Rushing, Jim O’Day, Marie St. Fleur, Linda Dorcena-Forry, Eugene O'Flaherty
State Senators: Harriette Chandler, Sonia-Chang-Diaz, Jamie Eldridge, Cynthia Creem
Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino, Secretary Mary-Beth Heffernan, Sheriff Andrea Cabral, Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Murrary
Stanley Jones Clean Slate Project , American Friends Service Committee, Boston Ten Point Coalition, Union of Minority Neighborhoods / Mass Alliance to Reform CORI (MARC)

CORI Coalition Members (partial list)

Academic & Behavioral Clinic, Aid to Incarcerated Mothers, Alpha & Omega, American Friends Service Committee, Arlington Street Church (Social Committee), Asian American Resource Workshop, B.U. School of Public Health, Beantown Society, Belmont Against Racism, Black Ministerial Alliance, Boston Bar Association, Boston Climate Action Network, Boston Mobilization, Boston Parent Organizing Network, Boston School Bus Union, Boston Tenant Coalition, Boston Youth Environmental Network, Bowen Resource Center, Cambridge Cares About AIDS, Cambridge Peace Commission, Cambridge Prison Coordinating Committee, Center for Law and Education, Center for Popular Economics, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute, Charlestown Training & Education Center, Chelsea United Against the War, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, City Life/Vida Urbana, City Mission Society, the City School, Committee for Friends and Relatives of Prisoners, Community Church of Boston, Community Labor United, Community Work Services, Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, D7 Roundtable, Democracy Center, Dimock Community Health Center, Dorchester People for Peace, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, End the Odds Coalition, Episcopal City Mission, Essex County Community Organization, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Freedom House, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Greater Boston Labor Council, Greater Boston Legal Services, Greater Four Corners Action Coalition, Greater Love Tabernacle, Haley House Bakery Training Program, Harvard Black Law Students Association, Homes for Families, Hopefound, Inc., Institute for Health and Recovery, International Action Center, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, LARE Training – Chelsea, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, Boston Bar Association, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, MA Juvenile Justice Task Force on Racial Disparities, DA FORCE, Mass Alliance of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Mass Alliance to Reform CORI (MARC), Mass Bar Association, Mass Coalition for Healthy Communities, Mass Council of Churches, Mass Global Action, Mass Green Jobs Coalition (MAGJC), Mass. Black Alcoholism & Addictions Council, Mass Coalition for Healthy Communities/Jill Stein, Mass. Homeless Coalition, MassVote, MataHari: Eye of the Day, Moishe/Kavod House, Mothers with Courage, National Lawyers Guild, New England Policy Advocates, NORCAP Lodge, North American Alliance for Fair Employment, Partakers, Inc., Philips Brooks House Association, Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center, Press Pass TV, Project Place, Project HOPE, Public Policy Action Council, Inc., Randolph, Power & Grace LLC, Real Cost of Prisons, Reflect and Strengthen, ROCA, Rosa Parks Human Rights Committee, Rosie's Place, Roxbury Safety Net, SNAP - Boston ABCD, Spontaneous Celebrations, State Wide Harm Reduction Coalition, STRIVE, Inc., Unite Here! Local 26, United Auto Workers, United for a Fair Economy, United for Justice With Peace, Whittier Street Health Center,  Wise St. Transition House, Women's Fightback Network, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Year Up, Young Cape Verdean Club, Youth Advocacy Department



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Aaron Tanaka
Boston Workers' Alliance
411 Blue Hill Ave.
Dorchester, MA 02121

p. 617.606.3580
c. 617.359.0336
f. 617. 606.3582
atanaka@bostonworkersalliance.org
www.BostonWorkersAlliance.org

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--  THE END --

OR, IS IT JUST THE BEGINNING?  YOU DECIDE!

( Stay tuned, as the struggle continues. )  

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Occasionally we receive information from people regarding organizations

and businesses.  While we share this information with you, it should not

be seen as an endorsement of their services.

_________________________________________________________________

Chuck Turner, District 7 Boston City Councillor

City Hall Office--(617) 635-3510  /  District Office--(617) 427-8100

 Chuck.Turner@cityofboston.gov             Angela.Yarde@cityofboston.gov                  Darrin.Howell@cityofboston.gov 

Paulette.Tillery@cityofboston.gov      Lorraine.Fowlkes@cityofboston.gov          Edith.Monroe@cityofboston.gov

 ROXBURY:                   WARD 8, Pcts 3-4, 7;           WARD 9, Pcts 3-5;          WARD 11, Pcts 1-3, 5;     WARD  12, Pcts 1-9

DORCHESTER:            Ward 7, Pct 10;                    Ward 8, Pcts 5-6;             Ward 13, Pcts 1-2, 4-5

SOUTH END:                Ward 4, Pct 4;                      Ward 9, Pct 2

FENWAY:                     Ward 4, Pcts 5, 8-9 

 


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