[Mwa] A Warm Welcome, Big Congratulations, a Request for 5 to 10 Minutes of Your Time

[MassWorkForce@aol.com]

Welcome:   We want to offer a warm welcome to the 83 people who have joined 
the MWA listserv over the past three weeks.   There are now 248 people who 
receive these emails – and we invite you to invite others to join!   Anyone can 
join by sending an email to massworkforce at aol.com and typing in the word “yes.”

Congratulations:   Over the past 10 days, the House and Senate overrode the 
Governor’s veto of new workforce development funding.  Big congratulations to 
the many people on this listserv who called, wrote letters, and sent faxes to 
legislators.   All of our work had a positive impact – the vote in the House 
was unanimous, only one Senator voted to uphold the veto!!

Massachusetts now has an additional $6,000,000 for “training and workforce 
development services” – and at least $1,000,000 is targeted to low wage workers 
and unemployed residents, with services provided by community based 
non-profit organizations.   (In case you want more information, we have attached a Word 
document that includes much of the legislative language – and you can find 
the complete legislation at www.state.ma.us/legis/legis.htm; click on “2003 
Session Laws",   find Chapter 141, then see Sections 54 and 6.)

Request:   Now is the time to call and thank legislators.   This will make a 
difference, and there’s never an easier call to make than to say thank you.   
Legislative staff love to get this kind of call.   Our request is that each 
one of us make four calls.   Each call will take about a minute.

(A) Please call your state representative and your state senator – you will 
probably end up talking to their staff.   Please tell them (1) your name and 
where you live, (2) that you are calling for (your organization) and for the 
Massachusetts Workforce Alliance – to thank them for overriding the Governor’s 
veto of funding for workforce development services in the Emerging Technology 
Bill.   Some staff may be interested in learning about your work; others will 
be very busy.

(To find out the name and phone number of your State Senator or State 
Representative, go to www.wheredoivotema.com, fill in your home address, then click 
on “Find My Election Information.”   This will take you to a new screen.   
Scroll down and click on the name beside “Senator in General Court” and “Rep in 
General Court.”   This will give you a picture and telephone # for your State 
Senator and your State Representative.)

(B) Then, please call Senator Dianne Wilkerson (617-722-1673), and (1) give 
the staff your name and where you live, (2) say you are calling for (your 
organization) and Massachusetts Workforce Alliance, and (3) thank Senator Wilkerson 
for working with MWA to write the workforce development language in the 
Emerging Technology Bill.   She made a big difference in getting this passed!!

(C) Finally, please call Representative Michael Rodrigues (pronounced 
Rodricks – 617-722- 2030), and (1) give the staff your name and where you live, (2) 
say you are calling for (your organization) and Massachusetts Workforce 
Alliance, and (3) thank him for leading the House override of the Governor’s veto of 
workforce development funding.

These calls will really help all of us later this year when the state budget 
process gets underway.  Please take a chance, pick up the phone, and call!!
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