CWE and community partners reach out to excluded workers
Make the Road NY, New York Communities for Change, and other community organizations rally for excluded workers fund
Last spring, the COVID-19 pandemic rendered millions of New Yorkers unemployed as their industries shut down. The federal government stepped in with unprecedented levels of financial aid to unemployed workers, but millions of workers were excluded, particularly undocumented immigrants. In fact, a survey by CWE and the Center for New York City Affairs found that 12 percent of furloughed or laid-off workers in the Queens neighborhood of Astoria were unable to access unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
“These are members of our community, mothers and fathers, many of whom have spent their whole adult lives in the U.S.,” says Darly Corniel, Education Director at CWE. “Most of them pay taxes and contribute to the state’s unemployment insurance funds, but don't have the right to apply for help when they need it.”
Community organizations and advocates, including long-time CWE partners Make the Road NY, New York Communities for Change, and RWDSU campaigned throughout the pandemic for an Excluded Workers Fund to provide financial support to these New Yorkers, and the state legislature and the governor made the $2.1 billion fund a reality in the 2021 state budget.
The fund will provide up to $15,600 each to workers who lost income between March 2020 and April 2021.
The promise of funds will not be enough on its own, however, to convince immigrant workers to apply, says Corniel.
Excluded workers campaigned for months for a state fund to help those who lost income during the pandemic (Photo source: Fund Excluded Workers Coalition)
“This is not something you can just put in the newspaper and they will jump on it. For this to be successful, we need to involve organizations who are in those neighborhoods and who people went to for help over the past really hard year. You can't buy trust, it has to be earned. All our partners have earned it in their communities and CWE has earned it through our programs.”
This month, CWE and six partners across New York City were selected by the Department of Labor to outreach to eligible community members and educate them about the fund. Statewide, 170 organizations are taking part in similar outreach.
CWE’s partners for the project are Adhikaar, which serves New York’s growing Nepalese community; Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), which organizes among South Asian New Yorkers; The Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans (CIANA), which helps new immigrants and refugees successfully integrate into American life; Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), a community organization based in Washington Heights; the Yemeni American Merchants Association, an immigrant rights and empowerment organization founded following the 2017 Bodega Strike against the Muslim Ban; and New York Communities for Change, which organizes in low and middle-income neighborhoods for racial and economic justice. For some of the smaller organizations, applying on their own would have been too burdensome, but by taking on administrative responsibilities, CWE is making it possible for them to participate and support their communities.
“Excluded workers will finally receive what they deserve, after a whole year passed without any COVID relief for them,” said Abeer Alharazi, YAMA's Deputy Director. “This will boost our local economy because workers will spend it on essentials. We are grateful for passing the budget, so all New Yorkers have the chance to speed the recovery.”
CWE will employ its own canvass team and coordinate efforts with its community partners. Canvassers plan to visit CWE’s many classes to speak to students about the fund, drawing on the trust that CWE teachers have built with students, and return often to grow relationships of their own. Canvassers will also visit food pantries and other institutions to meet New Yorkers who are eligible for the fund and help them apply. CWE used the same strategies to successfully help over 16,000 New Yorkers fill out the census last year.“This is not something you can just put in the newspaper and they will jump on it. For this to be successful, we need to involve organizations who are in those neighborhoods and who people went to for help over the past really hard year. You can't buy trust, it has to be earned. All our partners have earned it in their communities and CWE has earned it through our programs.”
This month, CWE and six partners across New York City were selected by the Department of Labor to outreach to eligible community members and educate them about the fund. Statewide, 170 organizations are taking part in similar outreach.
CWE’s partners for the project are Adhikaar, which serves New York’s growing Nepalese community; Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), which organizes among South Asian New Yorkers; The Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans (CIANA), which helps new immigrants and refugees successfully integrate into American life; Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), a community organization based in Washington Heights; the Yemeni American Merchants Association, an immigrant rights and empowerment organization founded following the 2017 Bodega Strike against the Muslim Ban; and New York Communities for Change, which organizes in low and middle-income neighborhoods for racial and economic justice. For some of the smaller organizations, applying on their own would have been too burdensome, but by taking on administrative responsibilities, CWE is making it possible for them to participate and support their communities.
“Excluded workers will finally receive what they deserve, after a whole year passed without any COVID relief for them,” said Abeer Alharazi, YAMA's Deputy Director. “This will boost our local economy because workers will spend it on essentials. We are grateful for passing the budget, so all New Yorkers have the chance to speed the recovery.”
CWE will employ its own canvass team and coordinate efforts with its community partners. Canvassers plan to visit CWE’s many classes to speak to students about the fund, drawing on the trust that CWE teachers have built with students, and return often to grow relationships of their own. Canvassers will also visit food pantries and other institutions to meet New Yorkers who are eligible for the fund and help them apply. CWE used the same strategies to successfully help over 16,000 New Yorkers fill out the census last year.
CWE will employ canvassers to contact eligible workers, an effort modeled on CWE's successful census outreach canvass in 2020
Canvassers will help workers start the application process, so they can finish it at their convenience or come back for further assistance.
New York State expects to open applications for the Excluded Workers Fund in August. Workers will be able to apply via a portal that accommodates 13 different languages at the DOL website. By filling out the application, workers will learn what documents they need to demonstrate eligibility. Their progress in the application will be saved automatically, so even if they have technology problems, the information they have entered will be saved. All applicants should feel safe applying because their information will not be shared outside of the Department of Labor and their privacy is protected by both state law and DOL regulations.
“The COVID-19 pandemic caused many in our communities to feel invisible, especially individuals and families that live on the margins,” said Daniel Mercado, Director of the Technology and Workforce Community Center at CLOTH. “The Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) is an excellent opportunity to provide financial relief to those who couldn't receive them during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a leader and a resident in my community, it makes me feel good to know that the design and implementation of the EWF process, above all, protects the applicant's information. That security will go a long way to provide a sense of safety as we conduct outreach and provide the much-needed information and support. The Excluded Workers Fund expresses to me: We see you, you matter, and now more than ever, you are part of the community!”
CWE’s goal is to reach as many eligible workers as possible so they will apply for these funds, but it will not be easy. “These are very government-wary communities who now have to apply on a government website,” says Corniel. “It will take time, but it will be life changing for these families.”