Pepper spray at Goodwill.On February 26, security guards pepper-sprayed protesters who were demanding better conditions for welfare recipients in Wisconsin's welfare to work program, called W-2. Members of the Milwaukee chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now “ACORN” redirects here. For the fruit of the oak tree, see Acorn. “ACORN” redirects here. For the social classification, see ACORN (demographics). ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), a nationwide group for low-income people, say the activists were peacefully picketing picketing, act of patrolling a place of work affected by a strike in order to discourage its patronage, to make public the workers' grievances, and in some cases to prevent strikebreakers from taking the strikers' jobs. Picketing may be by individuals or by groups. the office of Employment Solutions, a private welfare contractor. "There was absolutely no provocation Conduct by which one induces another to do a particular deed; the act of inducing rage, anger, or resentment in another person that may cause that person to engage in an illegal act. from us and no threat to anybody's physical well-being," says Megan Dymzarov, ACORN's lead organizer. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Dymzarov, ACORN members met with William Martin William Martin can refer to:
The protesters asked Goodwill Industries, which owns Employment Solutions, to designate a contact person to meet with welfare activists. ACORN also requested that welfare recipients be provided with certification under the Job Training Partnership Act to help them obtain intensive training and good jobs. ACORN says security guards pepper-sprayed forty-five demonstrators shortly after they entered the Goodwill Industries lobby. The guards allegedly pinned one participant to the ground and handcuffed the protest organizer, Gia Pionek. The police then arrived and arrested two ACORN members, including Pionek. Employment Solutions issued a temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. and filed libel charges against ACORN, but later decided to drop them. The company has also dropped criminal charges against Pionek, but minor charges for disorderly conduct disorderly conduct Conduct likely to lead to a disturbance of the public peace or that offends public decency. It has been held to include the use of obscene language in public, fighting in a public place, blocking public ways, and making threats. against the other arrested ACORN member, Lakeisha Cole, are still pending. Dymzarov says that police told her the pepper spray should not have been used in a confined space Confined space is a term from labor-safety regulations that refers to an area whose enclosed conditions and limited access make it dangerous. Description A confined space is any space: 1) that has limited or restricted means of entry or exit; 2) is large enough for a . ACORN has met with the Private Industry Council, the monitoring agency for W-2 in Wisconsin, to register a complaint. Goodwill Industries refused to comment directly on the incident. "We have to look ahead instead of focusing on the negative actions of a few," says Cheryl Lightholder, communications manager at Goodwill. "Many of the issues that they are agitating ag·i·tate v. ag·i·tat·ed, ag·i·tat·ing, ag·i·tates v.tr. 1. To cause to move with violence or sudden force. 2. about are beyond our control. What can we do?" Goodwill also released a letter on March 11 accusing ACORN of hurting welfare recipients by their action. The letter appeared in several community papers. "Last month, the advocacy group actually made it impossible for hundreds of families to sign up for W-2 before the March deadline," says the letter. "Their protest shut down the job center and risked cutting off these families' cash, child-care, food, and medical benefits." "The reason the center shut down was because of pepper-spraying," says Dymzarov. "It was completely irresponsible. We were there to get services." In recent months, ACORN has organized unions at W-2 worksites and testified before citizens' panels on welfare issues. For more information, contact ACORN, 2733 W. Wisconsin Avenue #205, Milwaukee, WI 53208. Or call (414) 933-4495. |
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