Our Victories

2009 Victories & Accomplishments

• Working with our allies, won adoption of a $1.4 billion state plan that will cut greenhouse gas emissions, create high quality jobs in the state’s highest-unemployment communities, and provide up-front financing for low-income families to retrofit their homes for energy efficiency.
• Passed comprehensive criminal justice reform legislation through the State Senate by a vote of 26 to 12.
• Passed a city ordinance in Worcester limiting the use of criminal offender record information (CORIs) in hiring for the city and its vendors.
• Protected our budget priorities, MassHealth dental and eyeglass benefits, immigrant health care access, and the Mass Rental Voucher Program, from being cut from the state budget, despite a massive budget gap and major cuts to many programs.

2008 Victories & Accomplishments

• Won a five-year campaign to pass legislation closing key corporate tax loopholes. This reform will raise nearly $300 million in revenue for social programs in FY2009 and is expected to bring in $160 million annually long term.
• Defeated Question 1, a ballot initiative that would have eliminated the state income tax and cut 40 percent of the state budget, by a margin of 3 to 1. As part of that effort, N2N-MA contacted over 9,400 voters.

2007 Victories & Accomplishments

• Health care reform expanded to include free coverage for adults up to 150% of the poverty level and to provide a simple and generous waiver process to exempt lower-income people who can’t find affordable coverage from the individual mandate.

2006 Victories & Accomplishments

• N2N-MA begins housing Mass Alliance, a statewide progressive coalition previously known as the Commonwealth Coalition.
• $1.25 increase in the minimum wage passed, bringing the state minimum wage to $8.00/hour – the highest in the nation – impacting 300,000 low-wage workers.
• Dental and eyeglass benefits restored for 600,000 low-income people on MassHealth, a benefit cut by the Legislature in 2001, and the top goal of our membership since then.
• Health care legislation passed that covers children up to 300% of poverty, covers adults below the poverty level, provides subsidized coverage for anyone up to 300% of poverty, and imposes an employer assessment on companies that do not cover their workers.
• $1.25 million increase in funding for state housing vouchers.
• Restored nearly $400 million in budget cuts to core state services.

2005 Victories & Accomplishments

• Progressive revenue package closing $85 million in corporate tax loopholes passed.
• Funding for dental coverage for pregnant women and mothers of children under age 3 restored.
• MassHealth coverage for elderly, disabled immigrants restored.
• $200 million housing bond bill to build and renovate public housing developments passed.
• Funding for rental assistance for families at risk for homelessness increased.
• Funding for state housing vouchers increased, helping to offset deep cuts to the federal Section 8 program.
• Proposals to rollback the state income rate defeated, protecting needed funding for critical public services.
• Welfare benefits for disabled parents, women in their 3rd trimester, and parents of young children preserved.
• 3 new Organizers-in-Training join our staff.

2004 Victories & Accomplishments

• Progressive tax legislation that will raise $500 million from big corporations and wealthy individuals who are not paying their fair share in taxes is passed.
• Children’s Medical Security Plan is increased, ensuring coverage for all 15,000 children on the waiting list.
• Emergency assistance and health care coverage for elderly and disabled legal immigrants is restored.
• Funding for education and training for welfare recipients is increased by 70%.
• After a 7-year campaign, education and training will count towards the welfare work requirement.
• N2N-MA starts organizing in Springfield.

2003 Victories & Accomplishments

• Our voter turnout work in Holyoke’s Latino community elects progressive Latina candidate Lillian Santiago to the City Council.
• New welfare regulations allow recipients with young children to count education and training towards their work requirement, a breakthrough victory to preserve the welfare safety net.
• Preservation of two-way bilingual programs, where English speaking and non-English speaking children each learn to be fluent in the other’s language, provide schools with an alternative to English-Only classrooms.
• Health care coverage restored to 36,000 unemployed adults.
• Passive Investment Corporations – a corporate tax loophole used to export profits to low-tax states – are outlawed in Massachusetts.
• Oswaldo Chapa, an immigrant from Ecuador, and Erin O’Leary, a formerly homeless mother of two – both trained through our Leadership Development Program – become staff organizers.
• First forum – on the impact of budget cuts and possible revenue solutions – is organized in Holyoke.
• Public hearing in Worcester on budget cuts and revenue options co-sponsored with Mayor Tim Murray.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Holyoke.
• Voter turnout increases 400% in targeted low-income communities of Holyoke.

2002 Victories & Accomplishments

• The most progressive tax reform in Massachusetts since World War II is passed, eliminating the capital gains loophole as part of a fair tax package worth over $1 billion in new revenue.
• $25 million Housing Trust Fund to expand affordable housing is preserved.
• $508.5 million Housing Bond Bill is passed.
• $3 million in funding for all-day kindergarten is restored to the state budget.
• 8 of Boston’s 15 State Representatives have an 80-100% N2N-MA voting record – up from 3 only three years before.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Lynn.
• Eva Gonzalez, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, becomes our first intern in Lynn.
• Voter turnout increases 185% in targeted low-income communities of Salem.
• Voter turnout increases 900% in targeted low-income communities of Lynn.
• Voter turnout increases 210% in targeted low-income communities of Leominster.
• Voter turnout increases 589% in targeted low-income communities of Fitchburg.
• Voter turnout increases 131% in targeted low-income communities of Worcester.

2001 Victories & Accomplishments

• 4 of 5 Worcester State Representatives have over an 85% voting record on Working Family Agenda issues.
• 47 out of 160 State Representatives have over a 75% voting record on Working Family Agenda issues – up from 36 just 3 years before.
• Our support for two Latino candidates for Salem City Council helps them win their primaries, resulting in the election of the 1st Latino to the City Council.
• Stop the Cuts Campaign – led by N2N-MA – is formed to limit state budget cuts by raising revenue in a fair and progressive way.
• $4.5 million in funding for full-day kindergarten is restored to the state budget.
• Proposal to cut welfare benefits by 10% is defeated.
• Proposal to reduce funding and increase co-pays for the Senior Pharmacy Program is defeated.
• Statewide Board of Directors is formed, with elected representatives from each local chapter who have direct life experience with working family issues.
• Oswaldo Chapa and Erin O’Leary join the Internship Program.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Fitchburg.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Leominster.
• Community campaign to move voter polling station back into Worcester’s largest public housing development is successful.
• Voter turnout increases 600% in targeted low-income communities of Fitchburg.
• Voter turnout increases 166% in targeted low-income communities of Worcester.
• Voter turnout increases 150% in targeted low-income communities of Salem.

2000 Victories & Accomplishments

• $300 million increase in funding for early childhood education and child care is approved.
• $100 million Housing Trust Fund is created.
• 10% cost of living increase for welfare recipients – the first in 10 years – is enacted.
• Prescription Advantage – a major drug coverage program for seniors and the disabled – is created.
• Two Latina women from public housing in Worcester – Ana de la Cruz from the Dominican Republic and Luz Ramirez from Puerto Rico – become staff organizers after completing our Leadership Development Program.
• Voter turnout increases 100% in targeted low-income communities of Worcester.
• Voter turnout increases 108% in targeted low-income communities of Salem.

1999 Victories & Accomplishments

• $1.50 increase in the state minimum wage – the single biggest increase ever – is passed, bringing the state minimum wage to $6.75/hour.
• $100 million in new funding for affordable child care is approved.
• Earned income tax credit is increased by 5%.
• Child care tax deduction is increased by 100%.
• Renter’s deduction is raised by $500.
• $25 million in funding for the Senior Pharmacy Program is approved.
• Ana de la Cruz and Luz Ramirez join the Internship Program.
• Voter turnout increases 235% in targeted low-income communities of Worcester.
• Voter turnout increases 152% in targeted low-income communities of Salem.

1998 Victories & Accomplishments

• Speak-out is organized in Worcester and attended by 250 people, resulting in two State Senators and three State Representatives publicly endorsing the Affordable Child Care for Everyone Bill.
• $36 million increase in funding for child care is passed.
• Working Family Agenda Coalition – a coalition of labor, religious, social service, ethnic, community and senior organizations that complement our grassroots organizing – is formed.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Salem.
• Voter turnout increases 136% in targeted low-income communities of Worcester.
• Voter turnout increases 40% in targeted low-income communities of Salem.

1997 Victories & Accomplishments

• First legislative targeting study – determining the progressive potential of each district and prioritizing the areas where our grassroots organizing will have the most impact – is completed.
• N2N-MA chapter is founded in Worcester.