Our Victories

2010 Victories & Accomplishments

• Passed Criminal Record (CORI) Reform into law. With this historic civil rights victory, Massachusetts became only the second state in the nation to prohibit both public and private employers from asking about a person’s criminal history on an initial job application. 
• Protected N2N-MA budget priorities despite a massive budget gap, including preventing cuts to the Mass Rental Voucher Program (MRVP).
• Helped to defeat Ballot Questions 2 and 3, which would have repealed the state’s primary affordable housing law (Chapter 40B) and slashed the state sales tax from 6.25% to 3%, respectively.

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.