No Votes, No Jobs

WHEN THE COLONIAL Meatpacking Company closed down its plants in Dorchester a month and a half ago, the Boston Globe headlined Mayor Ray Flynn vowing that he would personally see to it that the laid-off employees kept their jobs--even if it meant the city itself buying out the plant. The gesture and publicity ensured at least that the workers would be immediately accommodated in state-run retraining programs.

Meanwhile, 500 former employees of P&L Sportswear--one of Massachusetts' largest textile plants prior to its abrupt closing last December--still remain without jobs or assistance from the state. Four months after the sudden shutdown which left the workers stranded, their plight has yet to come to the notice of the city, the state, or local media--in contrast to the prompt attention given to both the recent Colonial plant and Quincy Shipyard closings.

There appears to be no real explanation for the state's unusually slow service, other than the fact that 90 percent of the P&L workers are women from around East Boston's Chinatown area, most of whom have difficulties speaking English. The district is already weak in its political representation. It's easy to see how the prospect of 500 unemployed and angry Asian women might not threaten or pressure state officials at the Division of Employment Security (DES) into action.

The laid-off women, meanwhile, are in urgent need of the English instruction and vocational skill training programs that the state had promised to establish several months ago. Without these services, most of the women are incapable of seeking reemployment on their own. Language barriers turn many away from employment offices where they are often told their records can not be found.

The women's health insurance is running out during the costly delay in re-employment caused by the state. At last Wednesday's meeting with DES officials, many women complained that they have yet to receive compensation checks owed them by the state, while they continue to pay dues to a union that remains ineffectual in representing their plight.

The meeting confirmed how the women continue to receive only vague promises from the state. Murphy admitted that only now, at this late point, is his office "planning to submit" a budget proposal for $250,000-$300,000 in state-funded assistance--routine in cases of a large-scale shutdown.

What perpetuates the women's disadvantage more than anything else is the crippling language barrier, which is being used as a weapon against them. It's hard to function socially, let alone get your point across, when you don't speak the language. All the state has provided in this instance, however, is one Chinese translator and 25 slots in an English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

The insufficiency of long-term ESL services currently available is a wider community problem in Chinatown. Hundreds of individuals are waiting to enroll in limited ESL classes, and the overwhelming demand often forces agencies to turn away those unable to meet minimum proficiency requirements--the people who need the classes the most.

ASIAN WOMEN HAVE long paid their dues to the garment industry. Now that the women have become unionized and demand competitive wages, they are being shafted by an industry that is increasingly leaving the U.S. in search of cheaper sources of labor.

Statistics reveal that Asian women are the lowest paid sector of the American labor force, earning an average 39 cents--in comparison to other women's 59 cents--share of the white male dollar.

The traditional view of women as supplementary wage-earners ignores the reality that lower middle-class Asian families typically depend on two or more salaries in the household. The unemployment of 500 women threatens to seriously disrupt Chinatown's family-oriented community of more than 6000 people.

The state should recognize at least that large-scale unemployment in Chinatown, if left unaddressed, is certain to have serious social and economic consequences on the rest of the city as well. Addressing the problems of community integration and economic survival in Chinatown through measures such as increased ESL and vocational training services should be a state priority.

Despite the the language problems, the women want DES to immediately ensure that they have a say in what goes on with the appropriated funds through a delegate representing their interests at proceedings.

Last Wednesday state representatives agreed to review a list of organized demands from the unemployed P&L workers, including the extension of health insurance coverage during the delays, and respond to them at an open meeting next Thursday at Quincy High School. At this point, however, the women are tired of vague, stalling promises. They want effective action from the state, indicating loud and clear that their demands are being heard.