WHEN WORK DOESNT WORK - THE FAILURE OF CURRENT WELFARE-REFORM

Mandatory workfare has been the centerpiece of welfare reform in this decade. In 1992-94, there war a pitched legislative battle over mandat ory workfare in Vermont. Feminist organizations mobilized to oppose th e mandatory work requirement, producing data to substantiate the claim s that women's jobs did not pay enough to purchase basic needs for the ir families, that unemployment remained a serious problem for single m others, and that in states where workfare had already been adopted it did nor raise families out of poverty. Vermont's original bill was mad e less punitive for welfare recipients in some significant respects as a result of the debate.