Racial Diversity on ACORN\u27s Organizing Staff, 1970-2003

Using historical and case study methods, this paper analyzes how the organizing staff of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) went from 10% organizers of color in 1970s and 1980s to 64% organizers of color in 2003. Keys to this transformation included experimenting with different organizing models, job descriptions, and recruitment methods; aging and lifestyle changes of senior management; developing a critical mass of organizers of color; and an internally organized Caucus of Color. Many of the steps ACORN took to diversify support findings from the business literature on diversity management. With the racial composition of staff now congruent with its membership, ACORN has more than doubled in size, and its organizing seems stronger today than ever before

Innovative Organizing Practices: ACORN\u27s Campaign in Los Angeles Organizing Workfare Workers

The work requirements in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) set the stage for unprecedented expansion of workfare programs across the nation. Shortly after the PRWORA passed, the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) began a union-style organizing drive of the 25,000 General Relief (GR) recipients in Los Angeles County’s workfare program. Over the past four years the de facto union, in coalition with over 75 allied community, labor, and clergy organizations, won numerous substantive progressive policy changes in the workfare program. In a case study format, this paper describes the following innovative organizing practices and how they contributed to the workfare policy changes: (a) combining labor and community organizing strategies, (b) combining conflict tactics with direct service, and (c) developing leadership from the General Relief constituency

New Turf for Organizing: Family Child Care Providers

Child-care providers are among the lowest paid wageworkers in the United States. Nationwide, less than 5 percent of child-care providers are represented by labor unions. This article addresses the question: How can family child-care providers be effectively organized? The author describes and analyzes Local 880 Service Employees International Union\u27s effort to organize family child-care providers in Illinois. Adapting the grassroots-organizing model that they developed to organize homecare workers, Local 880 has over 2,200 signed authorization cards and over 1,500 members in the family child-care union. Even without formal recognition, the union won a pay increase for providers in 1999 and has filed numerous successful grievances about disputed back pay. Keys to 880\u27s success in organizing family child-care providers were: (1) prior experience in homecare organizing, especially non-NLRB organizing, (2) experience with grassroots organizing, and maintaining unions without recognition, and (3) ability to influence statewide elections and legislative issues by becoming involved in direct politics and joining coalitions

THE FLAT-HEADED APPLE-TREE BORER

The flat-headed apple-tree borer, a serious orchard pest throughout the greater part of United States, is found from the Atlantic to Pacific and from Florida and Texas to Canada. The larva, or grub, of this insect (which in the adult stage is a medium-sized beetle) bores in the bark and wood of a great variety of trees, but is best known as an enemy of apple, pear, peach, and other cultivated fruit trees. Its depredations are felt in almost every locality where orchards have been planted. Fortunately, this borer almost invariably confines its attacks to the sunny sides of trees that have been weakened or injured by some other agency. Any system of orchard culture and care that will produce sound, upright, vigorous trees is the best pr2ctice for preventing loss from this borer. The orchardist may take advantage of the beetle\u27s preference while engaged in egg laying for warm sunlight. Low-formed branches on the south side of trees and boards set in the ground so as to throw a shadow on the trunks of newly planted trees will cause the beetles to seek for sunnier places in which to leave their eggs. This and other methods of control are described on pages 10 to 12

Notes on The Habits of Mice, Moles and Shrews : a Preliminary Report

Mode of access: Internet

THE FLAT-HEADED APPLE-TREE BORER

The flat-headed apple-tree borer, a serious orchard pest throughout the greater part of United States, is found from the Atlantic to Pacific and from Florida and Texas to Canada. The larva, or grub, of this insect (which in the adult stage is a medium-sized beetle) bores in the bark and wood of a great variety of trees, but is best known as an enemy of apple, pear, peach, and other cultivated fruit trees. Its depredations are felt in almost every locality where orchards have been planted. Fortunately, this borer almost invariably confines its attacks to the sunny sides of trees that have been weakened or injured by some other agency. Any system of orchard culture and care that will produce sound, upright, vigorous trees is the best pr2ctice for preventing loss from this borer. The orchardist may take advantage of the beetle\u27s preference while engaged in egg laying for warm sunlight. Low-formed branches on the south side of trees and boards set in the ground so as to throw a shadow on the trunks of newly planted trees will cause the beetles to seek for sunnier places in which to leave their eggs. This and other methods of control are described on pages 10 to 12

Three Snout Beetles That Attack Apples : Plum Curculio, Apple Curculio, Apple Weevil

Mode of access: Internet

The Grapecane Gall-Maker and the Grapecane Girdler

Mode of access: Internet

Snout Bettles that Injure Nuts

Mode of access: Internet