About MLRI and GBLS

The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is a statewide legal advocacy and support center whose mission is to represent low-income people, elders and people with disabilities in their struggle for basic human needs, to defend against policies and actions that harm and marginalize people living in poverty, and to advocate for systemic reforms that achieve social and economic justice. MLRI's activities include advice, litigation, policy analysis, research, technical assistance and public information.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) is the primary provider of basic civil legal assistance to approximately one-third of the state's low-income individuals. Its service area includes 32 cities and towns which constitute all of Suffolk and a significant portion of Middlesex, Norfolk and Plymouth counties. The program's mission is to provide high quality legal assistance in a wide range of poverty law matters including housing, elder, family, welfare, health, disability, consumer, and employment law.  In addition, GBLS provides services in immigration cases on a statewide basis.  GBLS' Employment Law Unit (EU) represents clients in unemployment insurance appeals, wage and hour claims, tax controversies and leave act violations, and clients who have criminal records or other barriers to jobs and job-related benefits.  The EU also represents individual and community-based organizations in systemic policy campaigns concerning UI, wages and work-connected benefits.

Acknowledgments

This Guide is the work of many advocates besides authors Monica Halas of GBLS and Margaret Monsell of MLRI. Much of the content builds on significant contributions to prior versions by Patti Prunhuber, formerly of Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts; Rick McIntosh, South Coastal Counties Legal Services; Brian Flynn, GLBS; Peter Benjamin, Andrew Kisseloff, Vida Berkowitz, Shoshana Erlich, GBLS Employment Law Unit—Cyndi Mark, Audrey Richardson, Leonor Suarez, Jennifer Tschirch, and Allan Rodgers, formerly of MLRI. Research for the current guide was contributed by GBLS' interns Chioma Achebe, Max Bauer, Cary Mayberger, Mark Molter, Michael Mulanaphy, Stephany Munoz, Meg Salzman, Rachel Smit, and Vera Zabin. Funding for GBLS’ work on the Guide has come from the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and the staff of the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. produced the Guide.

The guiding inspiration for Legal Services' unemployment advocacy for over three decades has been Allan Rodgers, formerly MLRI's Executive Director. As head of the Employment Rights Coalition (ERC), Allan has led Legal Services advocates and private practitioners in efforts to insure that individuals who are unemployed through no fault of their own receive the unemployment insurance benefits to which they are entitled.

ERC's advocacy has encompassed administrative and legislative advocacy and litigation in both individual cases and in declaratory and class actions. These efforts have produced significant improvements in the unemployment insurance system especially for low wage workers, workers with children, workers with disabilities, workers without health insurance, and workers who survive domestic violence.

Moreover, ERC has benefited from partnering with numerous effective allies, including the advocates at the Volunteer Lawyers Project, who secure pro bono representation for countless claimants, the National Employment Law Project whose partnership has been instrumental in securing rights for unemployed workers at both the federal and state level, the Legal Advocacy and Resource Center, which does intake and provides referrals, and our friends in the community and in labor-the Chinese Progressive Association which has been a driving force for the fair treatment of non-English speaking claimants and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, and the UAW Massachusetts CAP Council-who provide an effective voice at the State House for all workers.

Advocates are also directed to Your Rights on the Job, by Robert M. Schwartz, an excellent and comprehensive guide to employment laws in Massachusetts. It is available through The Labor Guild of Boston, 83 Commercial St., Weymouth, MA 02188.

This Guide is dedicated in memoriam to Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an unequalled champion of the American worker.  His legislative achievements include not only significant improvements to the Unemployment Insurance system, increases to the minimum wage, a better workforce development system and family leave legislation, but also a legacy of fighting to improve living standards, expand economic opportunities, and provide health care for every American. His leadership is sorely missed, but, as he said many times, the work continues. 

2011-2012 Edition

© 2011 by Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Permission to reprint must be obtained from both the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.

Library of Congress Card Number: 2011935908
ISBN: 1-57589-677-X
2120256B08