The problem I've harped on for years, visibility, is a major barrier to forming such councils today. How do you let all the unemployed in the community (a) know of each other and (b) know the existence of center which can bring them together?
Where is the unemployment office located in one's locality? How accessible is it to leaflet distribution? How many days would one have to leaflet it to reach even a sizeable minority of the unemployed? What other methods might work to acquaint them with one another? Articles in the Nation or Against the Current, no matter how beautifully clear or how wonderful their content, are not going to reach the bulk of the unemployed.
Carrol