Republican state cutoffs of federal unemployment aid are drawing some pushback. In Wisconsin, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have ended the unemployment aid supplement, while in other states workers are suing to block the benefits cut-offs.
In his veto message, Evers pointed out that Wisconsin’s labor force participation is almost at pre-pandemic levels, and wrote: “There is a lack of evidence to support the notion that eliminating supplemental unemployment insurance benefits would bring more individuals into the workforce.” Separately, he tweeted, “our unemployment rate is 3.9%—among the lowest in the nation.”
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Workers in Indiana, Texas, and Maryland have filed lawsuits against their states over the unemployment benefits cancellations, with an Indiana judge ordering the state to resume payments while the lawsuit proceeds. The state is asking for a stay of that order.
In Texas, where nearly a million workers had benefits slashed, two jobless workers groups on Facebook have sued, but were unable to get a temporary restraining order. In Maryland, the Unemployed Workers Union filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of six workers.
Except for Wisconsin, these are long-shot efforts, of course, and jobless workers will suffer with the aid cut-offs. But the Republican goal here is to force people back into jobs at whatever lousy wages business owners want to pay. Right now, news reports show that many employers are raising wages to draw in workers, and Republicans and their business lobby buddies want to put a stop to that.
According to a survey by the job search engine Indeed, just 12% of unemployed people without college degrees say that unemployment benefits are the reason they’re delaying an active job search. By contrast, 25% say they’re worried about COVID-19 and are waiting for vaccination rates in their areas to rise—and, of course, the Republican governors cutting off unemployment benefits preside over some of the states with the lowest vaccination rates. Another 20% say that child care responsibilities are keeping them from looking for paid work.
The comeback from the COVID-19 economy: It’s complicated. Tons of businesses are trying to staff up quickly, all at the same time. Workers continue to have legitimate fears and ongoing responsibilities at home that are making them hesitate or want to find the right job, not the first job. Many people retired early during the pandemic. Other people changed industries. The pandemic showed many workers how little their bosses valued their safety, making them reluctant to come when called.
Instead of acknowledging these complexities and respecting the trauma workers—especially the ones who couldn’t just work from home, who didn’t have a financial cushion, whose communities were hit disproportionately hard—have been through over the past year, Republicans are trying to scapegoat workers and use the rejection of federal benefits to force them back into unsafe workplaces at unlivable wages. And the deck is stacked against workers in this fight.
In his veto message, Evers pointed out that Wisconsin’s labor force participation is almost at pre-pandemic levels, and wrote: “There is a lack of evidence to support the notion that eliminating supplemental unemployment insurance benefits would bring more individuals into the workforce.” Separately, he tweeted, “our unemployment rate is 3.9%—among the lowest in the nation.”
Campaign Action
Workers in Indiana, Texas, and Maryland have filed lawsuits against their states over the unemployment benefits cancellations, with an Indiana judge ordering the state to resume payments while the lawsuit proceeds. The state is asking for a stay of that order.
In Texas, where nearly a million workers had benefits slashed, two jobless workers groups on Facebook have sued, but were unable to get a temporary restraining order. In Maryland, the Unemployed Workers Union filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of six workers.
Except for Wisconsin, these are long-shot efforts, of course, and jobless workers will suffer with the aid cut-offs. But the Republican goal here is to force people back into jobs at whatever lousy wages business owners want to pay. Right now, news reports show that many employers are raising wages to draw in workers, and Republicans and their business lobby buddies want to put a stop to that.
According to a survey by the job search engine Indeed, just 12% of unemployed people without college degrees say that unemployment benefits are the reason they’re delaying an active job search. By contrast, 25% say they’re worried about COVID-19 and are waiting for vaccination rates in their areas to rise—and, of course, the Republican governors cutting off unemployment benefits preside over some of the states with the lowest vaccination rates. Another 20% say that child care responsibilities are keeping them from looking for paid work.
The comeback from the COVID-19 economy: It’s complicated. Tons of businesses are trying to staff up quickly, all at the same time. Workers continue to have legitimate fears and ongoing responsibilities at home that are making them hesitate or want to find the right job, not the first job. Many people retired early during the pandemic. Other people changed industries. The pandemic showed many workers how little their bosses valued their safety, making them reluctant to come when called.
Instead of acknowledging these complexities and respecting the trauma workers—especially the ones who couldn’t just work from home, who didn’t have a financial cushion, whose communities were hit disproportionately hard—have been through over the past year, Republicans are trying to scapegoat workers and use the rejection of federal benefits to force them back into unsafe workplaces at unlivable wages. And the deck is stacked against workers in this fight.