The presidential election was bad news for progressives, but the dark cloud had a sort of silver lining—ballot measures. At the state level, workers won minimum wage increases in four states and paid sick leave in two. Voters approved an increase to $12 an hour by 2020 in Arizona, Colorado and Maine. Washington voted to raise the minimum …
The Bright Spots for Workers Amid Tuesday’s Disastrous Election Read More »
What started out last fall as a one-day walkout at fast-food restaurants to protest poverty-level wages and stand up for basic human dignity has transformed into a movement that has captured the public interest. I’ve been privileged, especially in recent weeks, to talk to institutional partners, policymakers and media about why low-wage workers across the …
We Cannot Build a Strong, Equitable Economy on Low-Paying Jobs Read More »
Over the past four years, a whopping 36 states have had to borrow from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance benefits. Obviously a recession with high unemployment has a lot to do with that, but not as much as you might think. Tax breaks for businesses (PDF) are once again a hidden culprit for …
Tax breaks for businesses led to state unemployment funds going broke Read More »
It’s difficult to imagine anything more basic to a free economy than the right of an employee to be paid for his or her work. Yet this fundamental right is violated in New York’s low-wage industries as a matter of routine. Research from the National Employment Law Project concludes that a fifth of the city’s …
More than 1 million long-term unemployed workers a month will lose their unemployment benefits—the weekly check that helps keep a roof over their families’ heads and food on the table—if Congress doesn’t act by Nov. 30. That’s the date the extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits program expires. But Congress does not return to work until Nov. 15 …
Millions Face Bleak Winter When Jobless Aid Ends Nov. 30 Read More »
Deficit-mania has struck Washington again, with most Democrats and the Obama administration essentially accepting the propaganda of deficit hawks while also calling for extending unemployment insurance benefits. The result? The Senate failed again to pass a relatively bare-bones “stand-alone” benefits extension bill that doesn’t even include a COBRA extension, or aid to the states to …
Deficit Craze Stiffs Jobless Again — 3 Million Could Lose Benefits in July Read More »
I’m thankful for the opportunity to be part of a great organization like Workplace Fairness. We’re using online tools to educate workers about their rights and job-seekers about their search. But I’m no stranger to unemployment. In the not-too-distant past my resources became limited and I hit a wall in my job search. So I …
Workers, community leaders and religious activists are holding rallies, prayer vigils and other actions in more than 40 cities around the country today as part of a National Day of Action to Stop Wage Theft. Wage theft is a national epidemic, which robs millions of workers of billions of dollars they’ve worked for but never …
Although it is encouraging to see that the Dow Jones Industrial Index hit 10,000 this week, unemployment in this country continues to look bleak. The September national unemployment rate shot up to 9.8%, and a record 5 million people have been unemployed for six months or longer. These workers are now competing for a very …
On the Path to Economic Recovery: Extended Unemployment Benefits Read More »
There are six jobless workers for every job that is open. The official unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent and is expected to top 10 percent in the coming months. By the end of this month, some 400,000 workers will run out of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits—another 1 million by the end of the year. …
Congress Moves to Extend Unemployment Insurance to Hard-Hit States Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
