LANSING – As unemployment hovers at 15 percent with 731,000 residents out of work, House Democrats today fanned across the state calling on the State Senate to act immediately to extend unemployment benefits to Michigan's struggling workers. With a massive surge in the number of workers exhausting their benefits expected to begin today, the lawmakers warned that by year's end nearly 100,000 Michigan workers will have their unemployment lifeline cut unless action is taken.
"Big corporations and financial institutions shouldn't be the only ones getting help during these tough economic times," said State Representative Mike Huckleberry (D-Greenville). "The Senate needs to understand that Michigan's workers are the backbone of our economy. In order to help move our state forward, we need to start with our workers and give them the support and training they need to get back on the job."
Under the lawmakers' plan, which passed the House in May, unemployed workers who seek new skills by enrolling in a vocational or retraining program would be eligible for an additional 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. These benefits will be automatically provided to workers who are in a declining industry and enter an approved training program that prepares them for entry into new fields. These benefits also will be provided to workers who lost their job through no fault of their own and are now working part-time. For over three months the State Senate has failed to act on the plan, while more displaced workers fall behind.
"Too many of our workers have found themselves downsized or laid off through no fault of their own," said State Representative Mark Meadows (D-East Lansing). "In this tough economy, it's our ¨hard-working families who are suffering the most, and we need to stand by them. We must do everything we can to give our workers the training and skills they need for the high-tech, good-paying jobs of the 21st century economy."
Federal stimulus dollars would cover unemployment benefits for workers in retraining for at least the next two to three years. Without Senate passage of this plan, Michigan stands to lose out on more than $138 million in unemployment assistance to struggling workers and their families as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
"Our workers might be down right now, but they are not out," said State Representative Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids). "We have a chance here to help lift them back up and support them while they work to find new jobs that will help them support their families. If we don't take advantage of this funding, nobody wins – we all lose. Passing this plan is the right thing to do for our workers and our state as a whole."
In July, 731,000 residents reported being unemployed, according to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. Through December, the number of workers statewide who will exhaust their unemployment benefits claims is expected to reach nearly 100,000.
"Unemployment isn't a numbers game; it's a serious problem that is affecting hundreds of thousands of families across our great state," said State Representative Woodrow Stanley (D-Flint). "This legislation will give our hard-working residents who are facing tough times the opportunity to get back on their feet and retrain for jobs available now. I urge the Senate to take swift action on this plan and put the best interests of our workers and their families first."
House Democrats have launched an online petition to rally support for the plan to extend the unemployment lifeline to Michigan's struggling workers. Residents can sign the petition by visiting www.housedems.com/petitions and clicking on the unemployment petition graphic.