To: The Massachusetts State House, The Massachusetts State Senate, and Governor Charlie Baker
Unemployment Cuts ... in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts Fair Share
I urge you to fully and vocally oppose any measure to cut unemployment benefits at the state level.
Why is this important?
Unemployment assistance isn’t a handout. It's a lifeline for people in tough economic times.
We've been hearing a lot recently about how Congress allowed extended unemployment insurance to expire in the middle of the Holiday season, which cut off 60,000 people here in Massachusetts and 1.3 million around the country.
While Congress (especially the House) might be callous to those struggling in our slowly recovering economy, you'd think that Massachusetts state lawmakers would be more sympathetic.
But over the last few weeks, corporate lobbyists have been pressuring Massachusetts state lawmakers to cut state unemployment benefits, sneaking it into a bill to raise the minimum wage. The scary thing is that it might be working.
We've got to get the message to legislators: Now is not the time to cut unemployment benefits. There is no need to make concessions to these lobbyists -- raising the minimum wage is already on ballot for the fall.
We've been hearing a lot recently about how Congress allowed extended unemployment insurance to expire in the middle of the Holiday season, which cut off 60,000 people here in Massachusetts and 1.3 million around the country.
While Congress (especially the House) might be callous to those struggling in our slowly recovering economy, you'd think that Massachusetts state lawmakers would be more sympathetic.
But over the last few weeks, corporate lobbyists have been pressuring Massachusetts state lawmakers to cut state unemployment benefits, sneaking it into a bill to raise the minimum wage. The scary thing is that it might be working.
We've got to get the message to legislators: Now is not the time to cut unemployment benefits. There is no need to make concessions to these lobbyists -- raising the minimum wage is already on ballot for the fall.