For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, jeremy@aflcionc.org, 919-833-6678
STATEMENT FROM NC STATE AFL-CIO AND NC JUSTICE CENTER ON STATE SENATORS’ FAILURE TO SAVE $780 MILLION IN FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
Workers and the economy will fall off the “unemployment cliff” when benefits expire on July 1
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 12, 2013) – The North Carolina State AFL-CIO and North Carolina Justice Center are extremely disappointed that the state Senate again turned its back on the long-term unemployed by refusing to take action to save federal emergency benefits.
Early in the session, the legislature passed and Governor McCrory signed House Bill 4 knowing that it violated a federal agreement on Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which means that, from July 1 through the end of this year, up to 170,000 North Carolinians will lose access to $780 million in federal extended benefits. This afternoon, a callous majority of senators tabled an amendment to House Bill 743 – not even allowing it to be voted on – that would have saved those benefits by changing the effective date of the new law from July 1 to January 1, 2014.
It is still not too late. We urge legislators to take action before the end of the month to save these benefits. Tens of thousands of North Carolinians are waiting and watching to see if their legislature will do the right thing.
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The North Carolina State AFL-CIO is the largest association of local unions and union councils in North Carolina, representing over one-hundred thousand union members, fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, workers’ rights, consumer protections, and quality public services on behalf of ALL working families. PO Box 10805, Raleigh, NC 27605.
I will be one going off the cliff in the next two weeks. I was asked if I wanted to talk with a reporter about how the governor decision to cut federal benefits would impact me. The truth is I am ashamed and to proud to admit how this will impact me. I have worked hard for 30 years and never asked for a handout and now I am being forced to take a handout. I hate it I want to be independent and just having six more months of some support while I look for another job would be the difference between me failing or prevailing. We have to organize to change the way our leaders are acting. I have watched every bill in front of the house for the past six weeks most of them are nonsense and they are just wasting time and money even debating about them. I stood back and let them run and make decisions that impact me and others.We the people of North Carolina have the means of changing the entire system we have to organize and stand to gether. Shocking to find out about the rich guy that Pat put in charge of the budget after he made huge contributions to support him. This has all got to end it is not good leadership and is the same old rub adub that has been going on that has got us where we are. Sound judgement without inflated ego is what we need in leadership. Restack the organizations of our North Carolina general assembly and bring the real reason we have elected leaders.