As of December 1, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic is in an uncontrollable spread in 49 out of 50 states. Our country has over 10 million confirmed cases and over 270,000 deaths. With more than 100,000 new cases a day, hospitalizations and deaths will grow exponentially. Today over 1000 deaths are happening each day. The death rate, even with improved treatments since March, will likely grow significantly as hospitals and health care workers are already becoming overwhelmed. That is the best-case scenario in the large cities. Rural areas are entirely unprepared, lacking equipment and knowledge of the most up-to-date treatment protocols. Our country’s political and economic system has failed, and it has failed working people the most. While the wealthy and powerful ride stock market gains, secure in country homes and in the knowledge that they will be able to buy access to ICUs and limited and expensive experimental medications.

The working class of the United States, particularly women and oppressed nationality (African American, Chicano and Latino, Asian Americans and indigenous) folks, are bearing the greatest suffering during this time. Alongside the unacceptable loss of life, tens of millions of workers are without work and millions of families are wondering how they will continue to feed themselves and keep a roof over their heads. We are living amid the deepest economic crisis in our lifetimes.

The demands of working people are precise.

Only the truly essential workers need to put their lives on the line now; all others need to be allowed to stay home and prevent the rampant spread of the coronavirus.

All workers sent home must have their immediate needs met – including the cost of housing, health care, food and utilities – and guaranteed employment when they return to work.

All workers who lost their jobs because the pandemic must have their needs fully met, including unemployment benefits, rent and mortgage freezes, debt relief and health care coverage.

The COVID-19 vaccines are promising, but they will take a long time to get out to everybody. The priority for distribution must be for the most vulnerable and for frontline healthcare workers. When the COVID-19 vaccine is made available for mass consumption, it must be provided free of charge to every person in the country. Health care is a fundamental human right and vaccines, along with quality care, should be provided to all. Profit cannot factor into the salvation of this country.

We have a new administration entering the White House. President-elect Biden promises to “listen to the scientists” when it comes to tackling the pandemic. Some of his advisors have floated the idea of a nationwide lockdown. This must happen, but it cannot take place without a guarantee of immediate relief to all workers forced to stay home. Resolving the pandemic cannot be separated from resolving the economic devastation it has brought down on working people.

The Labor Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization recognizes that workers are the protagonists in the fight against coronavirus, and they too must lead the fight to defend their livelihoods. We call on the labor movement to take up the demands of all working people in the coming period. All forces of the working class should fight for the Senate’s passage of the HEROES Act as a minimum demand, and go beyond that. We must do all that we can to seize the initiative from the ruling class that led us into this mess. Workers will save the world, and the world is what they deserve.

#UnitedStates #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #Coronavirus #HEROESAct #vaccines

Austin, TX – On the morning of September 8, a group of around 100 unemployed artisans, designers, technicians, stagehands and other entertainment industry workers held a protest to push for $600 in unemployment benefits and pass the HEROES Act now. The protest was organized by IATSE Local 484 and Local 205, along with many independent contractors.

Participants gathered at the Paramount Theatre and marched with 60 road cases up to the state capitol building for a rally. Chants included, “Push for 600, HEROES Act now!” and “They say cut back, we say fight back!” The action wrapped up with a march to the Texas AFL-CIO building.

In discussing the demands of the protesters, one of the organizers for the Push for 600 ATX protest, Jennifer Crump, said, “We all need the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance extended and the Heroes Act to be passed because none of us know when it will be safe to work in our industry again. We've bailed out several major corporations including the Airlines industries. We now need to bailout the entertainment industry workers along with all other industry workers that have been displaced by COVID-19.”

Other demands include: Send out a second round of economic stimulus checks, provide government assistance for rent and mortgage payments, extend the eviction moratorium, and increase government funding for the arts and entertainment workers.

The protest was called in light of the Senate’s continual failure to address the needs of working people, as millions remain unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Entertainment workers continue to protest the government’s inaction not only in Texas, but also in other “Push for $600” actions, such as those in Michigan, and across the country.

#AustinTX #PoorPeoplesMovements #IATSE #HEROESAct #ParamountTheatre #COVID19Pandemic

The numbers of continuing claims, which show how many people are actually collecting benefits, also rose. The number of people getting regular state unemployment insurance rose to 13.2 million for the week ending August 29, up 50,000 from the previous week. The federal PUA benefits are being paid to 14.6 million for the week ending August 22, up over a million from the week before, and marking the first time that PUA claims exceeded the regular state UI.

With more and more workers out of work for longer periods of time, the Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation or FEUC, for those who regular UI has run out, also rose by 30,000 to more than 1.4 million. Another program for these long-term workers, the Extended Benefits, saw their numbers jump 43% to more than 240,000.

The broadest measure, which includes the regular state unemployment insurance, the federal PUA, the federal PEUC, the state EB, as well as smaller programs, grew by 375,000 to 29.6 million. This represents more than 18% of the total labor force, which are those who are working or unemployed.

While the economy was slammed by the pandemic in March and April at the beginning of the recession, the worsening numbers for unemployment insurance are coming at a time when new infections and deaths for COVID-19 have been trending down recently. Along with the continued rise in numbers of long-term unemployed, the recession is beginning to worsen even without a surge in the pandemic.

The financial situation of local and state governments continues to get worse as sales and income tax revenues fall with recession. State and local governments face a total shortfall of about $500 billion through next summer. Without more aid from the federal government, education and health care services will be slashed, costing hundreds of thousands in lost jobs.

Despite the growing numbers of people who are depending on government aid and a fiscal crunch among state and local governments, the likelihood of the federal government coming up with more economic relief also dimmed in Washington, D.C.

While the Democrats in the House of Representative passed a $3.5 trillion Heroes Act back in May, the Republicans did not respond until late July. By this time parts of the March Cares Act, including the $600 a week additional unemployment benefits and the eviction and foreclosure restrictions, were expiring. When the Republican Senate put forward a much more limited $1 trillion proposal, the Democrats offered to split the difference with a $2.2 trillion compromise. But in response, the Republican Senate has passed a bill that only offers $300 billion in new money – showing that they are not serious about negotiating. The Republican Senate bill is even worse than President Trump’s Executive Order giving $300 a week in additional aid, only offering $200 a week. In this and in other ways, the Republican Senate has shown themselves with their bill to be worse than Trump on economic aid to the American people.

#SanJoséCA #unemploymentInsurance #DepartmentOfLabor #HEROESAct

Grandville, MI – Stagehands held signs and rallied outside the office of U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga in this suburb of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Huizenga, like all but one Republican, voted against the HEROES Act in the House of Representatives.

Joining workers in other states, stagehands across Michigan are gathering outside politicians’ offices to demand extending unemployment into next year. The stagehands, who are normally working behind the scenes, were out in front on June 23 chanting, “They say cut back! We say fight back!” and “What do we want? $600!”

Stagehands, like other entertainment and hospitality workers, are surviving on unemployment due to the COVID-19 crisis. In West Michigan nearly 100% are out of work until March 2021, when arena concerts, Broadway tours, big church events, and conventions resume.

If the $600 boost runs out on July 25 in Michigan, the average worker will go from making 98% of their pay, down to 35% of their pay. Then around September, the regular unemployment will run out for most.

“We paid into unemployment our entire working lives. It is our money and we need it now to pay our bills, pay for housing and pay for healthcare,” said Josh Roskamp, IATSE Local 26 business agent.

Roskamp continued, “There are no sports. No concerts. No theater. No work. Economists and industry leaders are telling us our jobs will not come back until spring of 2021. We need Representative Huizenga to tell Senator Mitch McConnell and other Republican senators that we need the $600 now until we can get back to work.”

The action was well received by the thousands of people in cars passing through the busy intersection on Rivertown Parkway in Grandville where a large shopping complex sits. The majority gave thumbs up, waved and honked their horns. Many raised fists in solidarity and shouted support at the stop lights.

#GrandvilleMI #Unemployment #Protest #HEROESAct

San José, CA – The $600 a week in additional unemployment insurance benefits is set to expire at the end of July. This aid is called the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation or FPUC. More than 25 million people who are receiving regular state unemployment benefits, or the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA for the self-employed, will lose their FPUC benefit.

With the average state unemployment benefit paying about $350 a week, the loss of the extra $600 a week will cut jobless workers’ income by almost two-thirds. House Democrats passed a $3 trillion HEROES Act back in May to extend aid past the July cutoff. Senate Republicans and President Trump did nothing but badmouth the bill. As of Thursday, July 23 they still haven’t come up with a bill to extend economic aid, making the expiration all but certain.

While 30 million people have been added to the state unemployment benefit programs or to the federal PUA since the recession began in February, millions more have faced long delays in getting their claims processed or getting paid after being approved. More than 6 million people who are not getting FPUC have been added to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, generally known as food stamps. Millions more have been lining up at food banks across the country as hunger is on the rise. About 30% of adults who lost their jobs are suffering from food Insecurity, almost three times the average rate for all households before the recession. The end of the extra $600 a week will mean even more hunger, as SNAP maxes out at $500 a month in food aid.

One benefit of the extra $600 a month in unemployment aid from FPUC is that many people have been able to make their rent or mortgage payments in April, May, and June despite losing their jobs. But the loss of this benefit combined with the expiration of the federal restriction will bring a wave of evictions in the midst of a pandemic starting in August.

The need for an extension of benefits was highlighted today by the Labor Department report that new claims for regular state unemployment benefits rose by almost more than 100,000, to 1.42 million. This was the first increase in applications since March. In addition, the new claims for the federal PUA numbered 975,000, up 20,000 from the week before. Together the two represented almost 2.4 million people who lost their jobs or livelihood in the week ending July 18. For the first time, all 50 states have extended benefits to those who have run out their six months of regular aid, showing that longer term unemployment is spreading across the country.

Another sign that the economy is beginning to buckle under the growing weight of the COVID-19 pandemic was the drop in the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index last Friday. While most economists had expected an increase, the growing pandemic is weighing on consumer sentiment, which points to more bad news for the retail business sector. Estimates are now that a net 20,000 stores could close this year, more than double the rate of last year. The latest addition to this list was the retailer Ann Taylor, which declared bankruptcy and said it would close 1000 stores.

After the initial explosion of the pandemic in March, most (but not all) of the country issued stay-at-home orders, closing many of the businesses not already shut by the pandemic itself. But all too many states reopened businesses too quickly, continued to reopen even as infections started to rise again, did not develop effective testing and tracing, and did not make changes like requiring masks.

The latest figures are that more than 4 million people are confirmed infected, which is twice the number of just six weeks ago. Deaths are on the rise again, and more and more states are reporting that their hospitals are full. This is forcing more and more small businesses to throw in the towel, as well as heavily indebted corporations to declare bankruptcy. In addition to layoffs, some 7 million more workers have had their wages cut. This was not common during earlier recessions. The last time many workers faced wage cuts was during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Almost twice as many workers have had their hours cut, for a total of about 20 million more Americans who have lost income on top of the more than 30 million who have lost their jobs.

#SanJoséCA #Unemployment #COVID19 #HEROESAct #GreatDepression

Grand Rapids, MI – After a lively rally on June 24 with nearly 100 workers, the stagehands union IATSE is calling a new rally on the steps of the Michigan State Capitol for July 15. The stagehands and other gig workers are demanding the passage of the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act by the U.S. Senate. July 25 is looming as the $600 per week unemployment boost that keeps people paying their bills is set to run out. Tensions are rising not just in Michigan, but also for stagehands from New York City to Hollywood, across the whole country.

“The U.S. House of Representatives gave us hope by passing the HEROES Act,” said Josh Roskamp of IATSE Union Local 26. “Unfortunately, the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate, leader Mitch McConnell in particular, is stalling on giving us what we need. They say $600 is too much. They claim we don’t want to work, but they know full well that we cannot work!”

Roskamp continues, “We all saw the disaster of opening bars and restaurants in June. Now people are suffering and dying from COVID-19 at high rates. The events and entertainment industry is shut down until the COVID-19 pandemic is treated as a serious public health crisis. Most touring concerts and theater shows are not going back on the road until after March 2021. Millions of us are unemployed. We need to pay our bills and feed our families. This is our fight to live!”

Lindsey Katerberg of Local 26 said, “We are speaking out for non-union workers too. We are in this fight together. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits those in our industry who cannot claim unemployment. It will continue to remain vital past the current expiration of July 31. We need to raise base benefits at the state level in Michigan, to extend state unemployment, and set minimum wage for essential workers at $13 per hour.”

Joe Miller of Local 38 in Detroit said, “Most of us have never filed for unemployment, never had to. You are looking at people that would rather be working. We don’t want to sit home. Now due to mishandling of the crisis, we do not see a particularly good way forward until next March 2021.”

The IATSE Local 26 statement says, “Union or non-union, performers, musicians, ushers, ticket takers, security, concessions workers, stagehands, gig workers, hospitality, and travel. We are reaching out to everyone to join forces with us as we recognize the need for extending the $600 FPUC as well as unemployment benefits and raising the maximum base payment of $362 per week at the state level.”

The stagehands are planning to mobilize their members to call both Michigan and U.S. representatives and senators to demand backing for the HEROES Act. It will clarify which politicians support stagehands and gig workers in the events and entertainment industry, and which do not. At their rally on June 24, the crowd chanted, “Extend to the end!” and “They say cut back! We say fight back!”

The rally begins at 10 a.m. on July 15 and brings together IATSE Local 26 of West Michigan, IATSE Local 38 of Detroit Metro, IATSE Local 274 in Lansing, the Michigan AFL-CIO and other union locals throughout Michigan.

#GrandRapidsMI #CapitalismAndEconomy #PoorPeoplesMovements #Unemployment #US #PeoplesStruggles #AFLCIO #DonaldTrump #IATSE #HEROESAct