Time's Running Out for Unemployed Workers

Did you know that the same lawmakers who want to borrow $700 billion from China for tax cuts for the rich—a millionaire and billionaire bailout—say they’re worried that maintaining emergency unemployment will add to the deficit?  These hypocrites just forced Congress to leave town and do nothing for 800,000 long-term job seekers who will lose their emergency lifeline on Nov. 30. The total will soon rise to 2 million—unless Congress acts in December. So we’ve launched an unemployment clock. It counts down to the day benefits expire and then shows the human cost of inaction. Click here to see our unemployment clock, and share it with your friends. The clock for unemployed workers is ticking. Our unemployment clock shows the days, hours, minutes and seconds until time runs out. And once benefits expire, it will show the human cost of inaction by these lawmakers. We already joined with a huge coalition to deliver 100,000 petition signatures to Congress last Tuesday. But apparently, that’s not enough for these hypocrites in Congress to come to their senses and fix the problem. Instead, they keep crying about how unemployment extensions will add to the deficit while gunning for a millionaire and billionaire bailout financed by borrowed money. Click here to see our unemployment clock, and spread the word. With five jobless workers for every ONE job opening, time is running out for Congress to ensure workers who have been without jobs for 26 weeks or more maintain their only source of survival. It’s time to help workers who are in the job search of their lives—not for another bailout for millionaires and billionaires. Because it’s already too late for Congress to stop benefits from being shut off for some families—even if they are eventually re-started again—we know that some people will have to take predatory loans to stay afloat. Others will lose their ability to put gas in the car and food on the table—or even their home. If these hypocrites won’t do the right thing on their own—and we can’t expect them to, since they seem to only care about the super-rich—we need to shame them into doing it. That starts with raising awareness of this critical issue. See our unemployment clock—and share the human cost of inaction. You also can share the clock on Facebook, tweet about it and add it to your blog or website.  Thanks for helping us get the word out. Your friends and family need to know what’s happening. We need a massive outcry to shame the members of Congress who are blocking emergency unemployment benefits. In solidarity, Manny Herrmann Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO P.S. We’re planning a big online day of solidarity with unemployed workers on Dec. 7. Stay tuned for more details.