Join us for “First Fridays — Vigil for Jobs” – New York City on Friday, December 3

“First Fridays — Vigil for Jobs” – New York City

Local community groups, labor unions, civil rights organizations, and unemployed activists concerned about the high unemployment rate plan to hold a vigil and media briefing in front of Sen. Charles Schumer’s office at 757 Third Avenue (between 47th and 48th Streets) on the First Friday of each month from 12:30 to 1:30 PM.

Our first two vigils will be on Friday, December 3, and Friday, January 7.

Our goal is to call attention to the unemployment crisis, and the need for urgent federal action to reduce unemployment, including a national federal jobs program similar to the WPA. During the last serious economic depression in the 1930’s, President Roosevelt put millions to work doing useful jobs that made a lasting contribution to our country — roads, bridges, schools, libraries, housing, theater, painting, road guides, parks, and much more.

Endorsing organizations include:

Communications Workers of America Local 1180
Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
Hunger Action Network of NY State
National Jobs for All Coalition
National Organization for Women - NY State
Workers Defense League, Inc. 
[ List in formation ]

Individual Endorsers:

Ed Ott, Distinguished Lecturer in Labor Studies, The Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies, City University of New York, and former Ex. Dir. Central Labor Council (NYC)

For more information, and to endorse the NYC vigil, click here    Download NYC flyer

This effort is part of a national call for local First Friday actions sponsored by the National Jobs for All Coalition.  In December, vigils will be held during "Jobs and Human Rights Action Week" in at least 8 cities on December 3 and December 10. 

For more information on national actions and organizing a vigil in your community, contact Logan Martinez at loganmartinez2u [at] yahoo.com or (937) 275-7259

Download NYC Flyer      Endorse NYC First Friday Vigil for Jobs

Cuts in unemployment benefits could slow recovery

Failure to pass unemployment insurance extension could cost billions, reports say

Los Angeles Times

11/19/10

"...Letting the nation's unemployment benefits expire could drain billions from the economy and cost millions of jobs, according to two reports out this week. On Thursday, House Republicans voted to deny an unemployment benefits extension, unhappy with the method planned to fund it.

Ending federal extensions would drain the economy of $80 billion of purchasing power, according to a report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee. Every dollar spent on benefits increases the gross domestic product by $1.60, the report said.

'Workers receiving unemployment insurance payments are typically cash-strapped and will spend their benefits quickly,' the report said. They spend about $6.5 billion a month on the local economy to buy essentials such as food, clothing and utilities.

'A failure to extend the unemployment insurance program could hamper the fragile recovery,' the report said. It predicts that consumer spending will fall by $50 billion over the next year if benefits are not extended, and that economic growth will be reduced by 0.4 percentage points by February 2011..."

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