Northeast Indiana Central Labor Council - Justice for All Working People

YOU THOUGHT GETTING A PINK SLIP WAS BAD--

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET WORSE

INDIANA HOUSE BILL 1379

WILL CUT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Indiana's unemployment compensation system has been quite friendly to employers (as noted on the Indiana Economic Development Corporation website). For years, employers have not payed the costs of the system (as required by law) and now the Indiana State Legislature is considering a bill that would make unemployed workers help foot the bill for bailing out the bankrupt fund. House Bill 1379 includes the following changes:

1. Reduces benefits to unemployed workers by an average of more than 25%;

2. Reduces a worker's benefits 10% after FOUR weeks of unemployment, reduces them another 10% after SIX weeks, and reduces them another 10% after EIGHT weeks;

3. Allows employers to lay off workers for one week out of every seven without penalty to the employers and without unemployment benefits for the workers;

4. Excludes "seasonal" workers (especially construction workers) from receiving unemployment benefits unless they work 42 weeks a year (current standard is 26 weeks);

5. Requires unemployed workers to submit at least three applications for work each week they are claiming benefits (rather than contacting potential employers);

6. Provides that a job is not considered unsuitable if during the first four weeks it pays 80% of the worker's prior weekly wage, at least 60% during the fifth through twelfth weeks, and at least 50% after twelve weeks.

During this time of record-setting unemployment, our lawmakers are reducing benefits "to give workers an incentive to find a job as quickly as possible." They seem to think that a weekly unemployment check of, on average, $298 encourages people to not look for work. The requirement to apply for three jobs each week to receive benefits is all but impossible given that nearly no one is hiring. Requiring workers to take poor-paying jobs with no insurance or other benefits will drive down Indiana's already sinking labor standards and living standards.

Call or write the following State Senators and Representatives from Northeast Indiana and tell them that unemployed workers, who are already hurting, should not be forced to pay for the State's failure to plan and for employers' desire to not live up to their responsibilities:

Sen. Dennis Kruse, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204, 1-800-382-9467

Repr. Daniel Leonard, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204, 1-800-382-9842 (email h50@in.gov)

Repr. Randy Borror, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204, 1-800-382-9842 (email at h84@in.gov)