{"id":2034,"date":"2020-08-04T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=2034"},"modified":"2020-08-03T15:02:49","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T15:02:49","slug":"unions-mass-unemployment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/unions-mass-unemployment","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Unions Help People During Mass Unemployment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ken Green
Founder\/CEO
UnionTrack<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for record-breaking mass unemployment in the U.S. in the post-World War II era. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to data from the Pew Research Center, April 2020\u2019s unemployment rate was above 14 percent \u2014 a sharp rise from 3.8 percent in February 2020. Pew senior researcher Rakesh Kochhar<\/a> notes that, when accounting for a decline in labor force participation, it is possible that the unemployment rate was as high as 25 percent in May 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many of those workers, the loss of a job was sudden and unexpected. And the government at all levels was unprepared to deal with the influx of unemployed workers who were turning to their leaders for assistance. \u201cGovernment aid has been slow to arrive for many Americans,\u201d Heather Long<\/a> at The Washington Post reports. It\u2019s taken weeks for some workers to receive any benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has left workers struggling financially and psychologically as they navigate a new reality of unemployment that has no end in sight. Further, ongoing attempts at economic reopening have been fraught with challenges of their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As high levels of unemployment persist, workers need help to protect their livelihoods. That\u2019s where labor unions can step in. Here are five ways unions are helping unemployed workers stay afloat while they are out of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions Advocate for Increases in Social Insurance Programs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unions can fortify social safety nets<\/a> so that workers, their families and their communities can survive and even thrive, Michelle Chen<\/a> writes at The Nation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period of record-high unemployment, millions of workers have had to file for unemployment to make ends meet after being laid off or furloughed. But the regular benefits weren\u2019t going to be enough for most workers to meet their obligations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, unions advocated for increases in those benefits, and more, in the first Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. \u201cAll unions worked together to get this done,\u201d says Lori Bassani<\/a>, national president for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the ongoing reopening efforts, those unions are still advocating for increased protections such as hazard pay, extended benefits and additional stimulus checks. In the COVID-19 battle, passage of the HEROES Act is still a priority for unions. “If the workers are so essential to the economy of this United States of America, why aren’t they receiving heroes pay?” asks Kermit Moore<\/a>, president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s going to be a long while before everyone is back to work. Unions can help the millions of unemployed by continuing the fight for increases in social programs to fill the gaps.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"organizer<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unions Improve Access to Social Programs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Labor leaders have also been working to make it easier for workers to collect these benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, unemployment systems weren\u2019t designed for an influx of millions of claimants. \u201cUnemployment aid has never been more generous, but it\u2019s also never been harder to access,\u201d writes Joseph Zeballos-Roig<\/a>, economic policy reporter at Business Insider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions have been able to help workers by pushing for changes to the system as a whole. A good example is what the Florida AFL-CIO is doing with its petition to overhaul the unemployment benefits system in Florida. \u201cWe believe the changes that we\u2019re calling for will increase eligibility,\u201d writes Rich Templin<\/a>, director of politics and public policy for the Florida AFL-CIO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe that increasing the maximum weekly benefit amount will put much needed funds into the hands of working families. We believe that increasing the number of weeks immediately will help working families and help the economy for a more stable, longer time. People need some certainty about what\u2019s coming next.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Labor leaders and union members are also assisting workers with submitting their claims through systems that have been bogged down and, at times, inaccessible. Perhaps most importantly, unions play a big role in \u201cdispel[ing] stigmas that might be attached to receiving a social benefit,\u201d Matthew Waters and Lawrence Mishel<\/a> wrote in a 2003 Economic Policy Institute article that is still relevant today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By encouraging and helping workers to apply for their benefits, unions are ensuring millions of unemployed workers are receiving protections they deserve during a time of uncertainty and struggle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions Prepare Workers for a Return to the Workforce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The post-COVID-19 workplace is going to be significantly different from pre-pandemic days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One key change has been the redefining of workplace roles and positions. \u201cDuring these times, companies have had to reassess critical jobs, expand definitions of responsibilities, and explore new boundaries for key tasks,\u201d writes Tracy Brower<\/a>, Ph.D., a work environment sociologist and principal with the Applied Research + Consulting group at Steelcase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions can help prepare workers for these new roles and career opportunities as they wait for the call to return to work. \u201cUnions have a long history of delivering effective, job-relevant training to their members,\u201d write Angela Hanks and David Madland<\/a>, respectively the deputy executive director at The Groundwork Collaborative senior fellow and senior adviser to American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress. During periods of mass unemployment, this key service is especially essential for the future well-being of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To best train workers, unions can partner with employers to understand what skills workers will need when they return. Union leaders can then help retrain workers. To do this, business and finance writer Deborah Lynn Blumberg<\/a> says unions must do the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n