99ers Rally In Heart Of Wall Street - Unite As Force For November Elections

Aug. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- 99ers who have exhausted their 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, will join with their supporters in the labor and religious communities to demand immediate action for 99ers and a comprehensive jobs bill for all unemployed.

Excluding 99ers from the recently passed unemployment extension bill spurred many into action.  New legislation, the "Americans Want To Work" bill (S.3706), proposed by Senators Stabenow (D-MI) and Schumer (D-NY), is a ray of hope for which 99ers are grateful. However, it excludes 16 states and does not provide immediate help. The Unemployed Workers Action Group, or UWAG (http://www.UWAG.org) the sponsor of the rally, maintains that the Senate needs to get back to Washington and pass legislation to help those who have exhausted UI benefits in ALL states. Millions of 99ers cannot wait.

Congress must create a Tier V Now to meet the basic needs of the 2 to 4 million 99ers today and the 15 million plus unemployed tomorrow.  99ers are ballooning in numbers, further compounding the need for relief. Unemployment benefits stimulate our economy and are taxable income. 99ers are living examples of the need for a comprehensive Jobs Bill NOW. With five applicants for every job and unemployment expected to rise over the next year, anyone can be laid off and eventually exhaust their benefits.  Today, many companies are seeing respectable profits but are still not hiring.

Most 99ers have been without income since March 2010.  They have lost homes, cars, and valued possessions. They have gone through their savings and their credit is ruined. For some, suicide becomes a viable alternative. We must have Emergency Relief for all 99ers NOW.  To ensure the unemployed remain viable job candidates, Congress must Stop Credit Checks for Job Applicants NOW.

UWAG has grown into a nation-wide forum for action.  They have developed a reputation as being very effective in attracting media attention to the plight of the 99ers. Founder Michael White, an experienced media producer, compiled and distributed a media packet "Crisis In America 2010: The Long Term Unemployed" (http://unemployedworkersactiongroup.webs.com//CrisisInAme...)  that includes many stories of 99ers. As a result, UWAG was contacted by several TV and newspaper reporters, leading to front-page articles in the Washington Post and New York Times featuring 99ers from the Media Packet.  UWAG has also contributed to featured stories in the LA Times, New York Daily News and NBC Nightly News.

Recently, Kian Frederick, a veteran union organizer, joined the group as the Director of Political Action and is organizing the upcoming rally.

Contact: Kian Frederick: kian_UWAG@earthlink.net

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Advocacy for the rights of millions of jobless Americans who WANT JOBS, but NEED benefits until jobs are available in this country. STOP tax credits for those who ship jobs overseas, STOP allowing employers to hire based on a credit report! NOV will HURT