Solidarity Saturday
Posted April 03, 2021 in eNews
Saturday Stats from Policy Matters
First: This week, we ratified our first ever union contract. Since our founding 21 years ago, we have valued the role unions play in creating workplace democracy, advancing equity and affirming the dignity of work. So we are proud that our staff union is represented by Workers United Policy Matters Ohio, part of the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board of Service Employees International Union.
8,400: Seasonally adjusted data released from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) show Ohio employers shed 8,400 jobs in February — the first month Ohio lost jobs overall since the recovery began. In last week’s JobWatch, Michael Shields explains that the latest numbers reinforce the case for bold government action to build a recovery from the ground up.
325: Policy Matters Ohio joined a broad coalition of more than 325 organizations from across the country that called on Congress to overturn the “fake lender” rule, which threatens to “unleash predatory lending in all 50 states.” Last week, we got the great news that some key leaders in Congress, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, intend to introduce a Congressional Review Act to repeal the rule. Kalitha Williams issued a statement in praise of the decision.
20: The Ohio Chamber of Commerce wants state lawmakers to make major cutbacks to unemployment compensation benefits — including reducing the maximum number of weeks of regular benefits from the national standard of 26 to at most 20. The sliding scale the chamber proposes of 12 to 20 weeks based on the state unemployment rate would currently mean a maximum of just 13 weeks of benefits. Zach Schiller explains that the chamber’s plan would drastically reduce who could receive UC benefits, how much those who do qualify get, and how long they get them.
$122 million: The American Rescue Plan (ARP) does a lot of great things for Ohio, including expanding food aid to pump an estimated $122 million over three months into grocery stores and shops across the state, as people buy a few more cartons of eggs, jugs of milk, bags of potatoes and loaves of bread. We detail more of ARP’s benefits in a blog.
One of a kind: There was no one like George Zeller. He fought poverty with a tenacious commitment to truth and data. Zach remembered the many quirks and contributions of our founding board member in a wonderful piece last week.
Coming up:
Join us Tuesday April 6 at 11 a.m. for our public launch of All in for Ohio’s People’s Budget. It’s a different vision for Ohio’s budget — one that takes care of all of us, no exceptions. Hannah Halbert and Ohio Organizing Collaborative Co-Executive Director Prentiss Haney recently described it in the Columbus Dispatch. On Tuesday, we will be joined by OOC leaders and public officials as we call on lawmakers to embrace it as they pass the 2022-23 state budget. You can watch it live on our Facebook page.
Join Policy Matters, Groundwork Ohio, and the Ohio Children's Budget Coalition on Friday, April 9 at 1 p.m. for a 20 minute FB live update on expanding access to high-quality child care. RSVP on Facebook.
On April 13 at 2 p.m. Kalitha will be a panelist for the Change Machine and Prosperity Now virtual convening: From Tax Complexity to Tax Equity. Register here.
On April 24 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wendy Patton and Kalitha will host a training session with new partner, Action Tank: “Policing + The People: Understanding the Local Budget, Organizing for Local Needs.” Register here!