Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City (Photo: Michael Dorgan)
Sept. 14, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Unemployed New Yorkers will gather in Long Island City tonight to call on the federal government to extend federal unemployment benefits that expired on Labor Day.
The jobless, along with activists, will rally at Gantry Plaza State Park at 8 p.m. Tuesday to demand legislators extend the pandemic-era benefits after as many as 800,000 New York City residents lost all unemployment benefits on Sept. 6. They are specifically calling on U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, who represents New York, to help push the extension through.
The job market in New York City has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, according to a recent study by The New School’s Center for New York City Affairs. The study noted that the city is still 510,000 payroll jobs short of its pre-COVID-19 peak.
Furthermore, the state’s official unemployment rate of 7.6 percent is the fourth highest in the country, according to Unemployed Action, a movement for and by unemployed workers and their families.
Many of the residents affected by the federal cutoff are low-paid workers — including people who had worked in leisure and hospitality, local services, retail, and the arts and entertainment industries — according to the New School’s study.
The rally is being organized by members of Unemployed Action, who will project images of unemployed workers on the park’s historic gantries.
“During recessions, our benefits should last until the economy has fully recovered,” Unemployed Action Leader Nate Claus said. “Senator Schumer must seize this opportunity to ensure UI helps every New Yorker.”
Many business leaders, however, have been critical of the federal unemployment benefits. They argue that it has been difficult to find staff in recent months, saying the benefits have made it easier for people to remain at home than to work.
But labor advocates say job-seekers are looking for better-paying jobs that include benefits like health insurance and paid sick leave during the ongoing health crisis.
A spokesperson for Schumer’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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14 Comments
Don’t listen to the naysayers. It was a great rally. The best part was, nobody missed work.
those are not jobless new yorkers, those are new yorkers that dont want to work. big difference.
Clean themselves up and go to any of the places all over the city that are looking for people!!!
See how this works???
You know, instead of actually looking for a job.
Handouts forever. Why am I working since I can be like these freeloaders. Are these the same people who protest for Palestinian independence, raises for transit workers, no evictions, defunding the police and of course everyone’s favorite Black Lives Matter! Being a protestor is a great job. You’ll never be out of work in NYC! Get a job already. You’ve had enough vacation.
Yeah Jim, you’re obviously the only one who works. You mustn’t have a very demanding job since you’re here posting to this site all day long..You spew nothing but right wing talking points, no evidence of any independent thinking whatsoever. What exactly does “defunding” police mean to you, kindly elaborate or is it just another rallying cry? Do you feel tax payers should continue paying multi million dollar payouts as civil penalties by a handful of officers misconduct or should police unions require insurance like any other professional guild does? That’s a defunding issue. Now to BLM (“everyone’s favorite”), what exactly about BLM bothers you ? The people who are protesting, the Black lives they say matter, the blind eye some feel they have to black on black violence, their message, the fact it’s not a white cause or organization?
The corrosive Marxism that BLM vomits up is what bothers me. BLM is a Marxism Trojan horse and it’s going to be put down.
Jim- You’re still using someone else’s words and providing absolutely no examples or details.,
Corrosive is Fox News affects on its viewers.
I guess the people show who they really support liberal a-hole!
Jim – Another post showcasing your grasp of the issues and your command of the English language.
I guess they have free time since they are not looking for jobs
Some protest and some sit home and watch Fox News
Yes, they do. It’s called WORK from home.