Missouri AFL-CIO says more action is needed
Jefferson City – The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken Missouri’s economy and Missouri’s working families.
Governor Mike Parson today finally waived the week waiting period to file for unemployment insurance, but the Missouri AFL-CIO, which works to protect and voice the concerns of working people, says the governor has failed to do enough to lead and protect our working families during this crisis and that more decisive action is needed.
“This is a crisis,” said Missouri AFl-CIO President Mike Louis. “We are calling on Governor Parson to lead and we are urging him to protect our state’s working families. Every day that the Governor delays action our working families suffer. Real leadership and decisive action is needed now more than ever.”
The Missouri AFL-CIO is asking Governor Parson to enact the following to protect and help working families during this pandemic:
- Designate grocery store workers as first responders like so many other states have done.
- Waive the requirement that workers demonstrate they are looking for work to receive unemployment benefits.
- Waive the requirement that workers and their families must be healthy to receive unemployment assistance.
- Extend unemployment assistance to last 20 weeks beyond the end of the declared emergency.
- Work with federal authorities to ensure access to disaster-related unemployment assistance covering the self-employed, freelance, and other irregular workers.
“Our state’s most populous regions have enacted important stay-at-home orders to protect our communities which have caused many workers to stay-at-home without pay. These workers need Governor Parson to take action,” said Missouri AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Jacob Hummel.
“Essential workers who are on the front lines and cannot stay home need the Governor to take action before it is too late. While today’s action is a step in the right direction, he can and he must do more to protect our working families.”
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