Organized Labor Calls for Special Session to Include Unemployment Benefits

On Thursday, labor leaders called on Gov. Charlie Crist and the leadership of both houses to expand the focus of the special session to change state statues so unemployed Floridians will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits.

At a media event in Tallahassee, Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams and Karen Woodall, chairwoman of the Coalition for Fair and Comprehensive Tax Reform and an ally of organized labor, said they were optimistic that the U.S. Senate would extend federal unemployment benefits but warned that out-of-work Floridians would not be able to receive them unless the Legislature acted quickly. Williams and Woodall urged the Legislature to change the current expiration date for Floridians to receive federal unemployment benefits which is June 5.

Were asking the Legislature, the leadership in the Legislature, the governor to change a few simple words, said Williams. Williams admitted that he had not yet found sponsors for any legislation changing the expiration date but added that he was working on that and the governor had been informed of the proposal.

Williams cited numbers from the Agency for Workforce Innovation that show that more than 34,000 Floridians lose federal unemployment benefits each week since the expiration on June 5.

The fact that these workers and our economy will continue to suffer when Congress does act because of a single line in Florida statutes is appalling, said Williams.