Labor & Employment Law

Tell Your Senator to Support State Aid to Save Essential Jobs

By Mike Hall

The Senate  on Monday will make one more attempt to overcome a Republican filibuster of aid to state and local governments that would save or create nearly a million jobs for teachers, public employees, police officers, firefighters and others.

Without such funding, the states that are facing huge budget shortfalls will be forced to begin massive layoffs that could cost nearly a million workers their jobs.

An amendment to the Federal Aviation authorization bill (H.R. 1586) would provide $16 billion for a Medicaid funding assistance program known as FMAP and $10 million for teachers? jobs. The vote is expected to occur late Monday afternoon.

On Monday please call your senators and tell them to pass H.R. 1586 with essential aid to states and school districts.

A recent study by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) shows that at least 25 states assumed an extension of the enhanced FMAP funding for their 2011 budgets. Without it, according to the report, budget gaps could grow by more than $12 billion in the current fiscal year and as much as $72 billion next fiscal year, forcing cuts in vital services and jobs to make up for the shortfalls.

Says AFSCME President Gerald McEntee:

Republicans continue to block emergency aid for state and local governments, funding that the majority of U.S. governors have specifically requested, and almost half have factored into their state budgets. Without this funding, nearly a million more jobs will be lost in the private and public sectors.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on July 30, 2010 (boomark / email).