NYC Comptroller Brad Lander Stands With State’s Vulnerable Workers to Make Pandemic Safety Net Permanent
New York, NY – New York City Comptroller Brad Lander marched in solidarity with the Fund Excluded Workers campaign, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to replenish the Excluded Workers Fund and create a permanent program to support undocumented, self-employed and cash economy New Yorkers who are excluded from existing unemployment benefits. In 2021, the Fund Excluded Workers campaign won a one-time $2.1 billion fund to support undocumented workers and other excluded workers who did not receive economic assistance from the state or federal government, but ran out of funds before being able to distribute funds to everyone who applied. Advocates are asking for an additional $3 billion in funding for excluded workers who still need support and urging the legislature to create a permanent unemployment fund for excluded workers. In a show of support, Comptroller Lander said: “New York City and its economy are stronger when all working families get the support they need to weather a crisis with food on the table and a roof over their heads. The pandemic laid bare the holes in our social safety net, which left hundreds of thousands of Black and brown low-wage workers to fall through. People who deliver meals, sanitize our subway stations, take care of our homebound elders, harvest our crops, and so many other essential tasks to keep our society going deserve the same social support when hard times cause them to lose work. At a time when our state budget outlook is relatively strong, we can and we must invest in programs that strengthen our collective resilience. “Helping excluded workers get back on their feet now and expanding our social safety net to catch them the next time there’s a crisis will help secure a lasting and inclusive economic recovery for NYC.”
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