January 3, 2014

Contact: Linda Meric, National Executive Director,
(303) 628-0925 x15 or lindam@9to5.org

Congress failed to extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program before leaving DC to go home for the holidays. The result? Three days after Christmas, 1.3 million long-term unemployed Americans lost their unemployment benefits, often their families’ only source of income.

Congress needs to return to Washington ready to govern, and the first thing on their agenda should be the extension of this critical safety net for workers who have been laid off and unable to find new jobs. Failure to take action will result in 3.6 million more long-term unemployed workers losing what little income they have in this new year.

9to5 calls on the Senate and the House to immediately extend the Emergency Unemployment Compensation program through 2014 – for the benefit of unemployed workers, families, communities and the economy.

 

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About 9to5: With forty years’ experience in winning justice for working women, 9to5 leads the way to create a powerful force for change on issues affecting low-wage women and their families. 9to5 organizes women to lead campaigns for family-supporting jobs with decent wages and paid sick days; stronger protections against workplace discrimination; and a strong safety net for low-income families. As one of the largest, most respected national membership organizations of working women in the U.S., we’ve won real changes since the hit song and movie based on 9to5 hit the charts. To learn more or to get involved, visit 9to5.org and find us on Facebook and Twitter.