Since the pandemic began, more than 60 million Americans have filed for unemployment. Congress must act now, or millions more workers will lose their jobs without a safety net to catch them.
That includes hundreds of thousands of aviation workers who were protected through September 30th thanks to the Payroll Support Program. This not an airline bailout -- it is a jobs and infrastructure program The law requires airlines to keep workers on the payroll and connected to their healthcare, as well as maintain air service to all communities. It bans stock buybacks and dividends, and caps executive compensation well after the rest of the program requirements end. There is nearly unanimous bipartisan support to extend this program for an additional six months to March 31, 2021 and recall those currently furloughed to restore their jobs and their healthcare.
Flight Attendants are aviation's first responders and last line of defense. We have been on the frontlines as essential workers since the beginning of this pandemic. We must stand together through our union, and demand that the U.S. Congress pass a relief package that serves ALL working people.
This is a fight for our jobs and the critical infrastructure our industry provides, but it’s also much bigger. Another five million jobs are in danger if Congress fails to extend the enhanced unemployment benefits that provided an extra $600 per week and boosted consumer spending. More than five million public sector workers may join the unemployment lines without aid for state and local governments. And 600,000 postal workers are fighting to preserve their jobs and the vital service they provide.
These are real people. Millions are already teetering on the edge. One in three Americans is behind on housing payments, and 30-40 million are at risk of eviction. Millions are struggling to feed their families and pay their bills. There are five workers searching for every one open job. The last thing we need to do is add millions more workers to the unemployment lines and push the unemployed into deeper financial trouble.
Join an event in progress or sign up to host your own. #ReliefNow.
