Christine Tartaglione's Labor Report

Labor Day is a 126-year-old national holiday that honors the dedicated women and men of the American workforce who built and sustain the greatest nation on Earth.

It is often viewed as a day for picnics, parades, and spending time with our families and friends, but we must take time to commemorate the labor pioneers who fought for and won the dignified working conditions we recognize today, such as the 40-hour work week, workplace safety laws, the ban on child labor, and the minimum wage.

Labor Day is also a stark reminder that there is strength in unity and that it is our responsibility to keep fighting for workers’ rights, including a higher minimum wage that will enable all workers to support their families.

Though some of our social activities may be cancelled or downsized this year due to the pandemic, we can still celebrate the true purpose and inspiration of this annual holiday. I wish everyone a Happy Labor Day and look forward to advocating for Pennsylvania’s workers in the years to come!

-Sen. Tina Tartaglione

Qualified Unemployment Benefits Recipients Will Soon Be Able to Collect an Extra $300 Per Week

Eligible unemployed Pennsylvanians will begin to receive an additional $300 per week in benefits starting as early as Monday, September 14.

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced that L&I will complete implementation of the federal Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program ahead of schedule and begin making payments to eligible individuals on Thursday, September 10.

The federal government requires that only individuals who are fully or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 disruptions may apply for this benefit. To qualifyfor the extra $300, the LWA program also requires that eligible individuals must have a benefit rate and dependence allowance totaling $100 or more per week in benefits, and must receive a benefit payment for each week from one of the following qualifying programs:
● Regular Unemployment Compensation (UC);
● Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC);
● Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA);
● Pennsylvania Extended Benefits (EB);
● Shared Work or Short-Time Compensation (STC);
● Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA).

Individuals receiving benefits from any of these programs, except PUA or Shared Work, must apply for LWA one-time only by certifying that their unemployment resulted from the COVID-19 emergency. PUA claimants do not have to apply because they previously certified they were unemployed due to COVID-19 and will receive payments automatically. Employers in a Shared Work program must provide the required certification on behalf of all participating employees.

Starting 6 a.m. on September 6, 2020, claimants who must complete the certification process should visit www.uc.pa.gov/cert and log in using their PIN as if they are filing a biweekly claim. Select the “Complete LWA Certification” link and respond to all certification prompts. Again, this is a one-time requirement.

LWA payments will be made for the previous claim weeks below:
● August 1, 2020;
● August 8, 2020;
● August 15, 2020;
● August 22, 2020;
● August 29, 2020.

Individuals who may qualify for LWA but have not yet received payment for an approved week from a qualifying program should still apply as soon as possible. At the time benefits are paid from a qualifying program to an individual for any of the approved dates, the LWA payment will follow one week later if the individual has already completed the LWA certification.

The temporary LWA program runs through December or until the federal funding is depleted. Pennsylvania will make public announcements when the final payment date is known.

For updates on the LWA program, visit www.uc.pa.gov or follow L&I on Facebook or Twitter.

New-Look PA Unemployment Website Makes It Simpler to Apply for Benefits

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry has made improvements to its unemployment web portal to help users apply for benefits, file their weekly or biweekly claims, and find answers to their questions more easily.

To create a one-stop shop and simplify website navigation, the Department has consolidated all its programs on the filing pages based on what action the user needs to take. Users no longer must visit separate program pages to file initial claims and weekly or biweekly certifications.

All initial claims can be filed through the File an Initial Claim page, where users may select the specific program that applies to their situation, including Unemployment Compensation (UC), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).

To file a biweekly UC/PEUC claim or a weekly PUA certification, users should go to the File a Biweekly Claim page and select the program they are enrolled in.

In addition, there are dedicated pages for information and updates about each of the federal and state unemployment programs, including Federal CARES, PEUC, Extended Benefits (EB), and PUA.

The Department conducted preference testing with UC claimants to compare the previous website layout of information with prototypes for the new website look and feel. Overall, the feedback indicated that customers had a better user experience navigating the new format, which went live on September 3.

Visit www.uc.pa.gov/pages/updates.aspx for more information about the website updates.

Enjoy Labor Day at Home with These Classic Union Films and Documentaries

With most large Labor Day events downsized or cancelled due to COVID-19, many Americans will be spending their weekend at home. Labor411.org, which annually publishes union-made shopping lists to help folks prepare for holiday celebrations, has compiled a different type of list this year:

“You can get into the labor spirit with our list of tried and true movies about the value of unions and workers,” the website wrote. “Choose one or take in several and make it a festival!”

Some of the best union-related feature films include:
● “On the Waterfront” (1954) – Won eight Oscars, including Best Actor for Marlon Brando as longshoreman Terry Malloy.
● “The Molly Maguires” (1970) – Sean Connery stars as “Black Jack” Kehoe in this drama about Pennsylvania coal miners fighting exploitation.
● “Norma Rae” (1979) – Sally Field won Best Actress for her portrayal of real-life North Carolina union organizer Crystal Lee Sutton.
● “Matewan” (1987) – Dramatizes the events of the Battle of Matewan, a 1920 coal miners’ strike in West Virginia.
● “Bread and Roses” (2000) – Chronicles the struggle of poorly paid janitorial workers in Los Angeles and their fight for better conditions.
● “North Country” (2005) – Oscar winners Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, and Sissy Spacek all feature in this drama based on a landmark harassment case involving Minnesota mine workers.
● “Made in Dagenham” (2010) – This British film documents the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970 in the UK.
Recommended feature-length documentaries include:
● “Native Land” (1942) – Paul Robeson contributes as an off-screen narrator and vocalist for this film depicting the struggle of trade unions in the 1930s and ’40s.
● “Harlan County, USA” (1976) – Best Documentary Oscar-winner chronicling the Brookside Strike of 180 coal miners in Southeast Kentucky.
● “Miles of Smiles: Years of Struggle” (1982) – Documents the group of Pullman car porters who organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, known as the first African-American trade union.
● “The Willmar 8” (1982) – Eight female bank employees in Minnesota picketed for equal pay and opportunities amid a wind chill of minus-70 degrees.
● “Roger & Me” (1989) – Michael Moore’s directorial debut documenting the impact of massive GM layoffs in Flint, Michigan.
● “At the River I Stand” (1993) – Recounts the 65-day Memphis sanitation strike in 1968 that led to the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination.
● “American Factory” (2019) – Oscar-winning documentary produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions about a Chinese company’s move into a former GM plant in Moraine, Ohio.

AFL-CIO Will Host Three Live Town Halls During Labor Day Weekend

The national AFL-CIO will conduct three Labor Live virtual town halls online during the Labor Day weekend to raise awareness of and provide information about the impact on workers of the COVID-19 pandemic and federal government policies.

The first event, “Front-line Workers and COVID-19,” will be on Friday, September 4, at 6 p.m. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will moderate. Panelists will include Zenei Cortez, president of National Nurses United; Andrew Spar, president of Florida Education Association; Ben Waxman, founder of American Roots; and Kennita Jones, a roll mixer for Schmidt Baking Company.

On Saturday, September 5, at noon, Liz Shuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO, will moderate “The Ongoing Economic Fallout of COVID-19” with opening remarks by Tefere Gebre, executive vice president of the AFL-CIO. Panelists will include Cynthia Gomez, program coordinator of Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation; Peter Donovan, house electrician for Majestic Theater and member of IATSE Local 1; Josette Jaramillo, president of Colorado AFL-CIO, lead caseworker for Pueblo County (Colo.) Department of Human Services, and AFSCME Local 1335 member; and Emily Geary, barista and HMS host for Starbucks at Orlando Airport and organizing committee leader for Unite Here.

On Sunday, September 6, at 6 p.m., Keith Richardson, president of American Postal Workers Union Local 1, will moderate “Protecting the Postal Services and Vote by Mail” with panelists Patrick Donovan, recording secretary of National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 301; Kimberly Karol, president of American Postal Workers Union Iowa; and Mack Julion, president of National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 11.

Links to all three town halls are posted at aflcio.org/laborday.

In a message to webpage visitors, the union stated: “This year, Labor Day looks a lot different for many of us. The usual activities – the parades, backyard barbecues, and gatherings with friends and families – will be muted, postponed, or cancelled altogether. But Labor Day has always meant more than just social events. It’s a day to honor and celebrate the contributions of America’s working people. And this past year our contributions could not have been greater.”

“As the nation faces three intertwined crises – a pandemic, an economic free fall, and racial injustice – America’s working people have shown the world what we’ve known all along – our work is essential.”

August 2020 National Jobs Update

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate fell for a fourth consecutive month in August 2020, dropping to 8.4%, down 1.8% over the month and recovering 6.3% from 14.7% in April, its highest level in the history of the seasonally adjusted series (dating back to 1948 - prior to this time, unemployment was estimated to have hit roughly 25% during the Great Depression of the 1930s). As a result, the national unemployment rate as of August had recovered by more than half of the increase seen between February and April (11.2%).

This and the other changes to data noted in this update reflect the evolution of the national employment situation through the coronavirus pandemic (please see the **footnote below). Over the month, unemployment rolls fell by 2.788 million individuals, lowering total unemployment to 13.550 million. However, as has been the case in recent months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has indicated that unemployment figures would likely have been higher if survey respondents on temporary layoff had been properly classified as unemployed.

As of August 2020, the national unemployment rate was 4.9% higher than its level of 3.5% in February 2020 (which matched the 50 year low seen in 2019) with total unemployment 7.763 million higher than the February 2020 level of 5.787 million individuals. For context, the unemployment rate had declined 1.2% with total unemployment down by 1.731 million individuals over President Trump’s term as of February 2020. National unemployment statistics for the month are as follows:

As indicated above, total unemployment’s rounded percentage of the labor force, or unemployment rate, fell over the month (rate = unemployment / labor force). The labor force is the total number of employed individuals combined with the total number of unemployed individuals actively searching for work. Growth in the labor force can be a sign of a strengthening economy from more people working and/or more individuals searching for jobs. Following a slight decline in July, the national labor force rebounded with growth of 968,000 in August 2020, a combination of total employment* rising by 3,756,000 individuals and total unemployment down by 2,788,000 individuals as noted above, raising its total to 160,838,000.

As of August 2020, the national labor force had recovered by 4,357,000 individuals (unemployment -9,528,000 & employment +13,885,000) since hitting its low of 156,481,000 in April 2020 during the coronavirus emergency (or by more than half of the loss experienced between February and April, -8.065 million). The August 2020 labor force total was 3,708,000 individuals (unemployment +7,763,000 & employment -11,471,000) lower than its level of 164,546,000 in February 2020 (near the record high of 164,606,000 in Jan. 2020). For context, the national labor force had grown by 4,899,000 million individuals (unemployment -1,731,000 & employment +6,630,000) over President Trump’s term as of February 2020. National labor force statistics for the month are as follows:

Non-farm* job rolls rebounded for a fourth consecutive month, albeit at a slower pace, with growth of 1.371 million in August 2020, raising total non-farm employment to 140,914,000. As of August 2020, non-farm job rolls have recovered by 10,611,000 since hitting the low of 130,303,000 in April 2020 during the coronavirus emergency, or by nearly half of the loss experienced between February and April (-22.160 million).

As of August 2020, total non-farm employment was 11,549,000 million less than the record high level of 152,463,000 in February 2020. For context, non-farm employment had grown by 6,836,000 over President Trump’s term as of February 2020. National non-farm employment statistics for the month are as follows:

*Total employment for labor force provided by U.S. Census Household survey. The separate BLS Establishment survey measures non-farm jobs only.

**Survey periods for data are as of the middle of the month, meaning changes occurring beyond this time are not captured for the month.

July 2020 PA County Unemployment Rates

(Seasonally adjusted; Source: PA Dept. of Labor & Industry; Statewide Rate: 13.7%)