Neighbor News
NH AFL-CIO introduces 'Five Economic Essentials' plan
Policy prescriptions address worker safety, employment & income protections, health insurance, public services, and infrastructure spending
Over the past months, "essential" has taken on a new meaning in this country. Workers that many take for granted have been shown to be essential to, not to just to the operation of the economy, but the day-to-day life of us all. These are the people who keep gas in pumps, drugs at the pharmacy, power and water going to homes, and grocery shelves stocked.
Last week, the New Hampshire AFL-CIO launched their efforts to promote their 'Five Economic Essentials' program to address the economic hardships arising out the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 40 million Americans losing their jobs during this crisis and no clear end in sight to the pandemic, the AFL-CIO believes that any recovery must not only return millions to work but must also build an economy that will be, in the words of NH AFL-CIO Pres. Glenn Brackett, "more durable, more fair, and more ready to confront our coming challenges."
The Five Economic Essentials include:
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1.) Keeping workers safe. For months, front-line workers have risked their lives to go to work without proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and hazard pay. We must make sure those who take care of us are protected.
2.) Protect pension checks and keep workers employed. A pension is a promise an employer makes, one that’s upheld after their employee puts in decades of work for the guarantee of security in retirement.
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3.) We must keep state and local governments, our public schools, and the U.S. Postal Service solvent and working. It goes without saying these public services are crucial to our recovery.
4.) We need to protect and expand health insurance for all workers, including a 100% federal payment support for COBRA extensions.
5.) We must keep America competitive by hiring people to build infrastructure, an investment that would create millions of jobs and stimulate the economy.
In the accompanying video, members of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO's Executive Council lay out the program from their homes and offices while maintaining social distance.
The New Hampshire AFL-CIO will be using the "Five Economic Essentials" to both guide their electoral endorsements this year and help develop their legislative program for the next legislative session, Brackett said.
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