LANSING – Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber issued the following statement today supporting new legislation announced by House and Senate Democrats to fix the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency:
“Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency is broken, and it’s time to fix it. Governor Snyder and Lansing Republicans manipulated the state’s unemployment laws to favor their corporate campaign donors, and working people have been taking it on the chin ever since. It’s time to make this right, and start treating jobless workers with the dignity and respect they deserve.
“This legislation offers real solutions to repair the damage done to people’s lives by fully reimbursing those who were falsely accused of fraud, by reducing the outrageous penalties, by helping victims repair their credit, and by cracking down on corporations that refuse to pay their unemployment taxes. Most importantly, this package will help working families by restoring the six weeks of benefits that were cut by Lansing Republicans, and by increasing the maximum weekly benefits.
“The legislature needs to get this done, pronto. No more excuses. No more delays. Republicans need to clean up the mess they created, get their priorities straight, and start working to make Michigan’s economy work for everyone, not just the wealthy and big corporations.”
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