ALERT & Action Plan, Please Read:Pennsylvania will likely lose EB by May 20

You are my kind of friend, don't you know!

Dazed&Confused wrote:You are my kind of friend, don't you know!

Thanks!

Hey Jane,

I wanted to put this out there, this may be good news on EB, a PA SB from the Republicans.

Please nobody hold your breath but I think the Republican have a bill with pork in it, not clean, but does mention 3 year look back toward the bottom to extend thru December 31, 2011. It is SB 1030, latest printers #1189. Now I am not positive of this, but it had its first consideration May 10, 2011.

Please this is very hard to read, but I am 50% sure about this. Forgive me if I am mistaken, but it keeps on "prior 3 years". It is very hard to read and you kinda have to read the whole thing to understand :04277:

I do wonder it the Republicans put the 3 year thing in because they have to in order to get the money and use it for themselves. I DON'T KNOW, THIS IS ALL SO STRANGE. Here is the bill:

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=1030&pn=1189

Please if I am incorrect, forgive me. Dazed

Here is what I am talking about, anybody want to read it, and try and figure it out above is the link but here is the text in the link I am talk about. Now this is a State Senate Republican bill, so who knows, they may have to request a 3-year look back to they can use it for themselves, idk.

e is what I am talking about with this rep. senate bill. Think it has workfare in it to but for the 3 year look back, I might be right I don't know.

It reads:

1
State, seasonally adjusted, for the three-month period referred

2
to in subparagraph (i) equals or exceeds one hundred ten per

3
centum of such average rate for either, or both, of the

4
corresponding three-month periods ending in the two preceding

5
calendar years, or

6
(B) with respect to compensation for weeks of unemployment

7
beginning after December 17, 2010, and ending on or before

8
December 31, 2011, the average rate of total unemployment in

9
this State, seasonally adjusted, for the three-month period

10
referred to in subparagraph (i) equals or exceeds one hundred

11
ten per centum of such average rate for any, or all, of the

12
corresponding three-month periods ending in the three preceding

13
calendar years.

14
(2) There is a State "off" indicator for this State for a

15
week if the requirements of paragraph (1)(i) or (ii) are not

16
satisfied.

17
(3) This subsection shall be applicable only with respect to

18
weeks of unemployment for which one hundred per centum Federal

19
sharing of extended benefits is available under section 2005(a)

20
of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public

21
Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115), without regard to the extension of

22
Federal sharing for certain claims as provided under section

23
2005(c) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,

24
or under a subsequently enacted provision of Federal law.

25
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, any

26
week for which there would otherwise be a State "on" indicator

27
shall continue to be such a week and shall not be determined to

28
be a week for which there is a State "off" indicator.

29
(5) For purposes of this subsection, determinations of the

30
rate of total unemployment for any period, and of any seasonal

20110SB1030PN1189
- 22 -

This got yes votes from every member of PA DOL May 10th:
Senate Committee Roll Call Votes
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
JOHN R. GORDNER, Chair LLOYD K. SMUCKER, Vice Chair

Date of Meeting: May 10, 2011
Subject of Roll Call: Senate Bill 1030 Printer's No. 1133 (amended to current printers #1189)
Reported as Amended
AYE NAY NOT VOTING
BLAKE
BROWNE
FOLMER
KASUNIC
MCILHINNEY
SMUCKER
STACK
TARTAGLIONE
YAW


GORDNER, Chair
SCARNATI , ex-officio

AYES: 11
NAYS: 0
NV: 0

It does have some not so nice things in it. Dazed
-

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=1030&pn=1189

Many thanx Dazed--

Holey cow introduced by Sen. Gordner himself!!

It sure does look like the EB Three Year Lookback *is* in SB1030. Don't know if there's pork in the bill but it appears to be primarily an updating of the (1936) 2002 PA state unemployment-compensation law addressing only UC-related issues. Would have to compare it line-by-line to the 2002 law to see what other changes have been made. However it appears to be in line with the EB law that NJ passed recently.

If you're right about SB1030 introduced by PA Republicans this is a really good sign for PA & for the nation as a whole. Hopefully the southern states of NC & TN will realize what other states have concluded.....that it's better for their states to have the EB money than not to have the EB money.

I feel really terrible for AZ folks whose legislature packed up their bags & left not to return till next spring.....without passing a law to accept EB funds.

Even tho SB1030 isn't the bill that Sen. Tina Tartaglione originally introduced.....she should still get major props for fighting to help American workers. Go Tina!!

Dazed&Confused wrote:It does have some not so nice things in it. Dazed

What are they?? Information is better than lack of information....no matter what.

http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x264246822/Unemployment-compensation-bill-receives-committee-approval

This explains some provisions in the bill.

Dazed&Confused wrote:Hi Jane, Philly and aloneinpa,

I received this letter today from PA Senator Costa:

Here is another email I received from my email efforts to extend benefits in PA:

Dear Ms.Dazed:

Thank you for sending me a copy of your recent letter to Governor Corbett regarding the need for action to implement the federal unemployment extension that his available to the Commonwealth. I appreciate your interest in this issue and I understand your desire to see the Commonwealth take action on this issue.

While Pennsylvania has fared comparatively well through this difficult economic time, there is no question that jobs are difficult to find in many areas of Pennsylvania. People who are unemployed are in need of the assistance that additional benefits would provide, and I assure you that I will work to implement this extension.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me about this matter. Please feel free to contact me if I can assist you in any way.

Sincerely yours,
Senator Jay Costa, Jr.
43rd District
JC/jlg
***Costa is the Minority Floor Leader.

Just thought I would pass it along. Hope you guys are doing well. Miss you all. Dazed

Thanks for that update, Dazed, it is hopeful.

Bth13 wrote:http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x264246822/Unemployment-compensation-bill-receives-committee-approval

This explains some provisions in the bill.

Thanks for the link Bth13!

From the article:

Additionally, the committee approved an amendment by Gordner to institute several reforms in the Unemployment Compensation law, as well as update obsolete provisions in the law. The reforms include:

n A new requirement for unemployment compensation recipients to search for work, replacing an obsolete and unenforceable provision in current law.

n A partial offset for those who receive severance payments in addition to unemployment compensation.

n A change in the way the maximum weekly benefit is calculated to slow benefit growth.

n Automatic relief from compensation charges for employers when it is later determined a former employee does not qualify for benefits.

The committee also approved an amendment by state Sen. Charles McIlhinney, R-Bucks, to institute a voluntary work share agreement in workplaces to avoid mass layoffs. Under work share, employees and the employer may agree to reduce hours for workers instead of reducing the workforce, and then allowing the employees to qualify for partial benefits.

“None of these changes reduce current benefits, but will save the state about $50 million annually by slowing the rate of benefit growth,” Gordner said.

“This is an important first step in addressing our unemployment compensation debt.”

Gordner said he will work to pass Senate Bill 1030 by the end of May so that the state House has time to take up the legislation prior to the June 11 deadline.



If anyone see/reads anything that will further detail what each reform entails, please share it here.

Amen gals. Didn't finish til after 3am so I wasn'r sure what I was reading, but it is a GOOD DAY, this will pass. Dazed

Hey gals, got this letter from Corbett, but I don't trust him. Here it is:


Dear Friend:

Thank you for your recent letter expressing support for SB 994, which
would extend unemployment compensation benefits currently available
under the Extended Benefits program. Please know that my Administration
remains committed to assisting Pennsylvanians who are enduring
professional hardship during this difficult economic period.
SB
994 is one of the many bills being considered as part of the
discussions on how to assist currently unemployed Pennsylvanians and
improve the system for those who may face similar challenges in the
future. Be assured that my staff and I will monitor this bill’s progress
as discussions continue.
In
addition, since this bill is currently in the General Assembly, I
suggest you contact your State Representative and State Senator to
notify them of your position. Nonetheless, should this bill be presented
for my signature, I will certainly keep your concerns and suggestions
in mind.
In the meantime, you can track the progress of this proposed legislation by visiting www.legis.state.pa.us.
Sincerely,
TOM CORBETT
Governor

Hope you all have a great weekend, Dazed

A new requirement for unemployment compensation recipients to search for work, replacing an obsolete and unenforceable provision in current law.

This part of the law orders the PA CareerLink office to share info with the PA UC Office. Everyone receiving UC benefits will have to apply for jobs regularly thru CareerLink site. It will be extremely difficult to obtain a waiver from the requirement to apply for jobs thru CareerLink site.....to get a waiver UC claimants will have to *prove* that jobs in their field don't advertise thru CareerLink. (It's unclear whether the requirement will be retroactive.....whether the state will be allowed to cut off UC & demand repayment of benefits from claimants who have not applied regularly for jobs thru CareerLink in the past.) If you're getting UC in PA & haven't been applying for jobs thru the CareerLink site you should start doing so immediately.

https://www.cwds.state.pa.us

If you can't find jobs in your field posted there.....then apply for jobs listed there that are not in your field. Apply for jobs thru CareerLink at least twice a week.

Thanks Phillymg, I was a little confused about that. You know there are not many jobs here in Philly or they are scams. I was talking to UC Rep the other day because they sent me the wrong forms. And she said to me, make sure you do 2 different searches each week. I've been an Office Manager for 20 years or more, I said to her "What am I supposed to do, go to a company, ask for the Office Manger, and then ask for her job. This is not a field, where one can go door to door, I supposed I can email and call in the industries I worked in an ask if there is anything available. Now I sent in the wrong forms for 2 weeks, I should have sent in the third week, but I have the wrong papers. So now I have no money, waiting for 4 EB forms and by the time I get them, I'll have to fill out all four at once and send them in. This is a mess, besides that I had to borrow money to pay the bills. I don't know but thanks so much for the explanation. I still think something is gonna go wrong, like Corbett will sign the 3-year look back, but keep the money to pay the Feds back and make the Unemployment Fund solvent again. We owe the Feds a ton. Thanks again, Phillymg...

Happy Sunday, for tomorrow comes Monday! Dazed

The hardcore Repubs have pulled out all the stops.....a House bill wants more than Sen. Gordner asks for in the Senate bill--

Bills Seek to Overhaul Pa. Trust Fund
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20110520_Bills_seek_to_overhaul_Pa__unemployment_trust_fund.html
JANE M. VON BERGEN / Staff

20 weeks of federally funded extended unemployment benefits - the final 20 weeks of benefits that anyone can receive - will come to an end June 11 unless Pennsylvania legislators act quickly [.....] If the legislature doesn't act, 45,000 people will lose their benefits June 11. An additional 90,000 will be affected by the end of the year.

The fix is relatively simple, and the Pennsylvania House is likely to tackle it Monday. It also will come up in the Senate next week. But when it comes to politics and legislation, nothing is as simple as it appears [.....] When benefits outstrip revenue, employers pay more, employees kick in a contribution, and the state borrows money from the federal government. Now Pennsylvania owes $3.8 billion, New Jersey $1.3 billion, and Delaware $62.5 million. Two years ago, knowing that a shortfall was inevitable as the recession deepened, advocates for the unemployed met with representatives from business and labor to find a way to fix the fund before it crashed. Their plan was that employees, who pay into the fund only when it is stressed, would pay all the time. Employers would pay more, too. Now they pay a rate based on the first $8,000 of wages. That base rate would increase. Also, the unemployed would receive fewer benefits, primarily through changes in eligibility and how those benefits were calculated. But those negotiations fell apart last autumn amid finger-pointing on all sides.

There are widely different legislative proposals in the House and the Senate. Republican Sen. John R. Gordner, who sat in on the negotiations, proposed Senate Bill 1030. It follows the basic outline of the negotiations and would save the state unemployment system $50 million a year. His version is backed by labor and advocates for the unemployed. Gordner, who represents several northern counties, leads the Senate's Labor and Industry Committee [.....] Under the Gordner bill, the maximum weekly benefit would be lowered for those getting the highest rate, affecting 100,000 and saving $19 million.

But business is lined up solidly behind House Bill 916, introduced by Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican from York and Dauphin Counties. His bill would save the system $632 million a year - most of it by cutting benefits. Currently, benefits are based on a recipient's highest quarter of wages. Under the Perry bill, they'd be averaged over three quarters - meaning the benefits for people with sporadic or seasonal employment would be much lower. That would save $463 million and affect 350,000 people, the majority of the unemployed in Pennsylvania.

Perry's bill says employer-paid severance would be deducted from benefits, affecting 50,000 and saving $88 million. Gordner's bill says benefits would be paid only after severance ran out for people with bigger exit packages, saving $22 million and affecting 4,500.

Both bills include the initial formula fix allowing Carmack and others to continue receiving the 20 weeks of federally funded extended benefits before the program ends Dec. 31.

In April, the state's economy added 23,700 jobs, an improvement - but not enough for the 477,000 unemployed.

Who knew that a Repub would come to save the day for unemployed workers in Pennsylvania.....just goes to show that the Teaparty doesn't rule the entire nation. But nothing should be taken for granted.....& we'd better contact our State Representatives to support Sen. Gordner's bill not the one by that Teabagger Perry guy.

Phillymg, you are absolutely correct. Now they are recessed until June 6th, but I think SB 1030 will pass, this HB sucks for every working Pennsylvanian. SB has a lot of support. Here is some very, very interesting information about the salaries of the PA legislature, they should be shamed to now pass a more kinder bill re unemployment. This will make your hair raise, this is the PA employees talking about the Governor, Legislatures, and Appointees, and it is an absolute disgrace not only to Pennsylvania but the every state in the Union:

Here goes:

Wednesday, May 18, 2011









"Sharing the Pain," by Kathy Jellison







I want to talk a little bit about “sharing the pain”, “shared sacrifice” and “shared responsibility”, the new buzz words in Pennsylvania.


According to the most recent comprehensive report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Pennsylvania
has the largest full-time and second most expensive legislative branch
in the nation. The report shows that, despite ranking sixth in the
nation in population, Pennsylvania’s legislative branch of 253 lawmakers
and 2,918 support staff dwarfs those of larger, more populous states.
With 120 lawmakers and 2,067 legislative staffers, California spent $336
million on its legislative branch, compared to Pennsylvania’s $319
million. But California, the most populous state in the nation, has 36.5
million people. Pennsylvania has 12.5 million.


Our “full-time” legislature
is based on a 3-day work week, from February to July with more days
added as the June 30 budget deadline approaches. It then goes into a
summer recess for 3 months, resuming in September and, unless it is an
election year, running through December. During an election year,
legislators take a break over the election to return to their districts.
And you want to take away our overtime, cut our hours of work and
change our schedules?
And then there are the perks:

- Per diems are currently $163 a day, intended to cover the cost of lodging and meals. The per diems are paid automatically without
any need on the legislator’s part to verify expenses and even if they
obtain free meals elsewhere or own their own homes in the Harrisburg
area. And you want to take away our $3.50 lunch reimbursement?


- The base salary for legislators in both houses of Pennsylvania’s General Assembly is $78,314 a year, 4th highest in the nation. And you want to roll back our wages?


- Healthcare is fully paid for the
members of the House, a benefit worth $16,700 per year. The prescription
plan calls for a $6 co-pay for name-brand drugs and a $3 co-pay for
generic drugs.


- Senators receive about $13,031 toward
their healthcare. In 2007, the Senate changed its policy to require
senators and retired senators to pay 1% of their salaries to healthcare.


- We pay 3% of our salary toward
healthcare, 1.5% with the Get Healthy. And you want us to pay more? All
this while our new employees, IIIs and EAWs are penalized?


- Legislators elected prior to 1974
qualify for a pension multiplier of 7.5. Mellow, for instance, who has
40 years in office, is eligible for a pension up to 3 times his current
salary of $110,350. In most cases, a lawmaker elected at age 30, who
serves 20 years and leaves office at age 50, qualifies for 65% of his or
her salary or $50,900 a year based on current salary. And the figures
go up from there, depending on service years. And you want to change our
pensions?


- Expense accounts, a gym, a clinic
staffed by 4 nurses and a doctor (when Harrisburg Hospital is 3 blocks
away), a lavish dining room, and a barber who is paid $37,000 per year
to be available to cut hair. AND, automatic pay increases!


- More than 70 of the General Assembly’s
3,000 employees make more than $100,000 – more than their bosses. Some
exceed Governor Corbett’s salary – the largest is $173,526.


- We are being asked to accept salary
reductions, increases in the amount we pay to healthcare, loss of the
Get Healthy program (which has saved millions over the years), cuts to
leave and benefits.


- Your side of the table hasn’t had a
raise in 3 years and we have faced furloughs every year for the past 3
years, payless paydays and continue to do more with less. We have seen
the closure of The Scranton and Scotland Schools, Mayview, Harrisburg
and Allentown State Hospitals, Warren YDC, the consolidation of New
Castle YDC and the threat to privatize the Forensic units.


- We still see Correction Officers
making more money than our Drug and Alcohol and other Counselors, LPNs
with 1 year of training making more than our pay grade 6 professionals
and our jobs devalued as those with less education and/or training
surpass us financially. We see our new staff leaving due to the
overwhelming workload and lack of adequate training – with a
considerable cost to the commonwealth. They leave because they have to
pay for healthcare and because the IIIs and EAWs are not given full
healthcare.

- Who is really “sharing the pain?”

- In the meantime, the price of gas is
at an all-time high, the price of food has gone up and the amount of
work we do increases almost daily.


- All this while state revenues are up
and the commonwealth is now showing a surplus? The legislators are now
fighting on what to do with this money and we are looking at layoffs and
givebacks?


- All this while the Governor refuses to
consider a severance tax on Marcellus shale, close the Delaware
loophole, tax cigars and smokeless tobacco and stop the Sales Vendor Tax
Discount? If all these were enacted and we “shared the pain” we would
be having a much different climate for state contract negotiations.


- We understand and will work with you to get a fair and decent contract but expect that ALL the state employees in Pennsylvania do the same.


- We know more than anyone how the
budget affects our work and see vital programs being cut to our poor,
elderly and children. We live it every day.

I
looked at my opening from the last state contract negotiations and
could have copied and distributed much of it today. Many of the same
issues and questions persist:

- Why are there so many layers of
management at a time when more resources are needed on the front lines
and at a time when there is a record demand for services?


- Why can’t we work together to save the commonwealth money and resources by
having AWS and FLEX time, job sharing, working from home and 4-10 hour days?


- PEBTF – a very successful endeavor.
Had the commonwealth paid into the fund as agreed to in the last
contract, we would have well over a 5 month reserve and could look at
further benefits
for our members and/or reduced percentage rates for our members and
retirees. Do you realize our current retirees must pay 3% on their final
wages and not on their retirement wages? And they get no COLAs? Keeping
our members healthy is the best strategy for keeping our health
insurance costs down.


- Why do the most senior employees risk
losing the leave they have saved over the years and their yearly
increment? Much of this knowledge will soon walk out the door, what is
the commonwealth doing to utilize and pass this knowledge on?


- We have a trained and dedicated
workforce and we care about the jobs that we do and the people that we
help. We are willing to take into account the
severe fiscal constraints and challenges facing the commonwealth, hell, we have offered $1 billion in cost-savings!

You have a copy of our proposals, are there any questions before we begin.

http://watercoolerwednesdays.blogspot.com/

Dazed

Wow Dazed. Great post!! Hope you are hanging in there. Sending prayers your way. We're scrambling to make June's rent & desperately (as always) seeking f/t jobs. The p/t work & UI doesn't cut it. This being poor sh!t really sux. My gf & I got educations.....& both have a lifetime of skills.....our p/t employers seem to love our work.....our former f/t employers give us glowing recommendations.....yet in our 50's we keep getting turned down for one f/t job after another. This is unreal. Governor Corbett--where are the jobs??