Public Comment

Working people do not need a PhD to realize how the coronavirus and fears that the virus has aroused is impacting the labor market and the economy generally. Unemployment, which has increased tremendously, is expected to grow even more. By how much is difficult to predict. But especially ominous, a senior federal reserve official believes that the unemployment rate could reach 30 percent. In other words, the Great Depression of the 1930s may be making another visit. 

As a result of business being compelled to make huge cutbacks, workers are losing their jobs or at best working fewer hours. Accordingly, they are suffering a huge reduction in purchasing power, which triggers even more layoffs because workers have less to spend. 

Among the serious consequences of rising unemployment is an appreciable increase in poverty. Many Americans are being deprived of the necessities of life, which is harmful to their health. When this happens, both serious illnesses and the death rate climb.  

The business community must do what it can to protect working people. Starbuck, for example, has taken a small but positive step. The chain is paying its workers for 30 days even if they prefer to stay at home to protect themselves. But these steps are not nearly enough to address the major problems. Massive public programs are necessary. 

Among the major programs, which was born in the 1930s, is unemployment insurance. Governor Newsom recently reported that unemployment insurance claims in California have skyrocketed. The average number of claims by unemployed workers has been about 1200 per day. But the number of current claims have climbed daily to 100,000. That’s a 4,000 percent increase. According to the Department of Labor, a record 3.28 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment insurance last week. 

It is critical that the states receive a substantial amount of money from the federal government. The federal government is planning to increase unemployment insurance by $600 a week. Also several categories of workers for the first time will be eligible -- the self-employed, contract workers, and certain government employees. The catch is the $600 increase, which is really not enough to sustain a family, would expire in several months even if the virus crisis continues, 

Is the federal government being stingy? Certainly not to the major corporations. The Senate just passed a multi-trillion dollar bill to presumably deal with various serious problems. But guess what! The allocation includes 500 million dollars for the big corporations. Since it is a bipartisan bill, it is expected to win approval in the House. Incredibly, several Senators objected to a section in the bill because they thought it was unjustifiably favorable to working people. Clearly, working people have good reason to be very worried. 

Considerable evidence has been emerging which suggests that the environmental assault of our planet has played an important role in releasing dangerous viruses. So to win the battle against the highly destructive coronavirus is not just a matter of biology, To survive, It is urgent that we organize to challenge big business interests.