Mirage wrote:
I think I would have to break ranks with the GOP on this particular issue.
To me a true seasonal employee is like a Christmas tree salesman. But construction is a real job that just happens to thin out during winter, although that actually varies from state to state. Southern states can run construction for a solid 12 months as long as there is a demand, so northern winter layoffs are really more weather related than trade related.
To say that construction trades are merely seasonal means that teachers are ALSO seasonal. So it would be unfair to penalize northern construction workers when teachers everywhere would generally just work an 8 month schedule and be considered non-seasonal. And believe me some states have discussed reclassifying teachers as seasonal as well! But I don't recall off hand if they would be eligible to claim unemployment and food stamps. But that sorta defeats the purpose of food stamps being for the truly needy.
As for factories I guess it should depend on the type of manufacturing and whether they are only producing for a few months a year as opposed to most of the year.
As for Sparkie's comment, "1) Uninformed truck driver, no tradesman makes $73 an hour." I am wondering about underwater welders.
The comment by Sparkie wasn't mine. The unemployment battle is an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers and could very well cost Republicans control of the legislature in 2012. As part of the "fix" that Governor Daniels has proposed for Indiana's unemployment deficit, he has done several things that will negatively impact Indiana's workers.
1) Benefits paid to workers will decrease every single month that a worker draws benefits. Many workers, especially single moms, live paycheck to paycheck. When they are laid-off, they end up resorting to cash advances off of credit cards to pay bills. I do not agree with reducing benefits every month to families that are already in financial distress because of job losses.
2) In addition to slashing benefits every month, the new system will force workers to take
any job that is offered to them or lose unemployment benefits entirely. I believe the current unemployment benefits in Indiana cap out at $350/wk. If a worker were offered a job paying minimum wage,currently $6.55/hr, he would be forced to accept that job or lose his benefits completely. After taxes, he would net about $220/wk, a net decrease of $130/wk in income. This will result in even more foreclosures and bankruptcies in an already difficult economic situation. I was glad to see that the building trades stepped up and protested these draconian cuts that Governor Daniels has proposed. IMO, this is just another attack by the Republicans on the middle class. Responsible leaders do not propose policies that create even more economic distress to workers who have been laid off