"More Vermonters are now unemployed, through no fault of their own, than since the Great Depression. Those that qualify, receive a modest unemployment benefit – the smallest maximum benefit in New England for those who have families."
Shock & Awe: No Benefit Cut, But You Will Have To Wait A Week To Begin Collecting.
National Employment Law Project Calls Vermont’s Proposed Cut "The Nation’s Worst!!!"
From an April 27 town hall meeting in Iowa:
[…] I’ve said this before publicly and I’ll say it again, I make no apologies for it. I am a pro-union guy.
Our unions helped build our middle class. We take for granted so much stuff — minimum wage laws, 40-hour work week, overtime, child labor laws. Those things wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for unions fighting for those rights. So even if you’re not a member of a union, you’ve got to be appreciative of what unions have done.
"Just as we hold back government when it comes to the intrusion of homes and lives of people, we’re simply applying that same standard to government itself with regard to its workers," [Sen.] Illuzzi said Wednesday.
Illuzzi amendment gives VSEA a seat at the table to determine what sites the State can block!
"The governor’s proposals have the potential to affect every single Vermonter who unexpectedly finds him or herself laid off through no fault of their own. If the Legislature adopts the proposed benefit cuts, it will be bad for Vermont families, bad for Vermont businesses, and bad for Vermont’s economy."
But if you’re one of those 50+ state employees who constitute the 1% allowed to be cut, probably not much consolation. However, it does prevent the wholesale rescission cutting the State has engaged in the past few years.