Tartaglione: Hearing on U.C. Changes Impacting Seasonal Workers Productive

Harrisburg – Oct. 7, 2015 – At a recent hearing of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, members learned first-hand about the impact of recent changes in the unemployment compensation system as it applied to seasonal workers, according to state Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia).

Tartaglione said the hearing, which was held on Oct. 6 at Philadelphia City Hall, included testimony from Kathy Manderino, the state secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry, AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale, representatives of various labor unions, legal services, law firms and employment consultants.

“The labor committee has held hearings on the effect of changes to the unemployment compensation system that involve how seasonal workers are treated,” Tartaglione said.   “These hearings provide members with insight into how seasonal workers are now handled in the unemployment system as a result of changes that were recently signed into law.”

Tartaglione said that Act 6 and Act 60 alterations imposed changes in wage calculations for seasonal workers.  As a result of Act 6 and Act 60 changes, she said that an estimated 48,000 workers are ineligible for unemployment compensation benefits.

The changes have created difficulties for workers who fail to earn more than 49.5 percent of their earnings outside of the high quarter by making them ineligible for unemployment compensation, the senator said.

“Act 6 and Act 60 changes are a hardship for seasonal workers, especially those who are employed in jobs where the work is highly concentrated in a quarter,” Tartaglione said.  “I am hopeful that we can adjust the law to make it more equitable.”

The committee hearing in Philadelphia was the second one that was held concerning the impact of Act 6 and Act 60 changes.  The first hearing was convened in Erie earlier this year.

Tartaglione said she expected to discuss this issue more over the next several weeks.

Senate Labor and Industry Committee Examines Unemployment Compensation Changes

Erie, Aug. 4, 2015 – Today, the Senate Labor and Industry Committee held a public hearing to examine recent changes to unemployment compensation eligibility and potential negative impacts to seasonal workers. The meeting was convened at the request of Sen. Sean Wiley (D-49) who has long-advocated a forum for legislators to hear directly from the greater Erie community.

Under Act 60 of 2012, the General Assembly took measures to reduce a $4 billion debt to the federal government and address the long-term solvency of the unemployment compensation system. One significant adjustment modified how eligibility is calculated resulting in a disqualification for workers who earn 50.5 percent or more of their annual income in one quarter, where the previous threshold was 63 percent.

“I understand the intent of Act 60, but unfortunately, workers in the greater Erie community who are at the mercy of the weather to do their jobs are disproportionately affected,” said Wiley.

Committee Chair Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) offered, “For some time now, reports have been coming in indicating that the latest round of reforms to the unemployment compensation law are adversely affecting seasonal workers. “The hearing offered some valuable information to help us determine the extent of the problem and the practicality and cost of potential remedies.”

“The unintended consequences of the changes made through Act 60, the disproportionate number of seasonal workers, and those who respond to emergencies – like Hurricane Sandy – require us to revisit these changes,” said Democratic Committee Chair Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia). “Unemployment benefits are a vital financial safety net for men and women who have lost their jobs. Making sure they don’t suffer further is why we have been working hard to rectify this issue.”

Wiley also offered, “I commend Sen. Baker for her leadership on this matter and willingness to hear from those in this community who are impacted. I hope that the testimony provided before the committee here today will be helpful in developing a potential remedy.”

Those providing testimony included representatives from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, National Federation of Independent Business, the Pennsylvania State Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers’ International Union of North America, the American Council of Engineering Companies, Associated Pennsylvania Constructors, as well as local businesses and employees.

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Tartaglione on Corbett Interview: ‘Damn Lies and Statistics’

HARRISBURG,  April 30, 2013 — Gov. Corbett’s contention that drug use is responsible for Pennsylvania’s high unemployment rate is disturbing, but not the most troubling part of his interview on PAMatters.com, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.

“The governor’s disdain for the unemployed and the thousands of families affected is long-held and already well-known,” Tartaglione said. “But the rest of the interview showed a state executive with a poor grasp on Pennsylvania economics and a propensity to freely make statements unburdened by facts.”

Among the glaring misstatements of fact Corbett made in the interview is the contention that “we now have more people working than ever before.”

“There are, in fact, more unemployed Pennsylvanians today than there were the day the governor was inaugurated,” Tartaglione said. “And the size of the labor force is still more than 100,000 short of its peak during the Rendell administration. These are numbers that are easy to obtain by anyone with a computer. It’s stunning.”

In one of the interview’s more eye-opening moments, Corbett questioned the accuracy of the U.S. Labor Department’s employment calculations, saying he recently learned how the unemployment rate is calculated.

Addressing criticism that Pennsylvania has fallen from the top ten to the bottom five among states in job creation, Corbett didn’t dispute the figures.

“What I dispute is the use of statistics,” he said. Corbett went on to misattribute the quotation about “lies, damn lies and statistics” to Mark Twain, who had actually misattributed it himself in a 1906 magazine article.

Corbett also claimed that Pennsylvania’s stubbornly high unemployment rate is due to more people re-entering the workforce after having given up.

Figures released by U.S. Department of Labor this week indicate the opposite, with two consecutive monthly drops in the size of the labor force.

Before making his statement that prospective employees failing drug tests was a chief reason for high unemployment, Corbett also blamed poorly trained Pennsylvania workers who are unable to take advantage of opportunities in the gas drilling industry.

The governor suggested workers need more training through vocational schools and community colleges.

“Year after year the governor has proposed cuts in funding for the types of training he’s suggesting, including for community colleges, which haven’t received a state funding increase since before the gas boom began,” Tartaglione said. “You can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.”

Tartaglione said Pennsylvania’s 512,000 unemployed should worry that the Corbett administration has not only pushed for cuts in benefits and created havoc in unemployment call centers, but he’s seemingly out of touch with Pennsylvania’s economy.

“The governor needs to look at the statistics and admit they are real. When our chief executive compares the unemployment rate to a ‘damn lie,’ then there is no hope for policy change from the top.”

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Tartaglione: PA Leaders Head South…Along with PA Economy

HARRISBURG – April 12, 2013 — Bad news continues to pile up for Pennsylvania workers, while the state’s economic leaders look to South America for answers, state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione said today.

Figures released by the U.S. Department of Labor this week show Pennsylvania with the sharpest rise in new unemployment claims, while claims for the nation as a whole fell sharply.

“We need serious leadership and commitment right here at home,” Tartaglione said. “We continue to fall behind the rest of the country in job creation while leading in unemployment claims and the answer isn’t going to be found thousands of miles from the cities, towns and schools that need help.  We have the ability, right here, to create a 21st century economy.”

New unemployment claims jumped by more than 3,000 in March, according the the Department of Labor.  U.S. unemployment claims dropped by more than 300,000.

The news comes on top of reports that Pennsylvania has had a higher unemployment rate than the rest of the country for six consecutive months, after having a better jobless number for nearly four years.

“The last two years have been a disaster in terms of where we stand among states in our ability to create jobs and participate in the national recovery,” Tartaglione said. “Simple solutions, like investment in transportation infrastructure, schools and tax reform are collecting dust while administration officials and hand-picked friends are collecting souvenirs.  It’s unthinkable.”

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, administration officials announced that a South American company will create 74 jobs in Central Pennsylvania.

“That probably didn’t go over very well with the 3,000 people who just filed for unemployment,” Tartaglione said.

Missed Opportunities Result in Rising Unemployment

Harrisburg, March 19, 2013Employment numbers released by Pennsylvania labor officials this week show the state continuing to move in the wrong direction while falling far behind surrounding states in job creation, two leading state senators said today.

 “The unemployment rate is still rising in Pennsylvania while the rest of the nation is recovering from the recession,” said state Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, Democratic chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee.  “It’s stunning that the governor continues to prioritize cutting family-sustaining jobs with more than a half-million people still out of work.”

January’s unemployment rate – up to 8.2 percent from 7.9 percent in December – is Pennsylvania’s highest rate in more than two years, while unemployment has fallen 1.4 points in the rest of the country.

“We’re moving in the wrong direction and the administration is even more determined to cut jobs and give breaks to corporations making record profit,” said Sen. Vincent J. Hughes, Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “The proof is in the numbers.  The U.S. economy is moving forward and Pennsylvania workers are being left behind. We need a shift in focus or we’re going to be the national example of how to ignore opportunity.”

Before the most recent figures were released, Pennsylvania had fallen from the top ten to a dismal 34th among states in job creation, Tartaglione said. The disappointing January revisions drop the state to 43rd.

“The governor’s preoccupation with gas drilling to cover for a lack of imaginative investment in job creation and training has failed Pennsylvania workers, small businesses and struggling communities,” she said. “After two years of sliding, Pennsylvanians are angry and impatient at the governor’s misplaced priorities.”

Over the past year, New Jersey saw employment grow by 66,000, while New York created 110,000 new jobs, Hughes said. Pennsylvanians saw only 35,000 new jobs over the past year, as new entries into the labor pool outpaced opportunity.

“Young people coming out of college with enormous debt won’t have much choice but to give up on this administration and look for work in states that can provide jobs,” Hughes said.  “We’ve heard over and over that we’re cutting corporate taxes to compete for jobs and, two years in, we’re in a competitive free fall.  We have to change course if Pennsylvania families are ever going to see the end of the recession.”

Tartaglione and Hughes have each sponsored portions of a plan they said would create 80,000 new jobs.

The plan, called “PA Works” would make use of state resources, leverage private resources and make critical long term capital investments that would create new opportunities for future growth and development.

“We could create thousands of new jobs by simply adopting the recommendations of the transportation funding advisory commission,” Hughes said. “Next month it will be two years since the commission was named and we have nothing to show for it but a dusty report.

“There is also an opportunity to draw down $43 billion in federal funds to expand Medicaid, provide health insurance to low-income workers, and create 41,000 jobs.  It’s been one missed opportunity after another.”

Tartaglione said the administration’s preoccupation with awkward attempts to sell the successful Pennsylvania Lottery to Britain-based Camelot Global Services while forcing a massive expansion of liquor licenses, will kill jobs at a time when policy should favor job preservation and creation.

“The governor has distracted himself with selling off the lottery to a foreign company and gutting thousands of good jobs from a profitable liquor system,” Tartaglione said. “Looking back at teacher layoffs forced by education cuts and we’re seeing a deliberate strategy to cut jobs, not create them. After two years of it, the result is clear.”

Tartaglione Questions Unemployment Processing Delays

HARRISBURG, Jan. 29, 2012 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today joined House and Senate colleagues in questioning Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Labor and Industry about chronic delays and busy signals plaguing the state’s unemployment compensation phone system.

“Some of these callers have worked all their lives, paid plenty in taxes, and the first time they need government service it’s a nightmare,” Tartaglione said. “Being laid off is hard enough on workers.  An indifferent bureaucracy is the last thing they need.”

At the Capitol today, the House and Senate Labor Committees held a joint hearing to question Labor Secretary Julie K. Hearthway about the thousands of complaints received by lawmakers from unemployed workers unable to access the unemployment compensation phone lines.

The backups began even before state officials closed the Philadelphia call center and laid off dozens of workers last year, and have continued to frustrate clients.

Hearthway said a $30 million budget cut, along with “significant growing pains” in employing a new phone system and long-delayed computer improvements have contributed to the problems.  Despite the chronic delays, the department pushed forward with plans to cut staff while ending night and weekend hours for its call centers.

In a letter sent last July, Tartaglione has warned that cuts in staffing would create significant problems in the system.

“Not only will this result in joblessness for a substantial number of employees in an economy which has been slow to recover, but also, it will further diminish the quality of service provided by the department,” Tartaglione wrote.

Tartaglione has introduced Senate Bill 281, which would provide additional funding for the administration of unemployment compensation using a percentage of funds from the employee tax already collected.

 

Senate Democrats Say Corbett Administration Fails to Address Job Creation

Harrisburg – October 19, 2012 — Senate Democratic Leaders today called Pennsylvania’s latest employment report “unfortunate, but not surprising” given the lack of interest in rising unemployment on the part of the Corbett administration.

 “It’s a trend that needs to be reversed immediately,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. “The national economy and economic picture are improving while Pennsylvania is going in the other direction.”

For the first time in six years, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate is higher than the national rate, and the state has fallen from seventh to 38th in job creation.  The state’s unemployment rate for September was 8.2 percent, well above the national average of 7.8 percent.

“The rest of the nation is showing job gains and economic recovery and Pennsylvania is economically in reverse,” Hughes said. “The administration’s answer is to give tax breaks to wealthy corporations while it cuts programs that train Pennsylvania’s workforce and keep our citizens employed.”

Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee said the jobs trend is disturbing.

“The fact that our unemployment rate is higher than the national average is eye-opening,” she said. “The governor’s lack of comprehensive job and development plans cannot be ignored any longer – we need investment in education, transportation and workforce training programs that will put Pennsylvanians back to work immediately.”

The Democratic leaders called on the Corbett administration to end more than a year of procrastination on transportation and job creation plans and detail to the legislature what he wants in the way of legislation.

“There are plenty of good ideas to create jobs,” Costa said.  “When we return to session we should have a detailed transportation and jobs plan from the administration in front of us that has the support of businesses, unions and public officials across the state. Right now, we’re getting only silence from the Corbett administration.”

Among the plans cast into legislation is one from Senate Democrats called “PA Works” which is aimed at creating more than 80,000 new jobs.

PA Works would make use of state resources, leverage private resources and make critical long term capital investments that would create new opportunities for future growth and development.

 

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Tartaglione: Unemployment Bill ‘a Disservice to the Economy’

HARRISBURG, June 5, 2012 – While applauding the bipartisanship that marked negotiations, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today voted against the final version of Pennsylvania’s unemployment compensation reform, calling it a “disservice” to the economy and working families.

“I appreciate the work and cooperation of all who worked on this legislation, but I cannot, in good faith, support it in its current form,” Tartaglione told her colleagues shortly before the Senate voted 29 to 19 on Senate Bill 1310, the product of more than a year of discussions.

The bill attempts to address the $3.9 billion Pennsylvania owes the federal government for loans made during the depths of the recession.

Along with changes implemented in Act 6 of 2011, the measure ensures an estimated $500 million in cuts to benefits and eligibility while Pennsylvania’s taxable wage base, on which businesses pay unemployment taxes, remains among the nation’s lowest.

“In an economy that may just be beginning to recover from a devastating recession, I have genuine concerns about reducing eligibility,” Tartaglione said.

Noting that 186,000 Pennsylvanians have been out of work for more than six months, Tartaglione said unemployment benefits not only keep families afloat, but also provide the economy with base support as job growth continues to lag.

“The growth in the economy does not come from business alone,” she said.  “Business wouldn’t succeed in Pennsylvania without Pennsylvania families supporting them through purchase and use of their services.  Without money – either from jobs or UC when jobs have been lost through no fault of the employee, I feel we do the commonwealth and its economy a disservice.”

Senate Bill 1310 now heads back to the House for consideration.

LISTEN to the Senator’s remarks made on the Senate floor:[audio:https://www.senatortartaglione.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/sentartaglione-comments-on-sb1310-unemployment-compensation-reform.mp3|titles=sentartaglione-comments-on-sb1310-unemployment-compensation-reform]

Tartaglione on Jobs: “We are moving backward”

In response to the unemployment figures released by the state Department of Labor and Industry, Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione released the following statement.  Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, is the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor and Industry Committee.

“Nearly four months after Republicans pushed through a short-sighted state budget that slashed key funds for job creation and economic development, today’s news of a rising unemployment rate is a clear sign that Pennsylvania needs bold leadership in a new direction.

“The number of unemployed Pennsylvanians has jumped by more than 50,000 since the day Gov. Corbett signed the budget and the legislative majority’s focus on fringe issues and right-wing ideology offers little hope for the coming months.

“The Corbett budget cut more than $1 billion from education programs, reducing local school district employment by more than 14,000 jobs, with more than 2,000 lost jobs in the Philadelphia School District alone.  These deep cuts were made while ignoring a state revenue surplus that grew to nearly $800 million by the close of our last fiscal year.

“The result is a stunning downturn after years of weathering the recession better than most states.  When that budget was making its way through the General Assembly, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 1.7 percentage points below the national average, the best comparison to the national average in more than ten years.  Today, that gap has been cut in half, and it’s narrowing.

“Pennsylvania ranked 12th for new job creation in 2010.  Today’s announcement means we are moving backward.

“The downturn of our state economy should come as no surprise.  Last February, I joined my Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce a sensible job creation plan call PA Works, most of which is still sitting in committee.

“Last week, I voiced support for PA Works Now, our plan to put more Pennsylvanians back to work.  We repeated our earlier calls for new investment in infrastructure, job training, and business investments that have clear records of success.  The plan outlined a new set of tax credits to encourage small-business owners to make child and elder care available to their employees and to provide new training and internship opportunities for young people.

“My legislation in the package calls for Marcellus Shale drillers to directly invest in training to hire more Pennsylvania workers and create a call center for emergency services that could provide employment for the nearly 15 percent of workers with disabilities who cannot find a job.

“Lawmakers who are distracted by personal priorities and politically-motivated policies that are part of the national Republican political agenda should set aside these hobbies and focus on jobs.  Lawmakers intent on eliminating thousands of jobs in our state liquor system should be sobered by today’s announcement and understand that every family sustaining job should have our support and protection.

It is long past time to implement a responsible tax on Marcellus Shale drilling.  Also, a reasonable funding plan for transportation investment should be acted without delay.  Finally, our priorities must be redirected from risky tax giveaways that reward campaign friends and shifted back to supporting our children, our environment, our schools and our neighbors. ”

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Tartaglione Praises Passage of Compromise on Unemployment

HARRISBURG,  June 17, 2011 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised Senate passage of a compromise bill that extends unemployment benefits and makes changes that will help shore up the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund.

“I am grateful that my colleagues have seen the wisdom of preserving and extending benefits during the worst days of the economic decline,” Tartaglione said as Senate Bill 1030 headed for Senate passage today. “I believe we all realize that unemployment compensation is not just a lifeline for laid-off workers and their families. Unemployment compensation has also been critical in shoring up the economy, preserving small businesses and the communities they serve.

During the recession, more than $15 billion in benefits were spent on food, mortgages, utilities and doctor bills,” Tartaglione said.

“Without that economic impact, we would have seen higher unemployment, more foreclosures and a deeper hole for families to climb out of,” she said.

The Senate Labor and Industry Committee took language from Tartaglione’s Senate Bill 994, and amended it to Senate Bill 1030 to allow Pennsylvania to adopt a “three-year lookback,” and qualify for federal help that will extend benefits for as many as 130,000 workers.

Federally subsidized extended benefits are triggered by a state’s unemployment rate over a defined period of time, called a “look-back” period.  Using a two-year look-back, Pennsylvania did not qualify on May 21, and 45,000 Pennsylvanians could have lost their benefits as of June 11.  An estimated 90,000 more would have lost regular benefits and not qualify for extended benefits through the end of the year.

The provisions of Tartaglione’s bill were amended into Senate Bill 1030, as part of a comprehensive unemployment reform that will save money for the beleaguered Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund and require anyone collecting unemployment to actively look for work

The bill also includes a Tartaglione proposal authorizing “shared-work” programs, through which employers would be able to reduce work hours of employees as an alternative to layoffs and allow affected employees to receive prorated unemployment compensation for lost wages.

House and Senate negotiators agreed to a compromise bill that freezes the maximum benefit amount and makes other changes intended to shore up the trust fund.

The Senate unanimously passed the compromise bill today.  It now heads to the governor’s desk.

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Tartaglione Praises Passage of Compromise on Unemployment

HARRISBURG,  May 24, 2011 – State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today praised Senate passage of a compromise bill that extends unemployment benefits and makes changes that will help shore up the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund.

“It has taken considerable effort and an honest look at our priorities to strike a balance between what is best for those who are laid off and those who are still working and paying the taxes,” Tartaglione said. “I am grateful that my colleagues have seen the wisdom of preserving and extending benefits during the worst days of the economic decline. Senate Bill 1030 recognizes the continued effects of the recession as well as the continued deficit in the trust fund.”

Thousands of unemployed Pennsylvanians will lose their extended federal benefits on June 11 unless the state makes changes to its unemployment law required for a federal extension.  The Senate Labor and Industry Committee took language from Tartaglione’s bill (Senate Bill 994), and amended it to Senate Bill 1030.  Federally subsidized extended benefits are triggered by a state’s unemployment rate over a defined period of time, called a “look-back” period.  Using a two-year look-back, Pennsylvania will not qualify after May 21, and 45,000 Pennsylvanians would lose benefits on June 11.  An estimated 90,000 more would lose regular benefits and not qualify for extended benefits through the end of the year.

The provisions of Tartaglione’s bill became part of a comprehensive unemployment reform that will save money for the beleaguered Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund and require anyone collecting unemployment to actively look for work.

“I believe we all realize that unemployment compensation is not just a lifeline for laid-off workers and their families.Unemployment compensation has also been critical in shoring up the economy, preserving small businesses and the communities they serve,” Tartaglione said. “During the recession, more than $15 billion in benefits were spent on food, mortgages, utilities and doctor bills.  Without that economic impact, we would have seen higher unemployment, more foreclosures and a deeper hole for families to climb out of.”

The bill also includes a Tartaglione proposal authorizing “shared-work” programs, through which employers would be able to reduce work hours of employees as an alternative to layoffs and allow affected employees to receive prorated unemployment compensation for lost wages.

The bill now goes to the House.

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