Saturday Stats: Solidarity Saturday

269,000: Every Labor Day we release a report that looks at how working Ohioans did over the last year. Here is a sneak peek at one of the findings: Ohio still has 269,000 fewer jobs than before the pandemic started.

rn

rn

That’s why it’s so critical that the state of Ohio pay the $300-a-week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefits cut off by Gov. Mike DeWine in June. We praised a ruling by Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals on behalf of Ohio workers, saying DeWine didn’t have the authority to do so. DeWine appealed and earlier this week, the Ohio Supreme Court sided with him, making it almost certain that unemployed Ohioans won’t get necessary help before the benefits expire Monday. We will be monitoring the case as it unfolds.

rn

rn

$9 billion: Once again, most state lawmakers chose to divert more than $9 billion of Ohioans’ public resources to special interests via tax breaks, the biggest share of which go to for-profit corporations. To add insult to injury, this year they did it as they eliminated the committee that scrutinizes state tax expenditures. This report by Senior Project Director Wendy Patton and summer intern Jenny Driscoll has the details.

rn

rn

100: This week marks the centennial of the Battle of Blair Mountain, where some 10,000 Appalachian mine workers joined together across race in the largest labor uprising in U.S. history. Michael Shields reflects on the battle’s legacy and what it means for working people today. Hannah Halbert joined ReImagine Appalachia and the United Mine Workers of America for an informative panel discussion about why unions are so important to building broadly shared prosperity.

rn

rn

Nearly 5,000: That’s how many miles summer intern Andreea Procopan was from home when she was stuck on the Oberlin College campus during the COVID shutdown last year. In a Cleveland.com op-ed, she reflected on how the college’s essential workers cared for her – even making her traditional Moldovan food. Now, she says, it’s time for local leaders to care for essential workers in the ways they choose to spend American Rescue Plan dollars.

rn

rn

$10,000: On average, child care for a 1-year-old cost over $10,000 last year – almost as much as the tuition at a public four-year college. That price tag puts child care out of reach for many Ohio families. Add that to a scarcity of centers in rural communities and the difficulty for parents who work second or third shifts, and many Ohioans just don’t have good options for their kids. Summer intern Samuel Johnson found that an Athens County in-home aide program could help more parents rest easy that their children will be cared for while they go to work.

rn

rn

Coming up:

rn

There are several events coming up designed to help you prepare yourself to defend teachers and students against the manufactured assault on honestly in education.

rn

rn

rn
• On Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. and Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., the Honesty For Ohio Education coalition and the ACLU of Ohio are hosing testimony trainings.
rn
• On Sept. 14 at 12 p.m., Policy Matters Board Member and President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers Melissa Cropper will appear on the City Club of Cleveland’s virtual forum, “An Honest Education: Talking About Race, Equity, and Inclusion in the Classroom.”
rn
• On Sept. 14 at 7 p.m., Policy Matters and Honesty for Ohio Education are cohosting a briefing for school board candidates and other education leaders.
rn

rn

rn