Referred to: The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Legislator Phil Erner and Legislators X, X, X and X offer the following:

WHEREAS, systemic public health, income inequality and economic challenges have contributed to the disparate impact of the Covid-19 pandemic among many communities; and

WHEREAS, roughly 1.8 million immigrants across New York are “essential” workers, including thousands of restaurant, delivery, farm and construction workers, home health aides and building cleaners, with about one in five of those workers being undocumented; and

WHEREAS, many low-income workers had no choice but to work outside of the home, risking infection, as their jobs couldn’t be done remotely; and

WHEREAS, many workers lost jobs or saw hours cut with alternate opportunities being severely limited, and those workers found themselves unable to afford food, health care, prescription medications or rent because of these new circumstances; and

WHEREAS, thousands of these workers lost their jobs during Covid without getting any federal financial relief; and

WHEREAS, in 2021, New York State recognized this serious problem and offered a $2.1 billion fund that extended to nearly 300,000 New Yorkers a lifeline equivalent to stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment they’d have received otherwise; and

WHEREAS, the demand for use of the excluded worker fund was tremendous, leaving the fund completely allocated, and with the New York State Department of Labor no longer accepting new applications; and 

WHEREAS, on January 19, 2022, a vigil was held in Kingston, NY where local workers were afforded the opportunity to speak - some calling in while suffering with COVID - who had personally benefited from the previous funds delivered by the State, while others had their funding applications denied despite the dire need for funds; and

WHEREAS, speakers repeatedly expressed gratitude for funds disbursed previously, which had gone primarily toward rent or other housing costs; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Excluded Workers Fund helped our communities survive and recover from the pandemic allowing many working families across New York to pay down debt, address medical needs, buy school supplies, put food on the table, and have the freedom to leave abusive partners and unsafe working conditions; and

WHEREAS, state legislation has been introduced, A9037/S8165, which establishes an excluded worker unemployment program and an excluded worker unemployment fund to provide wage replacement to workers that do not qualify for unemployment insurance or other worker wage assistance programs and who have lost a major source of income due to lost work; and

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature desires to support those workers who are left out of traditional worker services, including unemployment; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby strongly urges all members of the New York Senate and Assembly to support and Governor Hochul to immediately sign into law A9037/S8165, an act to amend the labor law, in relation to establishing the excluded worker unemployment program; to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing the excluded worker unemployment program fund; and

making an appropriation therefor; and, be it further

RESOLVED, the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward copies of this resolution to Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Finance Committee Chair, Liz Krueger, Assembly Labor Committee Chair Latoya Joyner, all Ulster County elected Assemblymembers and Senators,

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:               

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE