Union of Unemployed Unveils ‘Hire US, America’

More than 1,900 jobs activists in 48 states will take part in a novel deliberative process aimed at crafting a 16-point plan to reverse the U.S. jobs crisis. The activists are part of  Ur Union of Unemployed.

The  Hire US, America plan focuses on creating jobs for the unemployed and easing their crushing financial burdens. Key features of the plan include the creation of a public sector jobs program similar to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and development of a national industrial policy aimed at reviving the production of American-made goods. Long-term extensions of unemployment benefits, continuation of the COBRA subsidy and a new Tier V benefit for workers who have been unemployed for more than two years are integral parts of the draft plan.

Additional components include a 10 percent investment tax credit for business to modernize and purchase new equipment, a tax on financial transactions that could generate as much as $100 to $150 billion per year and two years of technical training that could be offered to unemployed workers and recent high school graduates free of charge.

The initial draft of the  Hire US, America plan is currently under review by Union of Unemployed members, who will have the opportunity to make revisions, suggestions and comments. On May 1st, the revised plan will be posted as an online survey where UCubed activists can vote on each policy point. The final version will become the focal point of a nationwide campaign that will include personal visits to lawmakers and candidates, as well as public events to highlight the candidates’ support or indifference to the plight of jobless Americans.