SACRAMENTO, CA – Safety Net for All, a coalition of more than 170 organizations in California, expressed disappointment on Friday following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May Revise release of the California state budget, in which he failed to include funding to support unemployment benefits for excluded immigrant workers.

This critical funding in the state budget is a companion to Senate Bill 227, authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo. The Safety Net for All Workers Act, which will provide unemployment benefits for undocumented workers who have lost their jobs, is currently under review in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Coalition will continue to fight for the Safety Net for All proposal to be included in this year’s state budget. It calls on the Senate and Assembly leaders, as well as the Governor, to include the proposal in the final budget.

The following is a quote from Adela Torres, Worker Member at the Pasadena Community Job Center and Delegate of the Safety Net for All Coalition: “As economic and climate disasters continue to increase, the need for unemployment benefits for all Californians will only grow. Yet the state is wholly unprepared. Small, one-time, piecemeal relief is insufficient, unsustainable, and only exacerbates inequities in our state. We need full inclusion now, with a state program that can provide unemployment benefits to excluded workers when job loss occurs. Other states have done it, and California must not fall back on its progress and promise to lead.”

BACKGROUND

The coalition has been calling on Governor Newsom to include the $356 million Safety Net for All budget proposal in the California budget and for the passage of Senate Bill 227 (Durazo). For months, hundreds of workers have led community demonstrations as well as large rallies in Sacramento to draw attention and support for this multi-year campaign.

California’s employers contribute $302 million each year to the unemployment insurance system on behalf of undocumented workers, yet those workers cannot access these critical services and never see a cent of the benefits, solely due to their immigration status. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the urgent need for families to have a safety net during times of crisis. This year, historic rains followed by flooding in towns like Planada and Pajaro left entire communities of undocumented workers without work.

A recent study from UC Merced Community and Labor Center found that 83% of households in Planada alone lost work, sustained property damage, or both. Of those who lost work, 57% did not have a single worker in the household eligible for Unemployment Insurance. Without unemployment benefits, missed paychecks spiral into missed rent checks, medical care, and grocery bills for the over 1 million undocumented workers and their families who call California home.

Unemployment benefits are the most effective economic stabilizer during times of crisis, and are key to keeping California’s workers in place and small businesses running. In fact, research has shown that $1 of unemployment benefits produces at least $1.61 of economic stimulus, because the benefits go toward spending at businesses in local communities.

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About Safety Net for All Coalition

The Safety Net for All Coalition is composed of over 170 organizations from across California. The Coalition works to expand safety net programs for excluded immigrant workers, like the unemployment benefits program. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.