Saturday, May 2, 2020
'A New Low': Betsy DeVos Sued for Garnishing Wages of Nearly 300,000 Student Loan Borrowers During Pandemic
"The Trump administration is taking money from borrowers who are living on the edge of poverty, in the middle of a pandemic, and in violation of the law."
by
Julia Conley, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/new-low-betsy-devos-sued-garnishing-wages-nearly-300000-student-loan-borrowers
A home health aide who earns just under $13 per hour is the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit filed Thursday against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, whose department has continued garnishing the wages of hundreds of thousands of student loan borrowers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The CARES Act, which was signed into law in late March, prohibits the Education Department from seizing the wages and tax refunds of student loan borrowers who have defaulted on their loans.
But Elizabeth Barber of Rochester, New York, says the Trump administration has nonetheless continued to take 12% of her paychecks since the legislation passed—garnishing $70 from her check as recently as last week—adding to the financial strain which forced her to default on $10,000 in federal loans in December. Barber's hours have also been reduced by 10 to 15 hours per week since the coronavirus pandemic began.
"I am so worried about how I will get through this," Barber said in a statement. "I have no money in the bank. I need every dollar I earn at work to survive each day, but my hours have been cut because of the virus. I don't understand why the government keeps taking my money away after it passed a law that says they will stop."
The lawsuit was filed late Thursday, with legal advocacy group Student Defense and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) representing Barber and about 285,000 other Americans whose wages have been garnished in the past six weeks.
The CARES Act gave relief to borrowers from wage garnishment until Sept. 30. But across the country, employers including Barber's have not yet been formally advised by the Trump administration to stop withholding as much as 15% of employees' paychecks and sending the garnished wages to the government.
The Education Department claims the borrowers will be refunded the garnished wages if they were collected after March 13, but has offered no information about when they will see those refunds.
The lawsuit "captures a new low" in DeVos's leadership, tweeted Student Defense on Friday.
"Right now, low-wage workers hit hardest by the economic impact of the pandemic need their paychecks to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads," said Persis Yu, director of the NCLC's Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project. "By continuing to use its harsh collection tools during this public health and economic crisis, the Department of Education is placing the health, safety, and well-being of vulnerable student loan borrowers in peril."
In a letter to DeVos sent on April 16, Democratic lawmakers including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) demanded information about the wage garnishment which has persisted despite being illegal under the CARES Act and called the secretary's failure to stop the practice "unconscionable."
"The Trump administration is taking money from borrowers who are living on the edge of poverty, in the middle of a pandemic, and in violation of the law," said Seth Frotman, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, which is supporting the lawsuit. "This lawsuit shines light on how she has been operating a student debt collection machine that is accountable to no one—and it must be stopped."
"Can't Pay, Won't Pay": Tens of Thousands Take Part in Covid-19 Rent Strike Across US on May Day
"People aren't striking because they don't feel like paying rent. They're striking because they can't pay rent."
by
Jake Johnson, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/cant-pay-wont-pay-tens-thousands-take-part-covid-19-rent-strike-across-us-may-day
Tens of thousands of people across the United States are expected to take part in a rent strike Friday under the slogan "Can't Pay, Won't Pay" as the coronavirus-induced economic crisis and government inaction continue to leave millions without enough income to cover basic monthly expenses.
A Business Insider poll released Thursday found that nearly a quarter of Americans are unsure whether they will be able to afford their May 1 rent or mortgage payments.The strike, described as the largest coordinated tenant action in nearly a century, comes as state and federal lawmakers face growing pressure to cancel rent and mortgage payments for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis, which has thrown more than 30 million people out of work.
"The rent strike is a cry for dignity: We are all deserving of a home, no matter the color of our skin, financial status, or culture," Donnette Letford, a member of New York Communities for Change, told The Intercept.
More than 13,000 people have signed a petition launched by the New York-based Upstate-Downstate Housing Alliance vowing to withhold rent payments until state lawmakers meet the following demands:
Cancel rent for four months, or for the duration of the public health crisis—whichever is longer;
Freeze rents and offer every tenant in New York the right to renew their lease. No one's rent should go up during this epidemic; and
Urgently and permanently rehouse all New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and invest in public and social housing across our state.
"Unless our demands are met, many of us can't pay," the petition reads. "So if we can't pay, let's not pay, together! The crisis has caused a reduction in income for many of us, and the government response has been to shore up banks, large investors, and landlords."
Major rent strikes are also expected to take place in California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, and other states across the U.S.
"People are looking for something to join because they don't know what to do," Kenia Alcocer, an organizer with Los Angeles-based advocacy group Union de Vecinos, told NBC News. "The reason why our campaign is called 'Food Not Rent' is because we're actually telling folks to choose your survival, choose your life, over paying your rent at this point."
The growing nationwide call to cancel rent and mortage payments has won support from several prominent members of Congress, including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
"You cannot coerce someone into doing something that they cannot do," Ocasio-Cortez said during a livestream earlier this week. "People aren't striking because they don't feel like paying rent. They're striking because they can't pay rent."
Last month, as Common Dreams reported, Omar introduced legislation that would cancel all rent and home mortgage payments for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis.
The Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, according to Omar's office, "would constitute a full payment forgiveness, with no accumulation of debt for renters or homeowners and no negative impact on their credit rating or rental history."
The bill would also "establish a relief fund for landlords and mortgage holders to cover losses from the cancelled payments and create an optional fund to fully finance the purchase of private rental properties by non-profits, public housing authorities, cooperatives, community land trusts, and states or local governments."
"In 2008, we bailed out Wall Street," Omar said in a statement. "It's time to bail out the American people who are suffering."
'This Is What a Disaster Looks Like': Ocasio-Cortez House Bill Would Allow FEMA to Provide Pandemic Relief
"FEMA needs to begin immediately dispersing aid to individuals hurt by Covid-19."
by
Jessica Corbett, staff writer
1 Comments
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/what-disaster-looks-ocasio-cortez-house-bill-would-allow-fema-provide-pandemic
As the U.S. death toll from Covid-19 stood above 63,000 people Friday—with over a million confirmed cases nationwide—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill in the U.S. House that would enable a federal relief agency to provide disaster assistance during pandemics.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can currently only give financial assistance to individuals impacted by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and wildfires. Harris and Ocasio-Cortez's bill (pdf) would amend existing law to add pandemics to the emergencies that qualify for FEMA relief.The Democratic congresswoman represents New York's 14th district, which—along with the rest of New York City—has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis. The Pandemic Disaster Assistance Act was introduced in the upper chamber in March by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).
"Nearly 20,000 people in my district have tested positive for a deadly virus," Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement Friday. "Thousands of my constituents are without work. We built temporary field hospitals in public parks. This is what a disaster looks like. FEMA needs to begin immediately dispersing aid to individuals hurt by Covid-19."
Under the proposal, following approval from a governor and the president, individuals impacted by a pandemic would be allowed to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) and Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), the federal benefits commonly called food stamps.
Those affected by an approved public health crisis would also be able to qualify for other assistance from FEMA. Specifically, Harris and Ocasio-Cortez highlighted help with medical, funeral, and childcare expenses as "critical" for people who have endured a pandemic like the ongoing Covid-19 disaster.
"We are in the midst of an unprecedented public health and economic crisis, and people are hurting," Harris said Friday. "The magnitude of this crisis demands that FEMA treat those impacted by pandemics the same as it does when a natural disaster strikes."
"That includes providing disaster food assistance, disaster unemployment assistance, and help paying for funerals," Harris added. "I'm proud to partner with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on this legislation to ensure the federal government uses every tool available to help the American people recover from this crisis."
In addition to introducing the companion legislation to Harris' bill Friday, Ocasio-Cortez—who is up for re-election this year—held a press conference at her campaign's Bronx organizing base, during which she highlighted the efforts of community groups providing critical relief to her constituents.
As the Bronx Times reported:
The congresswoman announced a new fundraising drive for workers on the front line. To date, the campaign has raised nearly $350,000 for 15 community groups exclusively through grassroots donors. These groups are providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to front-line workers as well as financial support to undocumented families, service workers, the food insecure, and Amazon warehouse workers her district.
The congresswoman is setting a new goal to raise $1 million for these groups by mid-June. Representatives from some of the local community groups spoke at the press conference.
Ocasio-Cortez also discussed her campaign's food relief program. Through a partnership with four local food banks and the support of grassroots donors and volunteers, the campaign has delivered more than 500 meals to constituents and is committed to delivering 2,000 by mid-June.
After the press conference, Ocasio-Cortez share Instagram videos of her and other volunteers passing out food to local families. The congresswoman, who wore a face mask, railed against the federal government's failed response to Covid-19.
Echoing Praise for Charlottesville Neo-Nazis, Trump Calls Armed Anti-Lockdown Fanatics 'Very Good People'
"Trump is using a tactic of authoritarians who pretend that they have no influence over the actions of private militias or thug squads. This is failed state stuff right here."
by
Eoin Higgins, staff writer
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/echoing-praise-charlottesville-neo-nazis-trump-calls-armed-anti-lockdown-fanatics
Stirring memories of the time he called racist neo-Nazis "very fine people" after a demonstration in Charlottesville, Virgina that left one person dead in 2017, President Donald Trump on Friday referred to armed right-wing extremists that descended on Michigan's state capitol building Thursday as "very good people" who should be negotiated with.
"These are very good people, but they are angry," the president tweeted.
"'Very good people' don't arm themselves to the teeth and show up in full military cosplay at their legislature to intimidate elected representatives," replied web developer and author Morten Rand-Hendriksen. "Very good people help their communities, support essential workers, and take part in the democratic process."
The president's call for Whitmer to negotiate with the protesters was part of an effort from the White House to get Americans back to work and allow the economy to rebound in time for Trump's re-election bid.
As Politico explained, public health officials remain dubious such a move is the right one:
But even as some parts of the country appear to be past their peak of infections, public health officials have continued to warn that the U.S. coronavirus testing operation is not yet substantial enough for a widespread reopening. Officials have also warned that moving too quickly to restart normal life in the U.S. could spark a resurgence of cases.
Trump's tweet came after heavily armed militia members and associated right-wing demonstrators flooded the Michigan state capitol, filling the state house in an attempt to occupy the legislative chamber.
As Common Dreams reported, the images of the mainly white male group carrying rifles and automatic weapons generated commentary from progressives calling the striking visuals an example of "America in the age of Trump."
"I've seen countless activists on the left arrested for less," tweeted journalist Joshua Potash, "and that's without carrying guns."
Critics of the president were quick to draw the parallel between his remarks Friday and his comments about the Charlottesville demonstrations during which 32-year-old social justice activist Heather Heyer was murdered by a white nationalist.
As Jared Holt reported for Right Wing Watch:
In 2017, Trump notoriously said that demonstrators at the violent Unite the Right white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville, Virginia, were "very fine people," despite the fact an avowed neo-Nazi committed a violent murder at the event. Trump and his allies have since tried to rewrite history about his "fine people" remarks, arguing that the comment was taken out of context.
"I think we have a different definition of 'very good people,'" tweeted the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
Economist Marshall Steinbaum, in a tweet, opined that the president's comments were the result of over two years of no pushback on racism and bigotry from both Trump and the extremist groups that he supports.
"It's only gotten worse," said Steinbaum, "because he and they have faced no meaningful opposition."
Intercept co-founder journalist Jeremy Scahill also noted the connection between Trump and the invigorated extremist movement the president praised.
"Trump is using a tactic of authoritarians who pretend that they have no influence over the actions of private militias or thug squads," tweeted Scahill. "This is failed state stuff right here."
On May Day, Pro-Worker Groups Demand Protections for Frontline Whistleblowers Who Expose Corporate Disregard for Labor Safety
"The current crisis has elevated workplace whistleblowing and collective action to a matter of national health."
by
Andrea Germanos, staff writer
3 Comments
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/may-day-pro-worker-groups-demand-protections-frontline-whistleblowers-who-expose
As workers marked May Day with sickouts and walkouts across the U.S. on Friday, a new statement from over 50 advocacy groups said the coronavirus crisis has amplified the need to protect frontline workers who blow the whistle on dangerous conditions.
"Our public health and societal well-being require that workers have the power to speak up in these moments, to call attention to employer practices that create unsafe working conditions made more dangerous by the current crisis, and to refuse to work in deadly worksites," Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, said in a statement.
The joint statement from the organizations—including Color of Change, Public Citizen, Fight for the Future, and United We Dream—says that "urgent expansion and improved enforcement of legal protections" for such workers—rather than the "invasive surveillance technologies to penalize and monitor lower-wage workers" that some corporations have adopted—can help efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19.
In their statement, entitled "Silencing of Whistleblowers in the Workplace Is a Threat to Public Health," the groups point to recent and "alarming" actions by online commerce giant Amazon.
Over the last few weeks, Amazon fired at least six workers who had spoken out about unsafe working conditions in warehouses. In addition to these firings, other workers at Amazon have reported receiving arbitrary work-related warnings as a result of speaking out or participating in walkouts, and they fear that they are being set-up for termination. Given that Amazon is the second largest private employer in the United States and is significantly expanding its workforce during the crisis, this apparent pattern of retaliation is alarming.
It's not only Amazon workers at greater risk amid the pandemic, with others including grocery workers and meatpacking plant workers putting themselves in harms' way. And the risk, the groups added, "disproportionately falls on communities of color, who are more likely to hold these jobs and more vulnerable to the virus, as a result of the systemic racism that undermines health in these communities."
The new statement also outlines their demand for "common sense measures in line with CDC guidance." Such measures include:
implementation of six feet of distance between all individuals in the facility, personal protective equipment for all, time for handwashing, temporarily closing and cleaning exposed facilities to allow for quarantine, independent and transparent reporting, and paid leave policies to help exposed and sick workers to stay home.
"The current crisis has elevated workplace whistleblowing and collective action to a matter of national health and additional protection and enforcement measures are urgently necessary," the groups added.
According to Evan Greer, deputy director of digital rights group Fight for the Future, such protections are urgently needed to protect those on the frontline and curb the abuse of some employers.
"It's essential we put policies in place to ensure all frontline workers are protected and any violations of these protections trigger an automatic investigation," Greer said. "It's the only way we'll stop companies, like Amazon, from retaliating against whistleblowers and using surveillance to clamp down on workers self-organizing."
"Anything less is a threat to the safety of workers and the public at large," she added.
The call for strengthened whistleblower protections was released as workers at large companies including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and FedEx take part in May Day actions including coordinated work stoppages.
"The corporations and the government are willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of us," Kali Akuno, co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson, told Democracy Now! on Friday.
"We have to put people before profits," he said.
As Covid-19 Shoots US Unemployment to Great Depression Levels, Europe's Worker Safety Net Stems Mass Layoffs
"The European response guarantees that most full-time employees will see only limited drops in their income."
by
Jake Johnson, staff writer
10 Comments
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/01/covid-19-shoots-us-unemployment-great-depression-levels-europes-worker-safety-net
Is the enormous surge in unemployment in the United States an inevitable consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic—or a deliberate policy choice?
Europe's success in staving off mass layoffs with ambitious government programs even as it sees economic shocks similar to those ravaging the U.S. appears to suggest the latter.
The Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum reported Thursday that while European economies been plunged into recession by the novel coronavirus, Europe has "managed to shield workers" far more successfully than the U.S., where more than 30 million people have filed jobless claims over just the past six weeks.
"The philosophy in Europe is that the financial blow of the pandemic can be softened if workers are able to keep paying their bills and if businesses do not have to hire and train an entirely new set of employees as the crisis abates," Birnbaum wrote. "Many European governments have implemented a subsidy program, pioneered by Germany in the last global recession, under which they pay up to 87% of salaries for workers sent home but kept on payroll.""The unemployment rate in Europe crept up only modestly in the first weeks of the coronavirus lockdowns—at a time when millions of Americans filed for jobless benefits," Birnbaum reported. "The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate across the European Union rose by 0.1 percentage point in March, to 6.6 percent."
Denmark, which saw its unemployment rate rise just 0.2 percentage points between February and March, has agreed to pay up to 75% of the wages of private sector employees who would otherwise have likely lost their jobs.
Flemming Larsen, a professor at the Center for Labor Market Research at Denmark's Aalborg University, explained in an interview with The Atlantic in March that under the temporary policy, "if a company makes a notice saying that it has to either lay off 30% of their workers or fire at least 50 people, the state has agreed to take on 75 percent of workers' salaries, up to $3,288 per month."
Maria Hoejer Romme, a Danish business researcher, told the Post that the program is "definitely keeping our jobs alive for the moment."
France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy have implemented similar programs or expanded existing payroll subsidy policies to adjust to the coronavirus crisis.
As Birnbaum explained:
Since many European countries had similar social safety net programs already, albeit in far more limited form, the salary supports were relatively easy to expand, almost literally overnight in many places, amid widespread consensus. When they imposed their economically devastating lockdowns, countries were thus able to signal to workers that their livelihoods would remain intact and to businesses that they wouldn’t immediately implode.
The United States, by contrast, has had to cobble together a support system that is in some ways brand-new...
The European response guarantees that most full-time employees will see only limited drops in their income, for now, even if they work in places like hotels and bars whose business model has flatlined because of the pandemic.
Some progressive U.S. policymakers have cited the European model in proposing solutions to America's unemployment crisis. Thus far, the U.S. has authorized one round of direct stimulus payments to most U.S. adults, an expansion of unemployment benefits, and forgivable loans to businesses, but no direct payroll grants outside of the airline industry.
"Congress must cover the paychecks of every U.S. worker," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) tweeted last month, pointing to Germany's payroll subsidy program.
Last month, Sanders and three fellow senators introduced the Paycheck Security Act, which would "cover salaries and wages up to $90,000 for each furloughed or laid-off employee, plus benefits, as well as up to an additional 20 percent of revenues to cover fixed operating costs such as rent, utilities, insurance policies, and maintenance," according to a summary of the bill.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, introduced similar legislation in the House on April 10.
"Mass unemployment is a policy choice," Jayapal said at the time. "We can and should choose differently."
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