A group of unemployed Rhode Islanders rallied Wednesday outside a state jobless office in Providence, pressing for benefits to be extended beyond the end of this month, when some 8,700 people in the state are due to be cut off.
"The urgency of this threat to Rhode Island's unemployed workers is very real," said Mark Gray, organizer of the "Where's the Work" campaign of the labor backed group, Ocean State Action.
"Unlike other aspects of this so-called fiscal cliff that might slowly take effect next year, this is immediate and abrupt. On December 29th, people are going to get their last checks. Up to 8,700 Rhode Islanders will get their last check unless Congress acts now," Gray said.
Many unemployed Rhode Islanders are already facing a bleak holiday season.
"You can forget about Christmas gifts for my son. We don't have the money this year," said Stanley Banach of Pawtucket, an unemployed baker. "We didn't even put up a tree, because what's the point? There's nothing to put under it."
"We're talking about fiscal cliffs, we're talking about numbers, we're talking about billions of dollars here," said George Nee, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. "You know what this comes down to? A family with two or three kids that, at the end of this month, is going to have no income. This is about people, this is about our neighbors, this is about our brothers and sisters in our community. We have an obligation to speak up," said Nee.
Nee said all four members of Rhode Island's Congressional delegation are supportive of those without jobs and with extending jobless benefits.
