must

workers

in California

who lose their jobs

are eligible to receive

part of their salary while they look for another job. ruled out

unemployment

there are benefits, however

bee

an estimated 1.6 million undocumented workers, whose labor we depend on to pick fruits and vegetables in the fields, care for children, mow lawns, and build new homes,

even though many of these workers pay taxes. There is a proposal in the state legislature to right this injustice for many of these undocumented workers

Senate Bill 227, written by

stands

Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), would create the Excluded Workers Program,

a fund separate from the state’s unemployment program

provide unemployment benefits to undocumented workers who meet requirements similar to those imposed on workers

who are U.S. citizens or otherwise authorized to work in the country. The bill is sponsored by the Safety Net for All coalition of more than 160 immigrant and worker rights organizations and supported by the

National Project Labor Law

and the

California Budget & Policy Center

.

Undocumented workers are excluded from receiving unemployment benefits

because the state’s unemployment insurance program is

jointly funded by the federal government

,

making it impossible for undocumented migrants to work legally. But these workers are deeply embedded in the state’s economy and are the backbone of many California industries.

special

agriculture that supplies

more than

one third of the vegetables and three quarters of the fruits and nuts

grown

in the United States.

This

industry

can not

survive without workers to pick and pack crops. Unemployment hits farm workers particularly hard because they earn low wages and depend on seasonal jobs

and risk going hungry or becoming homeless during the industry’s frequent layoffs

.

The Disqualified Employees Program

would allow the state to pay unemployment benefits to undocumented workers when they are laid off,

if they can prove

they have worked at least 93 hours in the past 12 months or earned at least $1,300 in a three-month period. Those who qualify will receive $300 per week for up to 20 weeks. The maximum benefit under the state’s unemployment program is $450 per week, with the average payout being about $330 per week, according to the Legislative Analysts Office. The two-year program would allow policymakers to evaluate the program before thinking about it

the ability to make it

permanently.

A major obstacle to this program is the fact that the governor vetoed an almost identical proposal,

Assembly Bill 2847 by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella),

last year

.

in his

veto message, Gov.

Gavin

news sum

said it would cost $200 million to set up, and $20 million in pending funds. He said future proposals would need a dedicated funding source.

Newsom was right in trying to rein in the state

expenditure

,

given the expectation of a state budget deficit that is

state budget deficit estimated at

by

$22.5 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. The California taxpayer Ass

location

N.

who is against the bill

The state wants to prioritize upgrades to prevent widespread fraud during the pandemic.

It is disappointing that the author of this year’s bill did not come up with a clear source of funding, but there is time to transform the bill into something the governor will support. In addition, employers already pay taxes into the state’s unemployment program for these workers. In 2020 the Institute for Fiscal Policy

estimated

that employers in California have paid about $4.4 billion to the unemployment system over the last decade based on the work of undocumented immigrants

.

It is simply unacceptable that these vulnerable workers, who are so essential to the California economy, cannot access unemployment benefits. Legislators need to find a way to provide assistance to this segment of the workforce when they need it most.