County Board Unanimously Supports Including Transitional Jobs Program in COVID-19 Relief
Milwaukee – The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution at its Thursday, May 28 meeting supporting a letter co-written by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin that urges Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to include a national federally subsidized transitional employment program in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation.
“During this pandemic it is imperative that we remain physically and mentally healthy, but we also need to ensure that our economy and workers are able to bounce back,” said Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde. “We must look for new opportunities for those who are losing their jobs due to COVID-19. One way to do this is through a transitional jobs program. There is an entire new economy consisting of jobs with the added benefit of combatting climate change that people will need technology and training to transition into.”
Senator Baldwin’s letter proposes a national subsidized employment program to provide unemployed and underemployed people jobs. The program would offset employers’ cost for wages and on-the-job training. Federal funding would enable states and local organizations to establish or scale-up subsidized employment programs that meet their communities’ needs.
A transitional jobs program is an essential feature of the City-County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity’s preliminary report. Supervisor Moore Omokunde co-chairs the task force with City of Milwaukee Alderman Nik Kovac.
The resolution requests that Milwaukee County Government Affairs staff communicate the County Board’s support of Senator Baldwin’s letter to federal policymakers.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Supervisor Willie Johnson, Jr.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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