ALBANY – The Fund Excluded Workers Coalition released the following statement from Nishat Tabassum, Coalition Manager, after Governor Hochul and the state legislature failed to meet the April 1 deadline for passing an FY24 state budget:

“The pandemic taught us a hard lesson about what happens when we leave some workers behind. Not only are those workers forced to bear unnecessary hardship, but the rest of New York pays a price too. Leaving excluded workers out during the pandemic exacerbated the toll of the crisis – on our public health, on our economy, and on our ability to climb out and recover.

Now, with economic storm clouds on the horizon, New York is poised to make the same mistake all over again. Governor Hochul and legislative leaders are once again threatening to leave excluded workers out in the cold by failing to include a single cent for unemployment support for the state’s most vulnerable workers. Instead, Albany is doubling down on the criminalization of our communities and handing out giveaways to the rich.

Albany’s priorities could not be more backward. Without additional safety net support, we are leaving New York vulnerable to the next recession, with more breadlines and more empty plates in our future. To make New York prepared for any crisis to come, we must pass a budget that invests in the future of our state by ensuring all workers have access to the safety net. We cannot continue to leave workers out.”