Anyone presently collecting unemployment benefits will become a “99er” after November 30th, when the current benefits extension bill expires — unless Congress votes for reauthorization. And by “99er” this does not mean that you will receive 99 weeks of benefits, this means you will become a UI benefits “exhaustee”.

If Congress doesn’t reauthorize additional extensions your current benefits will conclude at the end of your current tier — and you won’t advance any further. For example, if you are presently collecting your first 26 weeks, that is all you will receive. If you are presently in Tier I, Tier II or Tier III, those are the only weeks of benefits you will receive. You will not advance to the next tier. You will become an exhaustee and will be joining the 99ers, whose last extension ended at Tier IV — or 99 weeks.

The one hope for all of us is Senator Debbie Stabenow’s The Americans Want to Work Act (S.3706), which is co-sponsored by NY Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, among others. This is a jobs bill as well as a bill to extend UI benefits for another 20 weeks — for everyone, should Congress fail to reauthorize the benefits extension set to expire on November 30th.

The group of UI exhaustees (99ers) has been growing by 50,000 people per week since March 2010, when those who had been unemployed for over two years began hitting the end of Tier IV and had no additional tier to advance to. And no more benefits. The 99ers organized and tried lobbying Congress to add a Tier V — knowing those in the tiers behind them would eventually meet the same fate. They continue to actively pursue all avenues of support.

While many 99ers were disappointed with Congress for not doing more to keep the only safety net jobless Americans have left, they are greatly concerned that sitting out the election — out of anger — will result in the loss of any hope there is left for all of us. We all ultimately want to be working again, but job creation has proceeded at a snail’s pace, and more layoffs are set to take place in the near future. We must be pro-active. Turn out on Election Day like your life depends on it — because it does! Don’t wait until you lose your benefits after November 30th. VOTE!

-By Yvonne Fitzner, Contributing Writer & Member