GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Local stagehands and gig workers are protesting at Calder Plaza in Grand Rapids Thursday.
Those protesting are contracted by places like the Van Andel Arena, DeVos Performance Hall, and Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo, which all remain shutdown due to COVID-19.
Protesters are demanding an extension of unemployment benefits, because the pandemic has them out of work for the foreseeable future. They are calling for the $600 federal unemployment benefits, which expired last week, to be continued by Congress.
Indoor performances and events have been postponed or canceled until further notice as the state continues to deal with coronavirus. The entertainment industry has taken a serious hit and many workers are without jobs or income, without a clear sign of when they may return.
According to a US Labor Department report released Thursday, nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans have applied for state unemployment benefits last week -- more evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs.
The claims have remained alarmingly high: It is the twentieth straight week that at least 1 million people have sought jobless aid. Before the pandemic hit in March, the number of Americans seeking unemployment never surpassed 700,000 in a week, not even during the Great Recession of 2007-2009.
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