MISSION
New
York Unemployment Project is
a membership-based organization of unemployed New Yorkers committed
to organizing and fighting for family sustaining jobs and income
support across the New York City metropolitan area. NYUP is
the only organization in New York engaged in direct education
and organizing of unemployed workers.
NYUP is committed to building leadership
among diverse groups of unemployed New Yorkers to build a
new constituency for expanded, extended and accessible inome
support for jobless workers. Our local organizing committees
cross racial, class, and gender barriers to build power among
unemployed workers—power to demand accountability from their
elected leaders and power to reform the policies and laws
that affect their lives.
NYUP members work in their communities
and across the New York Metropolitan Area to inform other
unemployed workers of their rights, and strive to organize
their neighbors to take an active role in fighting for economic
justice.
HISTORY
NYUP was founded in 2001 as an
initiative of the National
Employment Law Project in response to the growing crisis
in New York’s unemployment insurance (UI) safety net to directly
engage unemployed New Yorkers in civic participation and
community education around issues concerning joblessness,
unemployment insurance, job training and job creation.
New York Unemployment Project has evolved
into a membership based organization of unemployed and low-income
New Yorkers throughout New York City, Long Island and Westchester
County working to promote policies that support the creation
of family sustaining jobs and adequate income support for
the unemployed.
In addition to engaging unemployed New Yorkers in civic
participation and advocacy, NYUP spends a significant amount
of its resources and time:
- helping unemployed New Yorkers take advantage of their
right to unemployment insurance benefits through Know Your
Rights Trainings and individual case management;
- connecting individuals denied unemployment insurance
benefits to legal advocacy that will impact the administration
of unemployment insurance; and
- enforcing the right of New Yorkers whose earnings were
adversely impacted by the September 11th attacks
and the resulting aftermath to the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s Mortgage & Rental Assistance Program and Individual & Family
Grant program.
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