Floridian's still struggling from lockdown take to downtown Orlando in caravan
Many Florida businesses are back open in some shape or form, but that doesn't mean people aren't struggling.
Those Floridians who still desperately need help went directly to their local representatives Wednesday.
Workers and union members hope a caravan gets the attention of Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio and puts pressure on them to support the Heroes Act to extend unemployment, and keep workers safe when they get back on the job.
Fred Bevis is a union member who works in the trade show business. Bevis says unemployment benefits must be extended.
“We have to have it. Otherwise you can’t survive on Florida’s unemployment,” Bevis said.
He worries his industry might not be back to work until next year.
Bevis was part of the caravan that rolled honking through downtown Orlando with flags waving past Rubio’s local office on Orange Avenue and then in front of Scott’s office next to Lake Eola.
The caravan was organized by the AFL-CIO. The union wants lawmakers to support the Heroes Act which passed the Democrat-controlled house last month but hasn’t been taken up in the Republican-led senate.
The Heroes Act includes another round of stimulus payments, hazard pay for essential workers, rental and mortgage assistance and extended federal unemployment benefits. Right now, those payments are set to end at the end of July.
WESH 2’s Bob Hazen asked both Rubio and Scott’s office whether the senators favor the bill.
Scott’s office emailed back saying, “what he doesn’t support is using Florida taxpayer dollars to backfill the state budgets and pensions of poorly-run states like New York, California, and Illinois.”
The email adds though that he does support help for workers and small businesses hurt by the shutdown.