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A26 u.s. news
Diamars 1 Juni 2021

Mississippi reckons with ending pay boost for the unemployed

(AP) — Katrina Folks says McCarrol’s company has every full-time position, add-
she has tried everything about 69 of its 89 positions ing medical, vision and den-
she can think of to find filled. Sometimes, it can’t run tal benefits. The Biloxi res-
work since losing her job all of its machines because it taurant is one of five Shaggy’s
in September because of doesn’t have enough employ- locations and has about 90
the coronavirus pandem- ees, or it has to shut down a employees.
ic. shift. Supervisors are run-
ning machines and driving “There’s a lot of coast res-
The 39-year-old mother forklifts because they can’t taurants that are having to
from Hattiesburg used to do find people to fill the roles. close on certain days of the
data entry at a law firm, and week because they don’t have
she has health issues that At the Half Shell Oyster enough employees that want
require her to work from House seafood restaurant to get paid, you know, $7.25
home. in Flowood, manager Jalen an hour to cook in the kitch-
Loggins said he has had simi- en,” Roberts said.
She said she has been do- to us asking for additional lar experiences. The restau-
ing three interviews a week Folks said the governor’s assistance because they have rant is hiring for all positions. He said he wants employees
and bought WiFi and a com- decision means her current work available, but they did to know they are valued.
puter to try to make herself a weekly check of $491 will go not have individuals coming “We’ve had people show up
stronger job candidate. But down to nothing. in to interview for positions,” to orientation, do the 2 1/2 “Have a little empathy, you
she hasn’t been able to find Cook said. “They don’t have hour orientation, and then know?” Roberts said. “We
work that will accommodate “I’m terrified, to be honest,” the workers to provide the never show back up,” he said. just want to make it so em-
her weekly doctor’s appoint- Folks said. “I just can’t live service that they offer.” ployees have a livable wage
ments. off of that.” Like many businesses, Half where they not only just take
The department has taken to Shell started an incentive care of themselves, they can
“Every time I put in an ap- About 90,000 people were re- social media in recent weeks program, offering a $300 take care of their families.”
plication and they call me, I ceiving the $300 unemploy- to encourage businesses to sign-on bonus and another
seem to hit a brick wall,” she ment supplement for reasons report applicants who refuse $300 after three months. Folks said she’s losing hope of
said. related to the coronavirus job offers while still collect- finding a job before the June
pandemic at the start of May, ing unemployment. The Many places are taking cre- 12 deadline. Tasks like buying
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves according to the Mississippi state set up an online portal ative approaches to attract clothes for her 11-year-old
announced May 10 that Mis- Department of Employment where employers can submit employees. son have become a source of
sissippi will opt out of the Security. applicants for investigation. stress.
$300-a-week federal supple- MGM Resorts International
ment for people who lost Reeves, a Republican, said Cook says reports have and Beau Rivage Resort & “I’m literally having to go
their jobs during the CO- he made the decision to stop surged since the state began Casino in Biloxi held a job to churches and beg them
VID-19 pandemic, as well as accepting the federal supple- pushing employers to make fair featuring ice sculptures to help,” she said. “It’s em-
other programs that offered ment after consulting with them. and live dancers. The Shrimp barrassing, I’ve worked my
extended support for the un- business owners and em- Basket restaurant chain is whole life, and now I have to
employed. ployees. Charita McCarrol is human raffling off a new car. Jack- ask people for help, and I’m
resources manager at Great son restaurant owner Jeff not one to do that.”
At least 24 Republican-led Even though most capacity Southern Industries, a pack- Good held a hiring carnival
states in the U.S. have now restrictions and other coro- aging company in Jackson. with games, balloons and ice Folks said there’s a miscon-
decided to end federal un- navirus regulations have She said she has used the cream. ception that people still on
employment benefits early, been lifted for businesses, state’s portal to make reports unemployment from the
months before they were set they still aren’t able to re- and she sees a lot of people Workers are demanding pandemic are lazy, and that
to expire in September 2021. cover fully because they can’t abusing the system. more than they were before they don’t want to work. She
That means millions of peo- find employees, said Erma the pandemic, employers say. said that’s not true for her.
ple will lose support. People Cook, director of the office “You can’t get people to come
in Mississippi, one of the of re-employment assistance to work,” McCarrol said. “It Matt Roberts, general man- “I’m just stuck between a
poorest states in the country at Mississippi Department of has been an absolute night- ager at Shaggy’s Biloxi Beach, rock and a hard place right
with the lowest-paying jobs, Employment Security. mare in the world of staffing said the restaurant is fully now,” Folks said. “It feels like
will be among the first to lose agencies.” staffed since it raised pay to there’s no way to get me out
benefits. “Employers are reaching out a guaranteed $15 an hour for of it.”

Hundreds gather at historic Tulsa church's prayer wall

(AP) — Hundreds gathered ing and leveling a 35-square-block As the ceremony came to an end, But that event was scrapped late last
Monday for an interfaith service area. Estimates of the death toll range participants put their hands on the week after an agreement couldn’t be
dedicating a prayer wall outside from dozens to 300. prayer wall along the side of the sanc- reached over monetary payments to
historic Vernon African Method- tuary while a soloist sung “Lift Every three survivors of the deadly attack,
ist Episcopal Church in Tulsa’s Barber, a civil and economic rights Voice and Sing.” Traffic hummed on a situation that highlighted broader
Greenwood neighborhood on the activist, said he was “humbled even a nearby interstate that cuts through debates over reparations for racial in-
centennial of the first day of one to stand on this holy ground.” the Greenwood District, which was justice.
of the deadliest racist massacres rebuilt after the massacre but slowly Disagreements among Black leaders
in the nation. “You can kill the people but you can- deteriorated 50 years later after homes in Tulsa over the handling of com-
not kill the voice of the blood.” were taken by eminent domain as part memoration events and millions of
National civil rights leaders, includ- of urban renewal in the 1970s. dollars in donations have led to two
ing the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Wil- Although the church was nearly de- Monday’s slate of activities commem- different groups planning separate
liam Barber, joined multiple local stroyed in the massacre, parishioners orating the massacre was supposed to slates of events marking the massa-
faith leaders offering prayers and re- continued to meet in the basement, culminate with a “Remember & Rise” cre’s 100-year anniversary. In addi-
marks outside the church that was and it was rebuilt several years later, headline event at nearby ONEOK tion to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
under construction and largely de- becoming a symbol of the resilience Field, featuring Grammy-award- Centennial Commission, the Black
stroyed when a white mob descended of Tulsa’s Black community. The winning singer and songwriter John Wall Street Legacy Festival scheduled
on the prosperous Black neighbor- building was added to the National Legend and a keynote address from a series of separate events over the
hood in 1921, burning, killing, loot- Register of Historic Places in 2018. voting rights activist Stacey Abrams. Memorial Day weekend.