Last week, Congress and the president approved the largest economic-stimulus bill in history. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES Act) includes provisions aimed at helping workers weather the COVID-19 emergency, and several of those provisions could benefit our members and their families.

From direct payments to unemployment benefits and mortgage relief, click here to read a summary examining aspects of the stimulus package that might apply to union members. For additional information about the three new unemployment-insurance programs the CARES Act creates, see this fact sheet .

Another federal law, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that was instituted March 18, also gives new benefits to many workers whose families have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to read a memo from the general president of our parent organization, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, about the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

The links below from North America's Building Trades Unions provide important, targeted information based on the CARES Act and FFCRA.

To protect yourself, your family, and your co-workers, and to reduce the risk that job sites where you work will be shut down, follow the guidelines here. Also see the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's guidance for workers.

Due to COVID-19, all SSMRC local meetings in the Central region (Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Oakridge) have been canceled for April. Local 2232 in Texas has suspended its April meeting as well. Members of other locals should contact their business agents (see contact information below) to inquire about April meetings.

Federal and many state deadlines for filing and paying income taxes have been extended. The federal deadline is now July 15. Click here to learn more about federal coronavirus tax relief, including economic-impact payments that are part of the CARES Act. State income-tax changes are listed here.

See the business agent contact information below, and remember to inform your agent of COVID-19-related job changes. We will continue to provide all forms of service and support to our members. For locals that do not have an online dues payment system in place, a staff member will go into the office one or two days a week to process dues payments. Local leaders will inform members of scheduled operation days.

If your job has ended or you have been laid off because of COVID-19, immediately contact your business representative. If there are no additional opportunities for employment through your union, then file for unemployment benefits as soon as possible.

Several states in our region are changing their unemployment rules regarding waiting periods, job searches, etc. Click here to see updates from every state, and start here to begin the application process:

Alabama: https://labor.alabama.gov/unemployment.aspx

Arkansas:  https://www.dws.arkansas.gov/unemployment/ezarc/

Florida: https://www.stateofflorida.com/articles/florida-unemployment/

Georgia: https://dol.georgia.gov/gdol-covid-19-information

Louisiana:  http://www.laworks.net/

Mississippi:  https://mdes.ms.gov/information-center/about-mdes/online-services/

North Carolina: https://des.nc.gov/apply-unemployment/filing-your-unemployment-application

Oklahoma:  https://www.ok.gov/oesc/

South Carolina: https://dew.sc.gov/individuals/apply-for-benefits

Tennessee: https://www.tn.gov/workforce/unemployment/apply-for-benefits.html. This video explains how to use an app to file your weekly certification.

Texas:  https://twc.texas.gov/jobseekers/unemployment-benefits-services. See these additional tips for Texans.

The Carpenters International Training Center and all training centers in our area are temporarily closed. Training center directors are observing CDC and state infection-control guidelines and are reassessing the situation on a regular basis. Please contact your  local training center for detailed policies and procedures.

The Carpenters International Training Fund is extending qualification and certification credentials run through CITF for up to 90 days for members whose credentials are set to expire during the closures. This will allow affected members to remain on job sites. The extension includes rigging and building envelope certifications. CITF will monitor the situation and reevaluate every 30 days. If you have questions or concerns regarding the extensions, contact your business agent or training department.

If you would like to help your community respond to COVID-19, there are many volunteer opportunities. Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to senior citizens, needs help in all communities it serves. Delivering meals to retired union members and gathering N-95 masks to take to hospitals are also options. Additional volunteer opportunities are available through the sites below. Please keep your business agent and our communications director, Olivia McMurrey ( [email protected]), updated on your volunteer activities.

Many parts of our 11-state region are under shelter-in-place or safer-at-home orders. Click here to see which states, counties, and cities are affected. In addition, Arkansas banned public and private gatherings of 10 or more people effective March 27.

Please consult the specific order(s) in place in your area, but, in general, shelter-in-place and safer-at-home orders mean you should:

Fear and anxiety related to COVID-19 can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Here are some tips to help you and your family cope.

Scammers are taking advantage of COVID-19-related fear and misinformation. Here are some tips to help keep malicious actors at bay:

Learn more at https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing.