Good afternoon everyone,

Welcome to another edition of the Keystone Labor Report. 

It’s day 28 of the ongoing federal government shutdown, and it doesn’t look like there’s any end in sight. Pennsylvania’s seven Democratic US House lawmakers called on Republican Speaker Mike Johnson to reopen the chamber, which has been closed since the start of the shutdown. 

Later today, professors and faculty members from Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) are scheduled to hold a rally outside of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex before they go into their final bargaining session. 

It’s been more than three years since HACC professors organized with the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), and they have worked without a contract and pay raise during that time. 

Their message for the administration this evening is simple. Come to the table and finalize a contract or risk 750 faculty professors and faculty members walking off the job. 

You can read more about the struggle for their first contract here. 

(Photo: Getty Images)

Close to 2 million Pennsylvanians could see their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (also known as food stamps) frozen this Saturday if the federal government shutdown continues. 

President Donald Trump’s administration is refusing to use contingency funds from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help 40 million Americans stay fed, and this has food banks across Pennsylvania scrambling. 

Philabundance, a Philadelphia area foodbank, is bracing for the impact of these cuts in the Philadelphia area.

“For every 1 meal food banks provide, SNAP provides 9. This will leave over 800,000 people in our region without access to the food they need — including mostly families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities,” a Philabundance spokesperson said in a statement. 

“That’s in addition to federal workers who are missing paychecks and turning to food banks to fill the gap. This crisis comes at a time when food banks are already strained, due to rising demand and recent cuts to federal resources.”

(Photo: White House)

Our favorite Pennsylvania billionaire, Jeffrey Yass, is back in the news again. 

CBS News reported last week that Yass, who is the state’s  richest billionaire and a large donor to the Republican Party, was listed among 100 private donors helping to pay for Trump’s $250 million ballroom. 

It’s not known how much money Yass donated – or if he donated at all – but the mega-billionaire has poured $16 million into Trump’s super PAC since the beginning of the year.

“Jeff Yass has cemented himself as yet another billionaire cozying up to Trump to protect his fortune and expand his influence. For billionaires like Yass, government isn’t about serving the public good, it’s an investment strategy,” Arielle Klagsburn, Pennsylvania Campaign Director with ACRE and member of the All Eyes On Yass campaign, said in a statement. 

You can read more about Yass’ longstanding relationship with Trump below. 

(Photo: AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

We are one week away from Election Day, and this is a friendly reminder for everyone to finalize your plan to vote. If you still have your mail-in ballots, now would be a good time to return them so they are received by Election Day. 

Also, remember to turn your ballot over to the back side to vote “yes” or “no” in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election.