Unemployed workers in Maryland are going to court to try to stop the state from cutting off federal aid to the jobless, the Baltimore Sun reported. The Unemployed Workers Union announced a lawsuit Thursday challenging Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to end several pandemic unemployment programs early. The class-action lawsuit in Baltimore Circuit Court also seeks benefits for people whose cases have been pending in the state’s claims system. Named as defendants are Hogan and Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson. The plaintiffs are six Maryland residents who have filed for unemployment. They want a judge to issue an injunction to stop Hogan from ending the federal benefits. They also want the court to declare that the unemployment claimants have a right to withheld benefits, speedy adjudication of claims and adequate communication from the state labor department. Many claimants have been disqualified from benefits “without explanation or hearing” or “were placed in an ‘on-hold’ status for months at a time or indefinitely,” the lawsuit claims.
