Jim in WSJ!
FRYEBURG, Maine -- The U.S. unemployment system is an uneven field of haves, have-nots and borderline cases, all found among the laid-off workers of a Maine company that makes wood products such as rolling pins and levers for reclining chairs.
When workers at a wholesale unit of Saunders Brothers lost their jobs in recent months, they qualified for Maine's standard state unemployment benefits of up to 26 weeks. Those laid off from a different Saunders plant qualified for a richer package -- two years of unemployment checks, health-care subsidies, free college and other perks.
And at the company's Fryeburg plant, once among the world's biggest rolling-pin producers, former general manager James Mains and dozens of co-workers got standard state benefits -- until they fought the government and got the more generous benefits, too. "This isn't fair," Mr. Mains said.
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