COSI Emplyees Have a Choice

This quote from today's Toledo Blade gives the "Hobson's choice" for COSI's employees: "After the hour-long session, no exact date was set, with Mr. Waterman explaining that it will depend, in part, on whether the staff favor receiving modest severance pay to tide them over while they seek new jobs or are willing to go with less to keep the doors open longer."

What would you do? I would take the money, and run. Of course, there are some employees who are believers in a social ideal, and would stay until the very end. How does severance pay affect unemployment?