Patrick,
Our members are risking their lives to help their fellow New Yorkers, keeping them healthy, fed and safe, and they desperately need their country’s support and protection. Too many have inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and lack clear and sufficient government standards to keep them safe.
The federal government has passed four rounds of COVID-19 emergency relief for essential workers as well as those whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted, but much more is required. Text CARES2 to 877877 to take action! We will connect you with your member of Congress.
Members’ jobs have been eliminated with no certainty they will ever return. The numbers are simply staggering. Looking at the hospitality workforce alone, 95% of the hotel industry and 100% of the gaming industry in New York have been laid off. Emergency leave protections will help those who remain on the payroll, but too many workers do not qualify and the benefit levels for those who do will prove inadequate the longer this crisis persists.
State and local governments’ budgets have been ravaged, threatening the vital services New Yorkers are relying on now more than ever. Although, federal aid will assist in maintaining some critical services, more money with greater flexibility will be essential for our long-term success.
With these challenges in mind, Congress and the President must address Labor’s priorities for the next relief package. Learn more at nysaflcio.org/cares2
Stay Safe. Stay Union Strong.
New York State AFL-CIO