On May Day on Friday, protesters across the country—online, in car caravans, and “socially distanced” on the streets—demanded housing protections and fair wages for workers and immigrants. Essential workers from Amazon, Instacart, Walmart, Whole Foods, Target and FedEx held a mass strike for better conditions and hazard pay. Nurses at more than 100 hospitals demanded personal protective equipment. It’s crucial that we keep up the pressure on companies and governments to protect frontline workers struggling to survive the pandemic.
This week’s Take Action Now gives you ways to support frontline workers, demand housing protections, and fight for voting rights.
Take Action Now gives you three meaningful actions you can take each week whatever your schedule. You can sign up here to get these actions and more in your inbox every Tuesday.
NO TIME TO SPARE?
Transit workers are some of the most crucial and at-risk frontline workers confronting the pandemic. But transit systems nationwide are under severe financial stress due to lower ridership and heightened costs of maintaining safety. Check out and share the Labor Network for Sustainability’s Transit Equity campaign to demand that Congress increase allocation for emergency assistance to public transit in the next round of economic stimulus. Scroll down through Transit Equity’s action toolkit to find a template letter to send to your congressional representatives.
GOT SOME TIME?
As bills mount with little economic relief in sight, renters across the country declared a rent strike on May 1. Check out We Strike Together’s growing map of rent and mortgage strikes since March, and read and help circulate stories from people experiencing housing insecurity amidst the pandemic in New York. Join the strike by sharing your story with the We Strike Together campaign.
READY TO DIG IN?
The stakes of national and local races in November are life or death for many communities, and it’s crucial that everyone’s vote is counted. Tell Congress to pass emergency vote-by-mail legislation, and tell state election officials that Americans shouldn’t have to choose between their health and their right to vote. Ask them what actions they’re taking on voter security, too, but first check out Secure Our Votes’ map of election security priorities by state. Attend a virtual volunteer event with SwingLeft, and check out their virtual organizing guide to see how you can get out the vote while social distancing.
