The coronavirus pandemic has changed life for us all. Earlier this week, Governor Kate Brown ordered everyone in Oregon to only leave home for necessities, including only essential personnel allowed to go to work. There’s a great deal of uncertainty; we don’t know how long this will last or how much damage will be done to our collective health and economy. We do know that we need immediate relief for workers and businesses, and a long-term recovery plan to get our state back on track. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that Oregon’s recovery plan protects all workers.
Write your state legislators and tell them to Protect ALL Workers.
Last week, SEIU Executive Director Melissa Unger joined other union leaders and advocates to urge the Legislature to center coronavirus relief on workers. The Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response continued to meet this week to craft legislation to help our state survive and recover from this pandemic. You can view policy proposals here.
A special legislative session could happen as early as next week to pass legislation in response to coronavirus. This is a critical moment to ensure that Oregon’s coronavirus recovery protects ALL workers. Here’s how you can help today:
- Continue to practice social distancing/shelter-in-place, and follow guidance from public health professionals as well as new laws and rules in Oregon.
- Write your state legislators and tell them to Protect ALL Workers.
- Share our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter posts so more people know that we need to Protect ALL Workers.
Our Union has worked with other labor leaders and advocates to develop a policy that prioritizes Oregon’s taxpayer dollars to go towards helping working families. It’s essential that our state’s plan includes no rollbacks on worker protections, and no business relief without centering workers. Recovery will cost more resources than Oregon has. That’s why we must first use federal resources, and use state resources cautiously in a way that reflects our values. Oregon must center our coronavirus relief on workers.