“Strike-MayDay2020-Seattle” by Flickr user Backbone Campaign is licensed under CC BY 2.0
by Alice McIntyre
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into an unprecedented social and economic crisis. The Washington Post reports that bosses have responded to the economic downturn with massive layoffs and furloughs, resulting in a soar in unemployment claims over the past two months. With roughly 95% of the U.S. population under stay-at-home orders according to an April 7 Business Insider article, the economy is increasingly reliant on a skeleton crew of essential workers to keep the lights on.
… the economy is increasingly reliant on a skeleton crew of essential workers to keep the lights on.
As the disaster deepens, workers throughout the country are taking action to demand safe working conditions, personal protective equipment and hazard pay.
The wave of strikes and protests isn’t limited to one specific industry. Defying Trump’s order to keep meatpacking plants open, workers at facilities in Minnesota and Nebraska walked off the job. The Hill reported on April 28 that the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, the two largest teachers’ unions in the country, say they are prepared to strike if schools reopen without adequate safety measures. Uber and Lyft drivers have organized several protests demanding back pay, classification as employees and not independent contractors, and unemployment assistance, according to Mother Jones.
Mike Gath, a UPS worker and member of Teamsters Local 25 Union in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, issued a series of leaflets with the demand “No Safety, No Work” after 11 cases of COVID-19 were detected at his workplace. Gath’s leaflets, stating that “ … this is a matter of life and death for us all right now,” describe the company’s seeming indifference to the conditions of their employees. Workers are provided with only minimal protective equipment, and no thorough cleaning and disinfection of the facility is taking place. The leaflets don’t mope, however; they call for action. Gath stated on April 3, “ … in many places and industries around the country – even Amazon – workers are taking action, saying we refuse to die for the bosses’ profits. It’s starting to wake many people up to the fact that without the labor of us, the working class, nothing moves. That means we have power. It’s high time to use it.”
… without the labor of us, the working class, nothing moves. That means we have power. It’s high time to use it.
Mike Gath
While workers and their unions fight for their lives, another, very different kind of protest has garnered significant media attention. Hundreds of maskless Americans have poured into the streets of several cities, demanding the reopening of the economy. The Washington Post reports that the demonstrations are in no small part organized and funded by a “powerful network” of conservative groups and donors, in contrast to those fighting for increased worker protections. These protests, which include many far-right figures such as Infowars’ Alex Jones, express a sense of indignation at the absence of certain consumer comforts. Conspiracy theories are not alien to the protesters, many of whom express the belief that the pandemic is a hoax or greatly exaggerated. Georgia, one of the first states to reopen, is projected to see deaths nearly double by August, according to CNN.
