May 05, 2020
Today is #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of unity and giving. In these times of stress and uncertainty, we are grateful to be part of a movement that promotes generosity, gratitude, and community spirit. No group embodies that spirit more than the heroes of this pandemic, frontline workers. The grocery store clerks, nurses, cleaners, warehouse workers, and bus drivers who day in and day out, make it possible for the rest of us to shelter in place to protect our families. They deserve our applause and our support. We encourage you to find a non-profit that provides direct relief to these workers and give generously to ensure that they can survive the economic fallout caused by this pandemic.
Because as CEPR pointed out in this recent report, frontline workers weren’t just essential before the pandemic hit, they were also overworked, underpaid, under-protected, and underappreciated. The data show workers in frontline industries are disproportionately women. And certain frontline industries stand out for having a high incidence of uninsured workers, workers living in low-income families, or overrepresented by workers of color or immigrants.
“These workers deserve more than charity”
Please continue to applaud these workers whose efforts are literally keeping us alive. They deserve it. But they also deserve a government that cares about their well-being. These workers deserve more than charity, they deserve a congress that recognizes their value to society.
This is where CEPR comes in. We need your support as well, so we can continue to push for the policies that will ensure that frontline workers have access to paid sick and family leave. To promote policies that make it possible for them to earn enough to be able to support their families in the future, long after Covid 19. They need consumer and labor protections like hazard pay or additional compensation. CEPR has been fighting for these policies for 20 years, and they are exactly what is needed as we look to recovery. CEPR’s work couldn’t be more timely, or more necessary.
“…they deserve a government that cares about their well-being”
So please, don’t just appreciate frontline workers, help us to empower them. They need real change, not just charity. Show your support for CEPR this GivingTuesdayNow. We promise that we will work as hard as they do, day in and day out.
