The Bay Area Essential Workers Agenda launched Wednesday, April 27 with a kickoff at the San Francisco City Hall. The Essential Workers Platform is made up of a coalition of 7 workers centers representing immigrant workers and workers of color in the Bay Area.
Together, the coalition surveyed 1400+ low-wage workers to find out how they have been impacted by the pandemic and what they want in a good job. 3/4 of those surveyed lost work, 2/3 could not access Unemployment Insurance, over 1/2 could not access Paid Sick Leave, and over 1/4 said they would not report a violation by their employers.
Out of this survey, workers created a four-point platform for a true economic recovery. As one of the nation’s most prosperous regions recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, essential workers in the Bay Area should have the following, summarized here:
- Thriving wages, with paid sick leave and paid time off.
- Voice and respect on the job, the right to organize without retaliation.
- Safety net: healthcare, unemployment, and family care.
- Real pathways to quality jobs, with paid training and advancement opportunities.
The only way to get real recovery from COVID, stability in our communities, and true community safety is to make sure everyone can earn a good living, with good jobs that sustain our families.
Learn more about the platform, and how you can support it here.
Bay Rising supported our member organizations within the coalition through communications support that included: press outreach, graphic design, branding, the creation and implementation of a social media launch toolkit, banners, art creation and distribution, website creation, video planning, overall communications coordination, messaging, and editing.
