There is a time for profit, but this is not that time. The actions of leadership in the Co-op during the coronavirus pandemic have been disingenuous: they have breached trust, they have disrespected the workers who represent the Co-op, and they have put human lives at risk in the interest of sales numbers. In a crisis such as this, the REI Co-op needs to be a leader in our communities and in our country by putting people over profits. We do not live in the same world we did a year ago, and we must courageously embrace change. Industries will change, businesses will fail, and we will have to find a way forward. This is a difficult and unprecedented situation, but it is not impossible. Now is the time for the Co-op, at every level, to live our values. These demands are not made for the selfish gain of a few during this unprecedented crisis, but rather in the interest of protecting everyone at the Co-op, both members and stewards — we go further together, after all. These demands are about worker’s rights. They are about public health and safety. Granting these demands will create trust in the Co-op for employees and members alike, and will maintain the reputation this company has been building since 1938. To fail in doing so would be failing at the Co-op’s most basic goal: to enjoy a life well-lived. We are all responsible for the Co-op’s results. It’s time for Co-op leadership to do their part.

NYCHA staff have worked diligently in the field and remotely since the outbreak of the pandemic to maintain NYCHA housing, and will continue to do so. Safety, however, is paramount for the sake of the workers, the residents, and the people of city. NYCHA developments have been hit hard by the coronavirus, which has had a disproportionate effect on working people and communities of color. The age and condition of residential buildings and offices have made social distancing difficult. Many staff and residents had health and safety issue with NYCHA even before the outbreak.  We need to know that NYCHA is following city-wide guidelines and all applicable safety standards are being met so staff can safely provide services and the employees, residents and neighborhoods are protected.

Bank employees continue to be at risk to exposure to COVID-19, especially since states have eased lockdown restrictions and now the virus is surging. If workers are expected to perform in these hazardous conditions they should be compensated with hazard pay. Furthermore, the hazard pay should not have a set timeline, it should be provided for the duration of this pandemic.

Amazon has made numerous statements in the recent pass saying that it supports Black lives - for instance in a twitter post it wrote: "The inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop. Together we stand in solidarity with the Black community — our employees, customers, and partners — in the fight against systemic racism and injustice." Black and Latinx people are significantly more likely to be impacted by coronavirus than people of other backgrounds. This is the result of the systemic racism and injustice Amazon claims to stand in solidarity with us against. If that's the case, they should be willing to forego the service of this facility long enough to ensure that workers are as safe as they possibly can be. 1 preventable death is unacceptable. Shut down this facility in defense of Black lives!

On or around Friday, June 19th, 2020, postings went up at Metro stating that masks with the words “I AM ESSENTIAL, NOT SACRIFICIAL” were political statements and not allowed to be worn while an employee was on paid time. Metro Management initially restricted drivers from wearing any masks at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in March; Deputy Manager Crystal Martin suggested that masks were ineffective and did not need to be worn at a meeting with employees. City services were shut down or went remote, but Transit Operators were required to continue working with the public without sufficient protections or hazard pay. When masks were finally allowed, Metro workers began circulating these masks with our Teamster union emblem and the phrase “I AM ESSENTIAL, NOT SACRIFICIAL” along with Teamsters at numerous other employers across the country, public and private. This is protected concerted activity under Wisconsin 111.70(2) RIGHTS OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, “Municipal employees have the right of self-organization, and the right to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in lawful, concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.” Teachers and other public servants have acted collectively, wearing buttons and other literature for their mutual aid and protection, upheld consistently by the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission and the courts. Metro workers have had to push consistently for safe working conditions and respect, through lock down and now as the City reopens - WE ARE ESSENTIAL, NOT SACRIFICIAL.

Starbucks Happy Hours have become a well-known promotional event in the past few years for the company. Every few weeks from 2p-7p, customers can treat themselves with various offers that typically include getting a free drink or a drink at a discounted price. While these help boost store sales, they also put customers and Starbucks employees (partners) in danger during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starbucks relaunched Happy Hour on June 18th of this year when COVID-19 cases are beginning to increase again across the country. As a fellow barista who worked Happy Hour on June 18th, I encountered hundreds of customers in the Drive-Thru and inside of our cafe who were not wearing masks, not social distancing, and going in and out of our restrooms constantly. With recent labor cuts due to the COVID-19 crisis, we as baristas don’t have the opportunity to wash our hands frequently or sanitize the cafe during these few hours of extreme business influx. In many stores, cafe’s went hours without being sanitized due to the high volume of customers and low levels of staffing. Furthermore, Happy Hour is now being implemented again while hazard pay for all Starbucks partners has ended, even though the risk of contracting COVID-19 has not gone away and has even increased. We love our customers and communities but a global pandemic is not the time to be driving hundreds of extra customers to Starbucks stores to drive up profit and put your own customers and partners at risk. We as Starbucks partners insist that Happy Hour be cancelled for the remainder of 2020 across all US Starbucks locations and potentially delayed even longer into 2021 depending on the state of the pandemic within the U.S. Other promotional offers can be provided to Starbucks customers without the need to drive a huge amount of customers into stores at one specific time. Right now, partner and customer safety needs to be the top priority, not BOGO Frappuccino's and caramel macchiatos.

In addition to the pay increase period coming to an end, partner hours have recently been reduced. Many employees have had to resort to filing for partial unemployment to meet financial needs. Until conditions have returned to the pre-pandemic status that we were accustomed to, employees should be granted an hourly pay increase that would effectively provide financial stability.

Starbucks admits to being "committed to caring for the health and well-being of [their] partners," yet is failing to do so by removing the premium pay. This pandemic is not over.

We're facing unexpected challenges and risks by working in long-term care during this pandemic. We do our jobs to make sure our residents receive the best possible care, and we want to make sure we're safe and cared for in the process.

Because of their classification of us, we do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits. We're not given the same benefits, we're not given the same paid time off, we're not even allowed in the union - at least not the way my district negotiated ESS's contract, I can imagine this is true elsewhere. It's ludicrous that I could work alongside district hired employees who have Union representatives to be their voice & hold the school accountable during this very uncertain time. Subcontracting teacher's aides, especially special education ones, like me, is bad for students, staff & the reputation of the school. It also entirely disenfranchises aspiring educators, like myself, who took a permanent position with a school to fund my way to teacher certification. Now, why would I even bother....? I'm sure many are in my position & that needs to change now for the future of education. Forbes named them a best largest employer for 3 years in a row, at the very least that needs to stop.

Why are we making these requests? We all care deeply about Tazza d’Oro and the people that we serve, but we cannot continue to work if it is unsafe and our basic needs aren’t met (ie. health insurance and clear status’ of pay). We want to continue to work at Tazza d’Oro, but we want it to be a better work environment, one that is safe for ourselves and customers. Many of these requests were in front of mind prior to COVID19, but the pandemic has made their need even clearer. Again - we love our jobs. We would like to return. We just request that we are treated with transparency from management and dignity, as we the baristas provide the efficacy and sustainability of the company.

We have dedicated ourselves to growing and sustaining Crazy Mocha because we believe in the value it brings to Pittsburgh’s communities. Many of us have worked for years to serve our customers with a high standard of customer service and care. We are valuable members of the business and should be treated as such. Instead, we have been ignored and treated as if we were of no importance to Crazy Mocha whatsoever. We haven't heard anything from the Company since March 26. Any information we've gathered has been from public news reports and social media. Our personal appeals for information are disregarded. Our comments are deleted from social media posts. We've already reached out to the Corporate team who is still working and received total radio silence. Even before this pandemic, when we've reached out to HR in the past, we've been told our concerns are invalid and to stop contacting them about our issues. Many of us have been manipulated by the company: we've been falsely promised benefits for which we weren't actually eligible, we've been told we'd make a higher wage for a shift and never paid that rate, we've been lied to about the nature of regular raises. We've had safety and security issues in stores and been told to just call 911. We have felt extremely disrespected and dehumanized, as if we're completely replaceable. We are a big reason that regular customers keep coming back and, first and foremost, would like this fact to be acknowledged. We look forward to being able to return to our jobs. We care enough that we would like to see changes so that we can continue to provide an excellent product and exceptional service like we always have. We just ask that our concerns are taken seriously and with heart.