Yesterday, April 13, 2020, I came in on my first day as a new hire in MARTA's Customer Care Center. Before my first day, I asked the Senior Recruiting Officer in human resources what practices MARTA had in place for COVID-19. She told me that I could wear a mask, but she wasn't sure what the Customer Care Center's practices were. However, that is not what I saw when I showed up for duty. I got mean and nasty stares from several MARTA employees - even the front desk security guard. Worst, the Customer Care Center management - on top of stating they were not ready on how to go about training me during COVID-19, I had to endure rude and snide remarks where I was told I need to speak up and that this is a call center and I need to speak up. Mind you, I had to endure such insults and snide remarks despite the fact that I bring over seven years of experience in call center and customer service. Therefore, no frank and practical discussion was made to me about how my training would be conducted and whether or not I could wear the mask. The day culminated with the Customer Care Center director, Ms. De Jesus, accusing me of being "insubordinate" after I tried to speak louder to her and the other managers - because they repeatedly told me they could not hear me. I saw at the Customer Care Center that no one was wearing masks - including management. Their solution to comply with CDC guidelines was to rotate sending home some employees to work, and bringing them back into the office. However, my previous employer did not take such risks with our call center - they sent all employees to work virtually and did not place a requirement on us to return to the office. In sum, MARTA's management shamelessly had no issue with making false allegations of me being "insubordinate", so that they could wipe their hands free of being inconvenienced in having to allow me to wear a mask to work and/or make reasonable accommodations to protect its employees. Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend in many workplaces - where employers are not protecting their employees, and resorting to manufacturing incidents where they can remove someone under a subjective allegation of being "insubordinate"; and, with this pandemic - such illegal and immoral practices should be condemned.

1. Your employees, once labeled "expendable" and "non-essential", have been on the front lines providing the best customer service to your customers since before this pandemic begun. The difference now is that you just realized how essential these employees actually are to your multimillion dollar company, they are literally the ones keeping your company alive. 2. These employees are now working under extremely hazardous conditions where they run the risk of contracting COVID-19, it would be the humane thing to compensate them for putting themselves at risk to keep your company afloat. 3. Many of these employees are susceptible to the harsh effects that covid-19 can cause. Some employees run a higher risk than others, but with no other choice but to work because finances have become an even bigger necessity during this time, many are forced to run that risk. 4. It is inhumane to exploit your employees during this pandemic (and even when not experiencing a pandemic) for the work that they are able to provide, and sometimes forced to provide on the grounds that they can be fired for not wanting to risk their lives for $14 an hour, and not AT LEAST consider the hazardous conditions they are put through and warrant the use of Hazard pay & paid sick leave for those that are not able to come to work because they don't want to risk getting others sick. 5. It is extremely important that you understand how much you rely on these employees as much as they rely on you for their biweekly checks to be able to make ends meet. These employees are essential, they are the backbone of Pizza Hut, and they do their best to please customers and hit sales. 6. It is important that you act with empathy during a pandemic and truly show your employees that you care about them and their families. Not by insulting them with free food, but by giving them a bonus for all their hard work even during a crisis in which they run the risk of being infected all to keep your company running.

Adam Witt, President of HPAE Local 5058 at HMH Jersey Shore University Medical Center: "I began to pursue a career in nursing after watching the response to Hurricane Katrina on TV. I felt helpless and heart broken as I watched so many struggle. Years later, I’m an emergency department nurse in the midst of a health crisis. This is exactly why I became an RN. My job, as a nurse, is to advocate for my patients. My job, as a union president, is to advocate for our union members and all staff. Management is trying to squash my efforts in ensuring protection for all of us, firing me when our community needs all of us. Administration is punishing nurses for speaking out, rather than listening to the front line staff’s demands for the protections we need so we can stay healthy while saving lives. It's a terrifying thought, but if we get sick, who will be there to take care of you or your loved ones?" We, the undersigned community members, demand that Hackensack Meridian Health ensures healthcare workers have the resources and protections they need to continue to provide safe care and treatment during these unprecedented times. We demand that Hackensack Meridian bring back their front line workers who have been suspended, wrongfully terminated, and retaliated against for speaking out on behalf of all those who need care and protection during this crisis. Hackensack Meridian, put an end to retaliatory actions and focus on protecting workers and patients by providing all staff with: Appropriate and Accessible PPE and Safety Equipment Accessible and Timely Covid Testing Paid Time Off for ALL Quarantined Healthcare Workers Accessible Childcare Hazard Pay on All Hours Worked Fix the PTO that was Audited During a Pandemic Prove that corporate healthcare can have a heart. For more on this, please read: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/business/coronavirus-health-workers-speak-out.html

Several coworkers have voiced their inability to pay their rent, myself included, due to their roommates or significant others finding themselves with no source of income.

As healthcare workers, we are experts at providing care to others. To make it through the COVID-19 pandemic, we must also advocate for each other. If we are not safe and our voices are not respected, then our patients are not safe. Please join us in signing your name and encourage all your coworkers to do the same!

Uber eats delivery drivers are currently putting their health at risk every day when they decide to go “Online”/“On-Duty”. For some it is out of necessity that they chose to work. For others, it is to help the community of dependent individuals that rely on delivered food, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I believe that for a company like Uber to still, during these difficult and frightening times, not consider delivery drivers employees, comes off as insensitive. When all other non essential employees of America, and probably the world now, are being told to stay home. Uber eats, “essential” drivers are some of the few that are allowed to continue working for the benefit of the consumer. When all other essential workers of America are being offered bonuses, hazard pay, above minimum wage pay, during the pandemic, Uber eats drivers are at the ‘front-line’ risking it all for what seems like nothing.

Hourly sales advisors have taken approximately 30-40% pay cut due to reduced hours and technicians(the men and women who have to get in and out of several different vehicles per day) have taken as much as a 70% cut in pay. No salary employees have lost a single dime in salary and many are working from home, away from the danger. Firestone should pay front line employees hazard pay for risking their health in order for the company to maintain customer base.

We are considered as essential critical infrastructure workers and have been working 3 a.m. to 1 a.m., almost around the clock 7days a week, after Governors around the nation issued the Emergency Directives and/or orders to stay home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As frontline airline employees, we face the general public and take pride in servicing and assisting those who travel from around the country and the world. However, that means we interact with our customers in close proximity. We take their boarding passes, driver licenses, passports, paperwork and luggage from them though it is very difficult to maintain six-feet social distancing. As a result, we are often coughed on, sneezed on and even spat on occasionally. We feel very vulnerable and have been working in fear during this pandemic period with the life threatening illness. The company recently allowed us to wear a face covering at work and we know you are trying to ship face masks to each station. However, due to a worldwide shortage of masks, we may have to wait a several weeks for the shipment. In addition, according to the CDC, they recommend wearing face covers so that people around us are protected as we might be asymptomatic. That means it might protect others, but we still won’t be protected. This is to protect both our customers and ourselves.

Chicago continues to be the epicenter of coronavirus cases in Illinois, with cases increasing every day, despite social distancing efforts. The city is opening soon but the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains, and a vaccine will most likely not be on the market before the end of 2020. The threat of coronavirus has not gone away, and will only grow exponentially once shelter in place orders are lifted and more of the population interacts with one another. The decision to open is one of economic pressure, not because the virus has lessened in severity. The majority of Foxtrot workers are uninsured, which makes it harder for us to receive proper medical care if we get sick. This threatens not only the lives of employees, but any guest who enters the stores. Furthermore, as noted by Demei Campbell of Foxtrot West Loop, “it is no secret that during this pandemic, people of color have been disproportionately affected and with that knowledge we have yet to receive any indication that will ensure our contributions will not go under appreciated. What is evident is that this type of relationship with corporations and front line workers has been normalized. It is evident that things are being handled through a white privileged lens and everyone is comfortable and complacent with the way things have been going.” Re-opening is not acceptable, as it denies the reality of many of the employees on the ground at Foxtrot, risking their lives by leaving their homes to serve the community, make the business run as successfully as possible, and obtain their livelihoods. During these trying and uncertain times, we urge Foxtrot to look after its staff and community and to treat them with dignity so we can be united. The best thing we can do right now is to look out for one another. The numbers that are reported every day aren’t statistics; they are human lives – fathers, mothers, sons, daughters. Our pride for Foxtrot has turned into helplessness and we feel forgotten by management and corporate. We have first-hand experience seeing young people’s cards declining and have had handfuls of conversations with customers who have lost their jobs. It would be devastating to see a customer or another employee contract COVID-19 knowing we could’ve done more to address this. By fulfilling the desired demands mentioned above, Foxtrot will ensure the health and well-being of its employees and customers impacted by this global crisis. As store team members, vendors, dispatchers and general managers we are exposed to unsafe conditions while everyone above a certain pay grade is protected. We, the front-line workers, will be the ones to lead the way during this public health, economic, and political crisis. Support us and acknowledge the incredible work we are doing - instead of ordering lattes from us, join us. Thank us for the work we are doing. Let us know we aren’t alone in this! We in no way want to halt store operation or to put the community at risk of losing our service, but storewide we are prepared to engage in further actions that are protected under federal law, specifically, Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act as well as collective action designed to safeguard our immediate health and wellbeing from imminent danger as defined by OSHA, Standard number 1977.12 (b) (2).

Walmart is the country’s largest corporate employer, and I’m alarmed at how little they’re doing to stop the spread of the virus. Walmart also laid the groundwork for this crisis through years of negligence, leaving hundreds of thousands of employees without adequate paid sick leave or health insurance. That means if someone wakes up sick, they have to make the impossible decision between working sick or losing their pay. What Walmart decides to do doesn’t just affect folks who work there -- it affects customers, suppliers, contractors, and families when their loved ones die due to corporate negligence.

We are putting our lives, our health, our families’ health, and the well-being of our communities at risk! Luggers continue to demand that Lugg treats its workers with respect and dignity, as things have not improved since we launched our first petition: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/treat-luggers-with-dignity-and-respect Since stay-at-home orders started due to the COVID-19 Epidemic, Lugg has been asking that we pair-up with our moving partners, and sit inside our vans for hours without dispatching any jobs, therefore not getting paid, and being exposed to Coronavirus. We have not received proper training or protective gear to respond to the crisis, and we are not given the opportunity to clock-out and comply with stay-at-home orders. Instead, we are being constantly asked to begin shifts earlier, and then Support makes us wait for hours without work and without pay. If we leave, they demote us, scold us, or punish us for not being available - even when there is no work!

To protect prevent and safety and save life.Thank you.