According to the UN, hazard pay is “a form of compensation granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions, such as war or active hostilities, prevailed and where the evacuation of families and nonessential staff had taken place.” We are in the middle of a global crisis. Trader Joe’s — and grocery stores at large — are ensuring our communities can safely and comfortably quarantine/self-isolate. But the workers stocking the shelves have not received any sort of security from Trader Joe’s corporate or ALDI, which owns Trader Joe’s, that we can be compensated for the essential service we are providing. Trader Joe’s offered to reimburse sick time for any worker who becomes ill for up to one week. That is insufficient — it requires workers to work until they get sick before they can receive any compensation for putting their lives in danger, and it does nothing to answer concerns of part-time or new crewmembers who don’t qualify for medical insurance should they become ill. Trader Joe’s proudly employs elderly and disabled workers, two demographics that are most at risk for becoming critically ill from COVID-19. Yet those workers can’t afford to avoid work and keep themselves safe. Grocery stores and hospitals are on the frontlines right now, but grocery store workers don’t have access to the same precautions and resources as hospital workers. Hazard pay and guaranteed closure pay provides security, comfort, and increased morale knowing our company has our backs.

We are a labor movement within Whole Foods known as Whole Worker. Just the other day, we exposed Whole Foods’ cruelty and indifference by asking struggling workers to donate their own hard-earned PTO to support one another while being owned by the richest man on the planet. Even in a time of international crisis, Whole Foods continues to show reckless disregard for our safety and chooses profits over life. Sadly, this is not a problem unique to Whole Foods and Amazon. It is in-fact the reality for retail workers all over the world. Therefore, we are calling on all Whole Foods team members and retail workers worldwide to join us in a globally organized sick-out happening on May 1st, 2020. Our leaders and executives believe that profits are more important than our health, our wellbeing and ultimately, our very lives. Join us on May 1st by calling out sick to work and show your leaders that profit is generated by the workers. Please sign this petition and share with your friends, co-workers and fellow retail workers everywhere. We also call on the AFL-CIO and CtW to begin organizing the unorganized and supporting this effort. Instead of donating millions of dollars in anonymous campaign contributions to corrupt politicians who continue to fail working class people, assist in the creation of a sick-out fund for non-union workers and support grassroots organizers fighting for a better world. Additionally, we call for our presidential candidates and other public officials vying for re-election to explicitly stand with us by guaranteeing to pass progressive policies that will improve working conditions and update labor laws, including a clear federal law against anti-union busting. We call for our elected officials to stop accepting dark money from powerful corporations to fund their campaigns to fuel empty promises. Workers in this country fought and died for the right to organize and a 40-hour work week. However, these have been taken away from us as global capitalism has ravaged the gains the labor movement achieved this past century. In the midst of this pandemic and as we stare over the edge towards ecological, political, and economic collapse, we will still continue organizing and fighting. We hope and know a better world is possible, and we know that we can achieve it. Martin Luther King once said: “The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” The coronavirus pandemic has made it clear to workers around the world that corporations are willing to sacrifice their morality and society as a whole for short term gains. All they want is to continue to exercise control to keep us silent. This is why workers need power in the workplace. It is time we flex. It is time we fight back. Please join us on May 1st, 2020. In solidarity, Whole Worker’s National Organizing Committee

UPDATE as of April 29: WeWork is making it increasingly clear that they do not care about the health and safety of their workers or members. Every WeWork location in North America is open and they plan to remain open in violation of many state and local stay-at-home orders. This petition is only one step to pressure WeWork to close. Please also report WeWork to your local Attorney General. In DC where I live, that's District AG Karl Racine, and DC residents can submit consumer complaints at https://doag-sandbox.force.com/dcoagcomplaints/s/. All petition signers in the United States, please take a minute now to look up your state or territory's Attorney General and file a complaint if WeWork is open in your area in violation of a stay-at-home order. Original text as posted March 15: WeWork can and must practice the leadership it claims in the coworking space by taking action now to protect both the physical health and economic health of its workers and members. Shared surfaces and especially shared kitchens are a major way the coronavirus spreads. Increasing routine cleanings is not sufficient to protect WeWork workers, members, and the people we share our homes with. Other coworking spaces are closing their doors out of a well-reasoned sense of responsibility to the public, and The Wing has announced it will not charge its members in their next billing cycle. Data coming out of countries with robust COVID-19 testing shows that many asymptomatic 20somethings are testing positive for the novel coronavirus, meaning they might not be concerned for their own health but they will spread the virus to others unless they practice social distancing. People like me in our 20s, 30s, and 40s who don't feel ill are exactly the people I've seen voluntarily coming to my WeWork these last few weeks, and while a week ago it wasn't widely understood how severe an impact healthy people going about our regular routines would have on the pandemic, we know now. Coworking is a threat to public health and cannot continue during the coronavirus pandemic. I'm a WeWork member in Washington, DC and have been since 2015. I've been going to my WeWork daily despite the mounting scientific evidence of the need for social distancing because I'm a sole proprietor and I rely on my daily walk to the office, the delicious coffee, my desk with its bright natural light, and the friendly faces to keep me sane and provide a little stability during the roller coaster of building my business -- which turns five years old this week! As a small business owner I can't afford to pay for services I don't use. WeWork, a multinational corporation that recently gave its failed former CEO a golden parachute worth hundreds of millions of dollars, can afford to do the right thing by its members and workers. Big companies like WeWork are absolutely capable of moving money around in order to simultaneously pay its workers and suspend membership fees. WeWork, do your part in preventing this public health emergency from triggering an economic collapse. If you choose to close now and do so with the physical and economic health of your workers and members top of mind, many fewer people will die, many fewer small businesses will fail, many fewer people will fall into poverty, and you'll probably get a pretty sweet PR boost too. No more excuses. Close all your offices now.

We as workers, especially immuno-compromised and vulnerable workers, are being forced to risk potential exposure to and spread of the Coronavirus while CEO John Butcher can continue working remotely. We should not have to choose between paying for essential food, rent and medical supplies and compromising social solidarity (a.k.a. social distancing) or exposing ourselves to further risks.

Closing Starbucks, during this pandemic of the coronavirus is crucial. The virus itself is airborne, and although washing your hands frequently, and disinfecting the store is helpful, that won’t prevent the spread of said virus. Both customers AND partners are at risk of catching and spreading the virus. At this point in time, there is no way to know who has the coronavirus, due to the limited number of tests. Suspending all business hours, until further notice, WHILE continuing to pay both hourly, and salary workers, would be beneficial to both customers & partners. Most Starbucks locations are strategically placed near hospitals and schools/universities. Although most schools have closed, most hospitals have not, and will not close. This leaves most partners exposed. While Starbucks have put new policies into play, that doesn’t mitigate the entire risk of catching the virus. Partners and Customers can display no symptoms, while still being able to transmit the virus to others. Instead of waiting until a partners has been exposed or catch the virus, closing all stores would prevent anyone from getting the virus. At this current time, partners are on the frontlines, potentially being exposed and spreading the virus, unknowingly. The moral thing to do, would be to suspend business, while paying partners, until there is a grip on the virus.

Hourly workers at the REI Co-Op are at great risk of facing termination should they call in sick during the novel Coronavirus pandemic. REI’s COVID-19 sick policy, revised on March 12, does little to protect its hourly assets from losing their jobs, should employees feel the need to call into work sick not knowing if they’ve contracted the virus or not. In fact, it offers workers so little protection, that there is cause for alarm that employees will be deterred from calling in sick, which could potentially place consumers and coworkers at risk. Most hourly workers at REI work part-time and are not eligible for healthcare or any real benefits. As a result, these employees are unable to afford the cost of seeing a doctor, or a visit to a nearby clinic for treatment, which further places their well-being, their livelihoods, and jobs at risk. Moreover, testing for COVID-19 remains inadequate in the United States. We are asking that REI members and all consumers stand together in support of protecting hourly workers from facing termination due to any company's sick policy, in a time when the novel Coronavirus has gripped our nation and the world with fear. REI is a leader in the outdoor industry and we are demanding that Mr. Artz, the CEO of REI, take the lead as REI’s Chief, to do more to protect its workers nationwide. Other companies will look to REI to see what policies it is implementing around COVID-19, so it is paramount that the policies REI is setting, be exemplary. Patagonia, another highly respected outdoor retailer, closed it stores and website operations at the day’s end on March 13, until further notice, to do its part in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, as well as to protect its workforce from contracting the virus. While operations are closed, all of Patagonia’s employees will receive pay. An extraordinary way for a company to live its values. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it has now been declared a national emergency, it is not unreasonable for us to demand that REI do more to protect its loyal workforce. Until the novel Coronavirus has been contained, we are demanding that REI take these measures to protect hourly workers job security: 1) That all employees who call in sick be excused from work with pay, regardless whether they test positive for the virus. 2) That all sick time taken be excused, without employees having to use any of their accrued sick days or vacation time, retroactive to March 1st. 3) That all employees who are caring for sick family members (regardless if the illness is COVID-19 related), be excused from work with compensation, without having to use any of their accrued sick days or vacation time to cover their absence. 4) That all employees who are parents that need to stay home to take care of their children, due to schools or daycare closures because of COVID-19, be excused from work with compensation, without having to use any of their accrued sick days or vacation time to cover their absence. 5) That no doctors note be needed as proof of illness, because there are simply too many employees who cannot afford a visit to a doctor or clinic for testing. Moreover, accessibility to testing remains inadequate in the United States. 6) That the average weekly hours be preserved for all employees who call in sick, and whose benefits eligibility are determined by the hours they work. Currently, none of these measures are being implemented by REI, even though these were the words our CEO wrote to REI’s membership, in an email about COVID-19 and the actions that REI is taking; “We have modified our paid time off policies to ensure that our employees—including hourly retail employees—who miss work due to illness or to care for sick family members do not suffer loss of income or other benefits.” What this policy actually amounts to is shameful for a cooperative we all love and have grown so loyal to. "Mr. Artz, please revise this policy to reflect the true values of the REI Co-Op."

With more cases of coronavirus reported in Wisconsin and Dane County, Governor Evers has declared a state of emergency. The University of Wisconsin has halted all in-person instruction; K-12 schools will close for the next four weeks; sports seasons have halted; and other public gatherings have been cancelled. What will happen with City workers? City of Madison employees have been encouraged to work from home and warned that any personal travel may result in quarantine for 14 days, which will be deducted from the employee’s sick or other leave time. For most City employees, there is no opportunity to work from home: bus drivers, firefighters, clerks, mechanics, parking attendants, and many others have jobs that must be physically present to perform. This means City employees must choose between coming to work sick or potentially losing income or our jobs. Regardless of City Agency, position or union, City workers have a common interest in making sure our employer handles this crisis properly and doesn’t place the burden on the shoulders of employees as we take care of ourselves and our families.

People who work at Chili's deserve paid sick days, especially with the rapid spreading of the coronavirus. As a large chain restaurant, Chili's unfortunately has a troubled history of public health issues, having been sued by customers for salmonella, food-poisoning, among other health-related lawsuits. This is an opportunity for Chili's to finally be on the right side of history by leading the industry along with Olive Garden on public health issues by providing paid sick days to their employees.

People who work at Denny's deserve paid sick days, especially with the rapid spreading of the coronavirus. Denny's disproportionately serves the elderly population, meaning if their workforce contracts the coronavirus, the company has a higher likelihood of spreading the virus to those with weakened immune systems. This is a public health issue! Denny's do your part and follow Olive Garden's lead in providing paid sick days to your employees.

People at Applebee's deserve paid sick days, especially with the rapid spreading of the coronavirus. The parent company is one the largest in the restaurant industry, employing tens of thousands of people with locations all over America and abroad. A significant percentage of their restaurants are franchised with different policies and rules for each store. Corporate stepping in and requiring paid sick days at all franchised & corporate-owned locations is the quickest and most effective way to protect their employees and be a leader in helping curb the spread of the virus.

Grocery workers around the country frequently work while sick as they can't afford to miss a single day of work because companies refuse to pay a living wage. This causes employees further suffering and exposes co-workers, food, and the public to potential infection. Jeff Bezos is the richest man on the planet and is more than able to provide an immediate expansion of Paid Sick Hours to protect Whole Foods employees and the public. Bezos has yet to provide his employees at Whole Foods with anything to cope with the recent outbreak. Bezos even had the audacity to cut healthcare benefits for nearly 2,000 Whole Foods employees at the beginning of the year. What Bezos makes in one day could cover a week of Paid Sick Time for all Whole Foods employees. Some co-workers at Amazon have already been told to work from home and other companies have even taken some appropriate action. Whole Foods needs to take this health crisis seriously and stop worrying about public perception and putting profits ahead of safety. We handle the food everyone consumes, push the shopping carts everyone touches, collect the baskets everyone carries, and count the cash everyone spends. It's time Whole Foods stops endangering its employees and the public. We need Paid Sick Hours NOW. Members of the public can call/email: Patrick Bradley, SOPAC Regional President: 818-501-8484 Rick Bonin, North Atlantic Regional President: [email protected] Scott Allshouses, Mid-Atlantic Regional President: [email protected] Omar Gaye, Northern California Regional President: 770-638-5884 Bill Jordan, Rocky Mountain Regional President: 818-501-8484 Angela Lorenzen, Pacific Northwest Regional President: 425-957-6700 Juan Nuñez, Florida Regional President: 954-489-2022 Matt Ray, Southwest Regional President: [email protected] David Schwartz, Midwest Region Regional President: 312-799-5637 Nicole Wescoe, Northeast Regional President: 301-984-2058 You can and should also call the Customer Service line at: 844-WFM-TALK (844-936-8255) and World Headquarters 512-477-4455 512-477-5566 - Voicemail 512-482-7000 - Fax Tell Whole Foods to take the safety of the public and ours seriously by demanding Jeff Bezos provide us with more Paid Sick Hours: In Solidarity, Whole Worker Organizing Committee

Everyday, I have 20-30 people come into my car - with all their germs. While other workers who are exposed at work have things like paid time off and healthcare, I have no protection. Under recently passed legislation in California, gig companies are supposed to guarantee gig workers access to paid sick days, but the companies have refused to do so. Gig companies, like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, irresponsibly deny their drivers basic protections like paid sick time off. Anyone can get sick from coronavirus, but because drivers like me don’t have paid sick time, I can’t go to the doctor or take time off without losing precious income. If I don’t work, I can’t afford my rent. My choices are either to continue working while sick, just so I can survive to the next week, or not work and fall behind on bills and rent. Drivers are always forced to choose between these two impossible options because Uber and Lyft shrug responsibility for ensuring everyone's safety. Even in the face of a global pandemic where the best protection we all have collectively is limiting exposure and ensuring access to the medical care we deserve, Uber and Lyft are doing what they have always done: creating unsafe and unfair conditions and leaving drivers with the responsibility and expense to deal with the repercussions. As a driver, my whole job is to keep people safe — to get my passengers from point A to point B safely. Right now, I am doing everything in my power to take safety precautions, like wiping down my car regularly, but it's not enough. All workers need and deserve paid time off and healthcare all of the time, but this pandemic shows that we need it especially right now, when our communities are at risk of infection. If these companies are not held accountable to take action immediately, they are putting drivers and all the riders we transport at risk. It’s a potential public health crisis, and companies like Uber and Lyft have a real and urgent responsibility to protect the health of society at large. - Yash A. Driver and leader with Gig Workers Rising