Today, as the COVID19 crisis rages through New York, Uber drivers, like many other gig workers, face unprecedented health risks and total financial ruin. At a moment of such crisis, Uber's actions are designed to confuse drivers about our immediate right to access NYS unemployment insurance and to obstruct quick delivery of those benefits. Uber drivers are eligible for unemployment benefits in New York State RIGHT NOW. Three Uber driver members of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance and all “similarly employed” drivers in New York State won the right to unemployment benefits in a final ruling in 2018. Uber did not appeal this ruling and it is now final. Additionally, an upstate Uber driver, and all similarly employed upstate drivers have been found to be employees with a right to the state's unemployment insurance benefits. Since then, Uber drivers in New York State have applied for, and been paid out unemployment benefits. Yet, Uber has failed to provide the New York State Department of Labor with the wage data necessary to process driver claims quickly, heartlessly delaying payouts that drivers need to feed our families in a time of crisis. A recent New York State Court of Appeals decision found Postmates to be an employer, as well. Uber knows its misclassification game is over. Uber needs to follow the law and start reporting its drivers' wages to NYS immediately. But Uber continues to mislead drivers, telling us we need to wait for the federal pandemic unemployment assistance program to go into effect. That is a lie. Any delay in benefits during this pandemic could be a matter of life and death for Uber drivers whose incomes have been decimated. We demand that Uber stop misleading drivers, inform all New York State drivers of our right to state unemployment benefits, and that Uber cooperate with the New York Department of Labor so that drivers can immediately receive the benefits we need to survive this crisis. Photo credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images

The CDC recommends no more than 10 people gather in one place at one time as well as keeping a distance of at least 6 from other people. This is not happening in the Kroger stores and employees and their families lives are at risk!! Customers are DISREGARDING the announcements and the signage in the stores. The UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS has stated they are “still negotiating”. OUR LIVES ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE!!!

It is important because ABM / Mercury does not care about their workers. They do not even give them the proper PPE to wear. They are putting everyone's lives at risk but their own. The workers do not want to be there but instead should be at home with their families and loved ones.

Our health and lives are more important than selling high end clothing and make-up online. Several people have had the symptoms of coronavirus but denied testing

For the safety of all Taco Bell employees, customers and their families. We the undersigned workers of Taco Bell are concerned about the Covid 19 Health Crisis, and we are worried about how our current work situation is putting us and others directly in harm’s way. Taco Bell hasn’t even considered any sort of bonus or hazard pay raise during this COVID-19 outbreak. McDonald’s, Subway, Arby’s, and most other fast food restaurants that have now been deemed “essential” are getting $2-3 pay raises. Some jobs have given their employees hazard pay and they aren’t working either because the business closed. We’re put at risk and putting our families at risk every day that we go to work for Taco Bell. We are told to change gloves and wash hands between the customers. However, we aren’t given enough staffing to allow us to take these precautions and maintain the company’s desired drive through times without getting questioned about why we aren’t working fast enough. We asked our store manager if we can wear a face mask at work to protect ourselves and he said the regional general manager told him that if an employee feels uncomfortable enough to wear a face mask then that is on them and they need to go home. The regional general manager indicated this is because wearing masks “creates panic and fear”. We say NO! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC right now and people are being advised by the CDC to wear masks to protect themselves. Finally, Taco Bell recently had a “Free taco for every customer (obviously in the car) WITHOUT PURCHASE NECESSARY”. Those of us that worked that day know it was the busiest we’ve seen the store since the Corona pandemic began and we have recently been informed they’re going to have another one on the 7th! Corporate is literally encouraging people to come to their store in the midst of the pandemic! April 2nd in the morning there was one case in Dixon, as of 4pm that day there were two and due to what we know about asymptomatic carriers there are likely many more than that. A business losing a few weeks to a month of business isn’t as important as endangering our lives and the lives of our children. By signing this petition we are standing together to demand management make changes before something happens to one of us. If one of us gets sick, we all get sick! Consequently, we respectfully and formally request that Taco Bell make immediate improvements to our paid time off and workplace health and safety policies. Specifically, we want to request: That, ideally, the store close until further notice and provide everyone paid leave until reopening. If the business would be existentially threatened by our first improvement then we request that management support employees and workplace safety by providing a month paid leave to stay home for any employees who have been exposed to COVID-19, show symptoms of COVID-19, test positive for COVID-19, have underlying conditions putting them at greater risk, or live with children or elderly individuals at greater risk. For those that continue to work we request proper personal protective equipment such as abundant latex gloves, face masks, and hand sanitizer in the store. We also request a $3 hazard pay increase for all those that choose to work during this crisis. We engage in this collective, concerted activity under the protection of Federal Law, specifically, Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. We are also prepared to engage in further actions that are also protected by the 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).

We as a company and community are providing the essentials for businesses to make sure our customers are save and taken care of and putting ourselves in harm's way through covid-19

This is a matter of life or death. Subcontracted employees like Janitors, Groundskeepers, and Dining Workers make an average of $11 per hour – and most live paycheck-to-paycheck. Many are older. Reports all over regarding the pandemic have already demonstrated that groups and other populations who are historically marginalized are bearing the greatest shock of the pandemic's impact. We can join a growing number of universities like Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and Washington University who have leveraged institutional resources so that subcontracted workers and their families can weather this storm by guaranteeing income and benefits through May 28, June 13, and the end of contracts, respectively. A unified and wide-spread campus response is the only way to live out our values of social justice and public health for all. We must believe in these values now more than ever. We, the undersigned, implore the university to mobilize a systemic response for those on the front lines of the pandemic. Our actions now will define the University for years to come. We are in this together as one U! (scroll down to sign) Querida comunidad de la Universidad de Miami: ¡Una cultura de pertenencia incluye a TODOS los miembros de la comunidad! Durante este tiempo de crisis, los empleados de mantenimiento y aseo de UM se están viendo obligados a elegir entre perder su sueldo o trabajar bajo condiciones de miedo e incertidumbre. Otros empleados subcontratados, como los trabajadores de servicios alimenticios, han sido despedidos y muchos no han podido aplicar a los beneficios de las Oficinas de Desempleo debido a los millones de personas que se encuentran en la misma situación. Los empleados han manifestado que tienen miedo de contraer el coronavirus en el trabajo y están preocupados de usar ciertos desinfectantes, los cuales son tan agresivos que hasta pueden causar irritaciones en la piel y el sistema respiratorio. En una iniciativa colectiva para el cuidado mutuo y la supervivencia, 321 empleados subcontratados entregaron una petición al presidente Frenk abogando por su propio sustento bajo la pandemia. En sintonía con los empleados, pedimos a la Universidad de Miami que exija de inmediato lo siguiente para la seguridad económica, la salud y el bienestar de los trabajadores: 1. Los trabajadores subcontratados reciban tiempo libre pagado (PTO) y beneficios continuos durante esta crisis y no sean despedidos. Nadie debe perder un trabajo ni la asistencia sanitaria. 2. Trabajar en el campus durante la pandemia debe ser voluntario. Aquellos empleados subcontratados que deciden continuar trabajando durante esta crisis, recibirán un pago de riesgos de 1.5 veces su salario para satisfacer mejor sus necesidades. 3. Exigir que se implementen medidas preventivas en los lugares de trabajo para reducir el riesgo de que los empleados se contraigan y, por lo tanto, transmitan COVID-19. Los empleados deben recibir equipo y suministros de protección adecuados para la limpieza en la pandemia, incluidas máscaras/tapabocas. 4. Se informe inmediatamente a los trabajadores sobre casos positivos de personas que puedan haber ingresado a sus lugares de trabajo. Adicionalmente, proporcionar pruebas gratuitas para todos los trabajadores que trabajan en dichos espacios. 5. Comunicación abierta entre el Presidente Julio Frenk, los trabajadores subcontratados, incluidos los empleados de mantenimiento, aseo y alimentación, así como sus representantes y aliados en UM, para compartir conocimiento sobre la comunidad de UM. ¿Por qué es esto importante? Este es un asunto de vida o muerte. Los empleados subcontratados como los empleados de mantenimiento, aseo y alimentación mantienen nuestro campus en funcionamiento. Ganan un promedio de $11 por hora, y la mayoría viven de los ingresos del día a día. Muchos son mayores. Los informes sobre la pandemia ya han demostrado que los grupos y otras poblaciones históricamente marginadas, están siendo afectados de manera desigual. Podemos unirnos a un número creciente de universidades como la Universidad de Harvard, la Universidad de Chicago y la Universidad de Washington, que están aprovechando los recursos institucionales para garantizar que los trabajadores subcontratados y sus familias puedan sobrellevar esta tormenta garantizando ingresos y beneficios hasta el 28 de mayo, 13 de junio, y el fin de los contratos, respectivamente. Una respuesta unificada y generalizada en el campus es la única forma de demostrar nuestros valores de justicia social y salud pública para todos. Debemos creer en estos valores ahora más que nunca. Nosotros, los abajo firmantes, imploramos a la universidad que movilice una respuesta sistémica para quienes están en la primera línea de la pandemia. Nuestras acciones ahora definirán la Universidad en los años venideros. ¡Estamos juntos en esto como una U!

Sam's Mart gives the public the appearance of community. They are in fact, liars and don't care about the people on the front line of this company. We have direct contact with people hundreds of times a day. This is dangerous. The district managers are making sure they're not in the stores by sending out emails from the comfort of their homes while we are suffering and stressed. We have families too. So putting our lives af risk for a company that blatantly thinks its employees are trash and not worthy of hazard pay and transparency in it's business ethics.

Infrastructure is very important to keep on building but us employees are putting our lives and the lives of our families at risk. First of all, nothing is worth the risk of a profit. It is understood that nobody asked for the circumstances we find ourselves in. Shutting operations down, and sending employees home with pay is the only humane thing to do -- please do not wait until someone from the Cemex family dies. If you do force us to work, we demand that you provide the staff with n95 masks and Hazard pay. We hope you will be the global leader that you are. Sincerely, Your Frontline Workers

Because it will allow the 4-6 feet rule to actually be allowed for the associates as well as the customers. Show your employees that their health matters too.

The definition of hazard pay by the UN is: "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." Pizza Hut is currently open to the public during this time to provide customers with a much needed service of providing pizza among many other items. Many pizza hut employees are worried and scared that during these hard times of a pandemic that they or their families will likely contract COVID-19 due to being in contact with customers during their shifts without enough proper PPE to otherwise protect them. Thus pizza hut should be providing employees with hazard pay to compensate them for their extra work and exposure to COVID-19.

We as workers, especially immuno-compromised and vulnerable workers, are being forced to risk potential exposure to and spread of the Coronavirus while CEO Kenneth Keller 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.