March 19-30, 2020

Groups Say Economic Relief in Itself is Not Sufficient, 

Call for Transformative Change and a Just Recovery

PETITION https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/this-pandemic-demands-a-systemic-response-an-urgent-message-from-the-poor-people-s-campaign
TO: President Trump, Vice President Pence and Members of the 116th Congress

Poverty Amidst Pandemic: A Moral Response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us into an unprecedented national emergency. This emergency, however, results from a deeper and much longer-term crisis - that of poverty and inequality and of a society that ignores the needs of 140 million people who are poor or a $400 emergency away from being poor.

These millions of people are in dire need of critical attention immediately. We call on you to fulfill your moral and Constitutional responsibilities: expand the COVID-19 emergency provisions to care for us all and enact our Moral Agenda immediately.

Why is this important?

We cannot return to normal. Addressing the depth of the crises that have been revealed in this pandemic means enacting universal health care, expanding social welfare programs, ensuring access to water and sanitation, cash assistance to poor and low income families, good jobs, living wages and an annual income and protecting our democracy. It means ensuring that our abundant national resources are used for the general welfare, instead of war, walls, and the wealthy.

We also call on you to immediately enact the demands of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival to fully address the COVID-19 outbreak and the underlying crises of poverty and inequality that made so many vulnerable right now. Read them here: bit.ly/PPCDemands

WE DEMAND THAT YOU INCLUDE:
1. Immediate, comprehensive and permanent paid sick leave for 100% of employees for this pandemic. Paid sick leave must become standard across all sectors of the labor market.
2. Immediate health care for all, including 100% free COVID-19 testing, treatment and quality care to all, regardless of income, age, disability, citizenship or any other factor, and including the uninsured.
3. A guaranteed and adequate annual income/universal income, including rapid, direct payments to all low-wage and temporary workers for the duration of this crisis, from grocery, fast food and delivery workers, care workers, and pharmacists to others who remain on the front lines and are severely underpaid.
4. A national moratorium on evictions, tax foreclosures, rent hikes, and a national rent freeze. This includes an immediate halt to encampment sweeps and towing vehicles of unhoused communities. Federal resources must be directed to local and state governments towards opening and preparing vacant and habitable buildings, properties and warehouses to house and provide adequate care for all people who are homeless. This includes ensuring education, food assistance and health care for homeless children and provisions for medical testing, treatment and respite for the homeless.
5. Jubilee and debt forgiveness for medical debt, student debt, water, utilities and other forms of household debt.
6. Protections for our democracy and the right to vote with expanded opportunities to vote during this crisis and an expanded census to ensure every person is accounted for.

WE ALSO DEMAND:
1. A national moratorium on water and utility shut-offs, a waiver of all late-payment charges, and reinstitution of any services that have already been cut off due to nonpayment, including access to cellular and internet service. We demand policies that establish affordability-based plans for water and other utility services.
2. Expansion of resources and funding for FEMA and the EPA to ensure access to emergency care and clean air, water and land for all.
3. Ending work requirements on all federal benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid.
4. Resources to keep all rural hospitals and community health centers open, and an infusion of resources to Indian Health Services.
5. Permanent protections for social security, Medicare and Medicaid.
6. Emergency OSHA standards for health care workers, first responders and anyone else in frontline positions.
7. Protections for people in mental health facilities, prisons and juvenile detention centers, especially supplies, personnel, testing and treatment. This includes the release of all at risk populations and non-violent offenders and detainees.
8. Suspension of all CBP and ICE enforcement and ensuring all emergency provisions are made available to immigrants, including undocumented people.
9. Increased support for public schools to provide continuous, equitable and quality remote learning access for the duration of any school closures, including for children with disabilities, and for schools to continue to provide social services for qualifying children and families.
10. Lifting all military and economic sanctions, ending unnecessary military operations overseas and bringing our troops home.
11. Measures to ensure that nobody — no individual or corporation or financial interest — profits off this public health crisis by making vaccines and treatments affordable and/or free for those who cannot afford the costs.

We also call on you to immediately enact the demands of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. Read them here: bit.ly/PPCDemands

Before COVID-19, nearly 700 people died everyday because of poverty and inequality in this country. The frontlines of this pandemic will be the poor and dispossessed - those who do not have access to healthcare, housing, water, decent wages, stable work or child care - and those who are continuing to work in this crisis, meeting our health care and other needs.

It should not have taken a pandemic to raise these resources. In June 2019, we presented a Poor People’s Moral Budget to the House Budget Committee, showing that we can meet these needs for this entire country. If you had taken up this Moral Budget, we would have already moved towards infusing more than $1.2 trillion into the economy to invest in health care, good jobs, living wages, housing, water and sanitation services and more.

This is not the time for trickle-down solutions. We know that when you lift from the bottom, everybody rises. There are concrete solutions to this immediate crisis and the longer term illnesses we have been battling for months, years and decades before. We will continue to organize and build power until you meet these demands.

Many millions of us have been hurting for far too long. We will not be silent anymore.

Rev. Dr. William Barber, II
Co-Chair, The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and
President, Repairers of the Breach

Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis,
Co-Chair, The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and
Director, Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice
American Family Voices
Coronavirus Bailout Memo to Congress
Updated: March 24, 2020

Memorandum
To: Members of the House and Senate

Economic Bail Out Packages Must Benefit Workers, Consumers, and Taxpayers – Not Speculators and Vulture Capitalists

In 2008 - the last time there was an economic crisis in this country - the country rushed to bail out big companies and entire industries to keep them solvent. The big banks on Wall Street, in spite of their role in causing the collapse, were rescued and almost immediately were handing out millions in bonuses to their CEOs.

When the auto industry got rescued, a loophole in the law allowed vulture capitalists like Paul Singer’s Elliot Management to score multi-billion dollar payouts on the backs of workers from companies like Delphi Automotive.

We must not allow that to happen again.

Some of these bailouts were necessary to saving the economy from collapse. But in all this rescuing and restructuring of industry, working families who were in deep economic distress got relatively little in return, except for some of their jobs being preserved, for a little while. Even then, many families lost their homes and jobs, and many union members were forced to renegotiate contracts, while a lot of bankers were getting 100% returns and more on their speculative investments. In this time of health and economic crisis, as we enter another round of industry bailouts, we need to prioritize helping workers and preventing abuse.

Senators Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren are pushing to assure that any bailout would benefit workers and prevent abuse. First and foremost, in the wake of this crisis, we need to make sure all workers get fully covered or paid sick leave.

Senator Warren supports policies that would ensure bailed out companies maintain payrolls, keep union contracts in place, provide at least $15-an-hour wages, give at least one board seat to their workers, get shareholder approval for all political spending, and don't do any stock buybacks, or pay out executive dividends or bonuses for three years. Corporate CEOs would have to certify their companies are complying with these rules and would face criminal penalties if their company violated them.

Senator Brown has asked lawmakers to assure that any bailout ensures workers get tangible benefits from all the taxpayer money going out to bail out businesses, and to simultaneously prevent corporations and hedge funds from taking advantage of bailouts to make quick windfall profits.

His proposals would:

1. Provide protections for workers in any bankruptcy proceeding.

2. Prohibit any company receiving bailout funds from:
• Making any stock buybacks.
• Outsourcing or offshoring any additional jobs, including to U.S.-based contractor companies.
• Using public financial assistance funds to fund anti-union campaigns. Companies must provide a detailed accounting of any other company expenditures spent on company-backed or company-supported efforts to defeat an organizing effort.
• Using public financial assistance funds to pay stock compensation or offering golden parachutes to any company officers.
• Using public financial assistance funds to fund any efforts to defeat or weaken pro-worker laws being considered in any level of government country-wide. Companies must provide a detailed accounting of any other company expenditures spent on company-backed or company-supported efforts to defeat any pro-worker laws. Pro-worker laws include, but are not limited to legislation, regulations, or ordinances related to: minimum wage increases, collective bargaining or organizing rights, paid sick days, paid sick leave, overtime salary threshold, paid family leave, schedule notices, health care benefits, or employee/independent contractor status.
• Using public financial assistance funds to layoff or furlough any non-managerial employees until the company has first eliminated all outside consulting expenses and reduced executive compensation. Reduced executive compensation must remain in effect for the duration of any furloughs or layoffs.

3. Impose requirements for 10 years on any company receiving bailout assistance:
• Companies must cap executive officer compensation.
• Companies must remain neutral in any union election campaign.
• Companies must certify annually that they currently provide any contractor, subcontractor, or affiliate employees health insurance benefits equal to or greater than hourly health and welfare fringe benefit rates under the Service Contract Act for all hours worked by each employee.
• Companies must enter into profit-sharing agreements with its workers. At a minimum, the profit-sharing agreements must distribute 50% of any profitability increases above pre-coronavirus levels to its workers. Distribution of profits must occur on a sliding scale to allocate the most profits to non-managerial workers. These profit-sharing agreements shall be entered into independent of any collective bargaining agreements.
• Companies must certify annually that they have resolved all unfair labor practices, including by holding union elections that have been delayed. Companies may not receive any financial assistance, and ongoing financial assistance shall be suspended, unless that annual certification is provided.
• Companies must certify annually that they have entered into first contract negotiations with binding arbitration in all outstanding contract negotiations. Companies may not receive any financial assistance, and ongoing financial assistance shall be suspended, unless that annual certification is provided.
• Companies must permanently comply with the requirements in Workers’ Right to Training Act (S. 2468) to ensure any investments in technology or automation, which may be accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, are predicated on worker consultation and training.

The undersigned organizations strongly urge Congress to incorporate these policy ideas as part of any industry bailout package:

Ameinu

American Family Voices

Brave New Films

Campaign for America’s Future

Center for Popular Democracy

Color Of Change

Common Defense

Courage California

Democracy for America

Faithful America

Herd on the Hill

Indivisible

Iron PAC

Jewish Labor Committee

Mi Familia Vota

MoveOn

National Children's Campaign

National Equity Action Team

Our Revolution

Progress America

Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Progressive Democrats of America

Public Citizen

Scholten for Congress

Social Security Works

Sunrise Movement

True North Research

Ultraviolet

Working Families Party

Zero Hour


In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re calling on our legislators to put people first, take care of our communities, and protect our democracy during this unprecedented crisis.
Join Stacey Abrams, Rev. Dr. William Barber II, and nearly two dozen of the nation’s most prominent progressive organizations for a #PeoplesBailout digital rally this Sunday, March 29 at 3:30 p.m. EST!

The time is now: the need to come together to demand transformative change is more urgent than ever. Bring your energy, wear green to show solidarity, and RSVP via Zoom (in “tickets”) to get a reminder. See you Sunday!

The virtual event will be streamed live from the Working Families Party’s Facebook Page.
—
A full list of sponsoring organizations for A #PeoplesBailout:
Working Families Party, Daily Kos, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Showing Up for Racial Justice, IfNotNow, Women’s March, About Face: Veterans Against the War, Jewish Community Action, Mijente, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Never Again Action, CPD Action, People’s Action, National Domestic Workers Alliance, MoveOn, MPower Change, Student Action, Indivisible, Vets For The People, Climate Justice Alliance, Grassroots Global, Justice Alliance, The Rising Majority, Sierra Club, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Detroit Jews for Justice.

____________________

https://thepeoplesbailout.org/

Five Principles for Just COVID-19 Relief and Stimulus

The COVID-19 pandemic demands swift and unprecedented action from the federal government. The depth of the crisis and the scope of the response mean that choices being made right now will shape our society for years, if not decades to come. As policymakers take steps to ensure immediate relief and long-term recovery, it is imperative that they consider the interrelated crises of wealth inequality, racism, and ecological decline, which were in place long before COVID-19, and now risk being intensified. This is a time to be decisive in saving lives, and bold in charting a path to a genuinely healthier and more equitable future through a just recovery.

We, the undersigned organizations, call for COVID-19 relief and stimulus packages to contribute to a just recovery by upholding these five principles:

1. Health is the top priority, for all people, with no exceptions.
We support the calls of community leaders, public health organizations, unions, and others for free and accessible testing, treatment, and protective equipment; expanded hospital capacity, including in rural areas, territories, and tribal lands; paid sick leave and paid family medical leave for all workers without exception; expanded federal funding for Medicaid; and full funding for Indian Health Service and urban Indian health centers.

Critically, the government must ensure such health protections cover all people, including low-wage workers, health workers, independent contractors, family farmers, Black and Latinx communities, undocumented immigrants, Indigenous peoples, people who are incarcerated, people who are homeless or housing insecure, and others likely to be hit first and worst by COVID-19 and the economic downturn.


2. Provide economic relief directly to the people.
We support the urgent calls to expand the social safety net by broadening unemployment insurance, vastly increasing food aid programs, extending housing assistance, expanding childcare for working families, relieving student debt, and halting evictions, foreclosures, and shut offs of water and electricity. As with expanded public health measures, these economic measures must be implemented to ensure coverage of workers and communities likely to be hit first and worst by COVID-19 and the economic downturn.

In addition, to counteract the economic downturn, the federal government should immediately direct sizable cash payments to every person. Larger payments should be made to lower-income workers and the poor, who are disproportionately exposed to both COVID-19 health risks and heightened job insecurity. These payments should be made swiftly and regularly throughout the duration of the economic recession.


3. Rescue workers and communities, not corporate executives.
Any financial assistance directed at specific industries must be channeled to workers, not shareholders or corporate executives. Specifically, any federal loans must be used to maintain payroll and benefits, not executive bonuses or stock buybacks.

In addition, such funds should come with pro-worker conditions, such as requiring worker representation on the company’s board of directors, company-wide enactment of a $15/hour or higher minimum wage, and compliance with high-road labor standards such as payment of prevailing wages, use of project-labor agreements, adoption of a neutrality policy with regard to union collective bargaining, and adoption of a “ban the box” hiring policy to ensure fair employment opportunities for all.


4. Make a down payment on a regenerative economy, while preventing future crises.
While we urgently need a large, short-term stimulus to protect the health and economic security of those on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative that policymakers also plan for a large, medium-term stimulus to counteract the economic downturn and ensure a just recovery.

This stimulus should create millions of good, family-sustaining jobs with high-road labor standards; counter systemic inequities by directing investments to the working families, communities of color, and Indigenous communities who face the most economic insecurity; and tackle the climate crisis that is compounding threats to our economy and health.

All three goals can be achieved simultaneously with public investments to rebuild our infrastructure, replace lead pipes, expand wind and solar power, build clean and affordable public transit, weatherize our buildings, build and repair public housing, manufacture more clean energy goods, restore our wetlands and forests, expand public services that support climate resilience, and support regenerative agriculture led by family farmers. Critically, stimulus packages should include conditions for industries to implement high-road labor standards, workforce development, and reductions in climate emissions and toxic pollution. The response to one existential crisis must not fuel another.


5. Protect our democratic process while protecting each other.
People must not be forced to choose between exercising their rights as citizens and protecting public health. The federal government must support states, by providing funding and technical support wherever needed, to ensure that every American can vote safely in primary and general elections.

Specific life-saving and democracy-defending measures include expanding vote by mail, online or automatic voter registration, among others. The 2020 Census must be fully supported and resourced to achieve an accurate and safe count under the new and evolving conditions. US Congress, state capitals and city halls should not shut down until they have amended rules to ensure continuity of governance in the case that in-person sessions are suspended.
New Economy Coalition
March 30, 2020
Join us this Thursday, April 2nd at 3pm ET for a participatory discussion about the COVID-19 policies we need to transform this system for good.
We know we must keep organizing our communities and pushing our governments away from disaster capitalism, and closer to a Just COVID-19 Recovery and the long-term transformative changes our communities need.⁣ But what does this organizing and policy work look like?
In partnership with Climate Justice Alliance, Right to the City, and Peoples Hub, we'll discuss current COVID-related legislation and community support practices, and how they relate to the long-term organizing and policy work we need to build community control of our economic system.
Hope to see you there!
Shavaun Evans

Co-Director, NEC
PS. Even if you can’t attend live, register today to make sure you get a free recording of the event afterward!

In partnership with Peoples Hub, an interactive online movement building school that is training groups like yours in communities where they live.

Title:
#NoGoingBack: The COVID-19 policies we need to transform this system for good
Description:
Amidst the twin health and economic crises of COVID-19, we are seeing remarkable community mobilizations and the renewal of solidarity economy practices that have sustained us for generations. We're also seeing local and state governments take steps to freeze evictions, ensure paid sick leave, house the homeless, free the incarcerated, and ban utility shut-offs to support communities during this crisis. These government interventions are deeply important steps, and they are not enough yet.

We must keep organizing our communities and pushing our governments to ensure that we navigate these crises in ways that move us further from disaster capitalism and closer to a just COVID recovery. What does this organizing look like? What are the policies that will get us there?

Join New Economy Coalition, Climate Justice Alliance, Right to the City, and other partners for a participatory discussion to envision how we can transition the current changes to our system into the long-term, transformative changes our communities need. The conversation will be facilitated by Peoples Hub, an interactive online movement building school that is training groups like yours in communities where they live.

We'll discuss current COVID-related legislation and community support practices, and discuss the long-term transformation that communities will continue to fight for to ensure community control of our economic system.
Speakers:
New Economy Coalition
Climate Justice Alliance
Right to the City
Date/Time:
Thursday, April 2nd
12-1:15pm PST/ 2-3:15pm CST/ 3-4:15pm EST