Labor leaders are calling for bold action in confronting the three crises gripping the nation: the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 people; the economic downturn caused by the pandemic that has led to 40 million lost jobs; and the movement for racial justice following the violent deaths of George Floyd and others at the hands of police.
AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders spoke of the "pulsating rage we’ve seen on the streets of American cities" as a product of a failure on the part of so many elected leaders to address these crises, to respond to workers' needs, to hear the anguished voices of our most vulnerable and marginalized people.
“But we must continue to channel our anger and energy toward constructive change. We must register to vote. We must vote. We must talk to our family and friends, to our neighbors and co-workers, about everything at stake. We must educate, organize and mobilize in every community across the country. We must defeat every politician who stokes racial resentment and tries to turn Americans against each other. And we must tear down – by peaceful means, through the democratic process – the rigged system that has enabled their rise to power,” he said. Read more on how you can turn anger into action.