Labor leaders in the Chicago area and nationally Thursday urged private employers to pay workers during furloughs and called for federal legislation to ensure the continued flow of money and benefits to people — and not corporations — as the nation’s economic paralysis spreads because of the pandemic.
“Workers are making sacrifices right now,” said Robert Reiter Jr., president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. “We cannot let those sacrifices be in vain.”
He called on private employers to help their staffs. “This is a time when folks have to step up,” Reiter said.
The Chicago Federation of Labor, an association of nearly 300 labor groups, has an ownership stake in Sun-Times Media.
The union leaders, on a conference call with reporters, stressed the urgency of the crisis and said more workers and economic sectors are feeling the impact daily. They said state or federal legislation is needed to guarantee paid sick leave to more workers, extend that protection to independent contractors, and increase unemployment benefits. A federal law enacted Wednesday does not extend that protection to workers in companies with 500 or more employees and those in some small businesses with fewer than 50 workers.
Sara Nelson, president of the International Association of Flight Attendants, said a broader bailout must cover worker paychecks and not replace profits for beleaguered industries. She said 80% to 90% of aviation workers are on layoff, and some airlines may be unable to make a payroll in a few weeks because demand has dried up.
“We need a relief plan that keeps the paychecks going,” she said. Nelson said her union and others are working with Congress on the issue. “We are making inroads with both Democrats and Republicans,” she said.
Karen Kent, president of the hotel workers union Unite Here Local 1, said only 4,000 of its 16,000 members are working. She said the union is examining all resources that could help a workforce mostly composed of immigrants, women and people of color.
“I cannot overstate how dramatic this crisis has been,” she said. “None of them know what they or their families will do next.”
Separately, workers’ rights organizations called for similar legislation that would directly benefit gig workers, such as ride-share drivers, who do not qualify for unemployment insurance and Medicaid.
