The Hill reports: "The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits soared last week," adding that measures designed to stop the spread of the virus, "could cost millions of service industry workers and business owners their jobs and livelihoods." With rolling isolation orders anticipated for the next several months or more, the worst is yet to come.
Non-profit One Fair Wage has set up an Emergency Relief Fund to provide free, cash assistance to restaurant workers, delivery drivers, and other tipped workers and service workers.
100,000 workers have already signed up asking for help.
Nationwide, many service workers are paid the federal sub-minimum wage of just $2.13 — which hasn’t been increased in almost three decades. Thanks to organizing by One Fair Wage, seven states have moved to institute the state minimum wage for service industry employees with tips on top, but everywhere else in America, restaurant workers and other tipped workers rely on tips to feed their families and pay their bills. And if Americans stop eating out and using other services, tipped workers don’t get paid.
Being paid in tips also means workers can’t afford to not work even when they’re sick -- a public health hazard even in the best conditions, but a truly disastrous set-up in the current crisis that could contribute to significant spread of disease and even loss of life.
One Fair Wage is calling on the federal government and every state to end the sub-minimum wage and adopt One Fair Wage — not just in this crisis, but permanently.
An added incentive to give? One Fair Wage is calling each of the 100,000+ people that signed up for financial assistance and is registering and encouraging them to vote as they distribute relief. (Click here to volunteer to help with this.)
Thanks for being a bold progressive.
-- The PCCC Team
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