Friend,

In efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many restaurants and bars are shutting down. That means millions of restaurant workers around the country are losing their main source of income or having hours cut. In Michigan, nearly 400,000 restaurant workers are expected to lose their jobs in the coming weeks. As some of the lowest-paid workers in the nation, many have no safety net to rely on.

That’s why we’re joining together as Congressmembers of “The Squad”—Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar—to support our country’s food service workers.

Donate to the Michigan Restaurant Worker Disaster Relief Fund to support workers who have been laid off or furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Like 60% of Americans, all four of us have worked in the service industry at some point in our lives. So we understand how precarious service workers’ jobs were even before the coronavirus outbreak.

Even before this pandemic, many restaurant workers were living paycheck to paycheck, with few workplace protections like paid sick time or health insurance. Even before the coronavirus, 1 in 5 restaurant workers recently worked while seriously sick, and many had to turn to crowdfunding to pay for healthcare.

That’s why we’re working with Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, a nonprofit organization that’s been fighting to improve wages and working conditions for the nation’s restaurant workforce. In the midst of this pandemic, ROC-United is shifting their efforts, aiming to raise at least $500,000 to provide emergency financial assistance to workers who have the highest unmet need.

Chip in now to help especially-vulnerable food service workers. You’re an essential part of our squad, and together, our squad is big.

Last week, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, requiring all employers to provide immediate paid sick leave to employees who need it due to the current pandemic. For food service workers who still have jobs, and anyone who comes into contact with them, this is a great first step.

However, with restaurants and bars closing indefinitely—perhaps permanently—many people are just getting laid off outright. The Families First Act also ensured expanded unemployment insurance coverage, but the large number of people filing claims slows down the process. With webpages crashing, many people can’t even apply for unemployment right now.

Even when they do get through and start receiving unemployment benefits, it likely won’t be enough. Most food service workers already struggle to make ends meet, and unemployment checks usually don’t even replace full lost wages.  

And despite often paying taxes, thousands of undocumented workers—who make up a large portion of the food service workforce—aren’t able to apply for or receive any unemployment benefits.

Already, people are falling behind on paying bills and at risk of losing their homes. Studies also show that people with less wealth are more likely to catch and then die from the coronavirus.  

In this unprecedented time of uncertainty and hardship, food service workers especially need our help. We’re fighting for more federal aid, but in the meantime, it’s up to all of us to pitch in and help out.

Click here to donate what you can to the Michigan Restaurant Worker Disaster Relief Fund now.

Thank you so much. We’re all in this together, and together we can make a real difference in people’s lives.

- U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar