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Dear friends and supporters,

We hope that you are staying safe during this pandemic. Every year, on May Day -- International Workers’ Day -- we celebrate workers by taking the streets. This year, we have to do things a little differently, but CLU and our partner organizations will still be taking action and we invite you to join us.

This May Day, the COVID-19 pandemic is shining the spotlight on millions of essential workers across the world. We salute their courage and hard work to keep our communities safe as they continue to fight the challenges posed by COVID-19. Their efforts are leading us on the path to recovery. However, this path requires a holistic and long-term approach to benefits that apply to all workers and communities equally. We invite you to join us for two events tomorrow as we fight alongside our brothers and sisters on the frontlines of this crisis and share their experiences with each other. Together, we can build a stronger Massachusetts.

You can help us promote these updates to your network by sharing our Facebook ([link removed]) posts or by following and retweeting us on our new Twitter handle ([link removed]) . Also, receive regular updates from CLU by signing up on our website ([link removed]) .

From Social Distancing to Social Safety: Community Responses to COVID-19
May 1, 2020
Noon - 1:30 p.m.

On May Day, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Response Alliance will host "From Social Distancing to Social Safety" as a part of a national celebration. Starting at noon, we will hear from frontline workers and organizers about what they are facing and how they are fighting, discuss what you are seeing in your community, reflect on solidarity, and have space to take part in the fights for a safer Massachusetts.
Participants include SEIU 32BJ, Boston Teachers Union, City/Life Vida Urbana, and YOU. Please click here to register for this event ([link removed]) . Zoom link will be provided upon registration.


** Take Action:
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May Day Car Rally for Essential Workers, May 1, 3 p.m.
Join fellow union members and allies at the May Day CAR rally ([link removed]) in support of essential workers on International Workers' Day tomorrow, May 1 at 3 p.m. in Boston
([link removed]) , sponsored by the GBLC and the MA AFL-CIO. We'll social distance from inside our cars, but come ready to rally in support of the #FrontlineHeroes who are working every day. Make signs to display in your car windows or download and print one here
([link removed]) ! To share on social media, use #1u and visit our Facebook
([link removed]) event to RSVP and receive updates.
World Asthma Day Action, May 5, 3-4 p.m.
This World Asthma Day, the Green Justice Coalition is hosting a town hall discussion to highlight environmental injustices, including the high levels of air pollution faced by low-income people and communities of color. The conversation will focus on the high rates of asthma among these community members and the escalated impact of COVID-19 due to toxic air, compromised immune systems, and a lack of appropriate regulation from the State. Join us for this conversation by registering here ([link removed]) . The Zoom link will be provided upon registration.


** Pandemic Profiteer Watch:
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Santander among banks under scrutiny for Paycheck Protection Program Lending

Santander Bank, whose U.S. business is headquartered in Boston, has recently come under fire for mishandling the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans meant to help small businesses continue paying their workers during the pandemic. According to the Boston Business Journal, Santander took so long ([link removed]) to handle applications that some businesses never even got to apply before funds ran out. Santander and other banks were the subjects of The New York Times’ coverage of “two-tiered systems” ([link removed]) that “prioritized the applications of their wealthiest clients before turning to other loan seekers.”
Special access and extravagant tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy are one of the reasons the US is so unprepared to respond equitably and effectively to the economic ravages of COVID-19 in the first place. To tell the Joint Committee on Revenue NOT to advance the Santander-backed corporate tax break, click here ([link removed]) . Read more here ([link removed]) .

Picture credits: “Santander Bank” ([link removed]) by JeepersMedia ([link removed]) is licensed under CC BY 2.0 ([link removed])

If there is an update you think we should feature in our weekly communications, please email Lindsay McCluskey at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .

Thank you for reading!

In Solidarity,
Community Labor United

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