Dear,

A new pandemic crisis is looming.

Hospitalizations are rising, just as Donald Trump is insisting that schools reopen.(1) And in less than two weeks, the federal coronavirus unemployment funds will end. Millions of people who are out of work will see their weekly benefits fall to as low as $213 a week.(2,3)

The Senate and the House of Representatives have vowed to pass a new coronavirus stimulus package -- but Mitch McConnell is more focused on saving businesses than saving workers.(4)

Courage California is pushing calls and letters to Congress to insist that an Essential Workers Bill of Rights is passed in next week's stimulus package to cut off this growing crisis. Will you donate to help ensure that our most at-risk workers are protected?

Yes, I'll donate $5 to help pass the Essential Workers Bill of Rights in the next coronavirus bill.

More than 50 million American workers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus -- staffing meatpacking plants, grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, and every business required to keep society going.(5) And next month, more than three million teachers are expected to return to the classroom.(6)

Workers making minimum wage are expected to provide their own masks and hand sanitizer. Many -- especially gig workers, like grocery delivery drivers -- aren't provided sick leave and could lose their jobs if they miss work. Caretakers and nurses in overfilled hospitals have no childcare support or hazard pay to cover the extended hours. Women, especially Black women, are being hit hardest in this crisis, where they make up to 70% of the essential industries.(7)

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

Instead of focusing on protecting essential workers by providing health and safety protections for the workers hit hardest by the pandemic, Mitch McConnell wants to pay to protect the billionaires they work for from lawsuits and provide more business loans instead of personal protective equipment.(8)

We need to let our representatives know they need to protect our essential workers, not billionaires. We’ve launched an emergency campaign to drive as many calls to the Senate as possible as the new coronavirus bill is debated, while there is still time for our voices to be heard -- before Congress adjourns for the summer.

Will you donate to help pass the Essential Workers Bill of Rights?

Yours in the fight for our health,

Angela, along with Anne, Brian, Caitlin, Deepthi, Gabby, Irene, Jay, Lindsay, Molly, Raquel, and Scottie (the Courage team)

Footnotes:
1. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/02/health/coronavirus-hospitalizations-rates-rise/index.html
2. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf
3. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/09/how-much-unemployment-will-i-get-that-depends-on-your-state.html
4. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/506292-clash-looms-over-next-coronavirus-relief-bill
5. https://www.brookings.edu/research/to-protect-frontline-workers-during-and-after-covid-19-we-must-define-who-they-are/
6. https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/education-statistics/index.html#:~:text=How%20many%20teachers%20are%20there,for%20the%20fall%20of%202020
7. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/16/black-workers-coronavirus-covid-19
8. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/506292-clash-looms-over-next-coronavirus-relief-bill