I’m still working on the piece about strikes and organizing, but in the meantime here’s a link to a relevant story,
Garbage collectors from the Department of Environmental Services walked off the job on strike Wednesday morning, announcing their demands for improved protective equipment and hazard pay in response to the coronavirus, according to multiple reports.
and a CORVID-19 cartoon Tegan made a couple days ago:
Thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak, layoffs have increased, job interviews have been indefinitely postponed, and many places aren’t hiring new workers. All of that means I really need help paying my bills and keeping a roof over my head. Patreon.com is a way for you to help with that, even if it’s just a little bit, and get some perks and extra content in return. You control how much you give, and how long you give it, and every little bit really does help. When lots of people pitch in, it can make a huge difference. Please help if you’re able, and share my work with others. Thank you!
Yeah… no. Now is NOT the time for people to be refusing to do their jobs. No garbage pick-up means more pests, which means more disease (not necessarily COVID).
They’re not going to be able to do their jobs if they get sick, and frankly there’s NEVER a good time for them to strike. Now is a time when they have some additional leverage, where normally their needs are ignored. Now is also the time when a buildup of trash on side of the street is going to affect other people the least – because most people are in quarantine.
And now is when they’re being asked, on top of the risk of things like getting stabbed with hypodermic needles, to expose themselves to this plague without adequate protection, health care, OR pay.
I get your worry, but I don’t see the validity in demanding they just shut up and take the risk without any changes.
Like – we’re at this point, where everybody’s stretched so thin – because all the pleas for change have been ignored.
Because people haven’t have the leverage to FORCE change. Now, on top of that, people are being asked to take on additional danger, ON TOP of everything else.
And in this crisis, they have power that they didn’t before. Wait until the crisis passes, and that power goes away, and excuses are made.
“We can’t give you a raise right now because we need to focus on recovery. Ask again in five years.”
“Thank you SO MUCH for your sacrifice, but now is the time for rebuilding, not rehashing old disagreements!”
“Everybody’s having a hard time right now, but things are getting better. It’ll get better for you, too, you’ll see!”