Due to COVID-19, 194,000 people have died in the US and other 6.5 million people have become ill with the virus, without knowing the long-term consequences of the disease. Following misleading information from the Federal Government, the disdain of many made of the pandemic a political flag, and little or no resources were offered, especially in minority communities. As usual, inequality takes its toll in our “hermanas” y “hermanos.” “For low-paid employees whose work is rarely if ever glorified — the people who clean the floors, do the laundry, serve fast food, pick the crops, work in the meat plants — having the jobs that keep America running has come with a heavy price. By the odd calculus wrought by the viral outbreak, they have been deemed “essential.” And that means being a target. Along with blacks, Latinos have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic in California and other parts of the United States, becoming infected and dying at disproportionately high rates relative to their share of the population. Health experts say one of the main reasons Latinos are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 is because many work in low-paying jobs that require them to leave home and interact with the public,” said the LATimes.

These fire crews work tirelessly to serve and save our state when we're at our most vulnerable. Yet, they are denied access as they re-enter into society. They put their lives on the line for us, let's give them the opportunity to start new, serve the community, and create a new life with the skills and experience they possess.

Now is the time to have paid sick leave for all Michigan workers! The COVID crisis has magnified just how vital paid sick leave is, and how unprepared we were when the pandemic hit. Paid sick leave has been proven to be an effective policy to reduce the spread of the virus. Paid sick leave for all workers is critical as we re-open, is the best way for businesses to stay open and would help get the nation working again while supporting public health. While Congress passed emergency paid leave for many, it was temporary and limited, omitting as many as 106 million workers nationally and 1.7 million working Michiganders, many of them essential workers and on the front lines risking their lives and further exposure. Many of these workers are disproportionately people of color, women, and low-wage workers. Michigan Paid Leave for All (MiPaidLeave4All) is a coalition of individuals, businesses, community groups and nonprofit organizations that have committed to organize and fight for the right of EVERY worker in Michigan to have access to paid sick time to take care of themselves and their loved ones when illness strikes. The coalition is composed of civil rights, economic justice, faith-based, and women’s rights organizations. Together, we are united in a long-term fight in Michigan for establishing Paid Leave for All. Combined, these organizations have decades of experience strategizing, organizing, and mobilizing on behalf of racial, economic and gender justice in policy making. We firmly believe that no singular group can bring about this change. Together, however, through a coalition built on trust, we will be able to fight for and amplify policies that enable workers to have the ability to care for the families they work to support and sustain without losing their jobs, incomes, or livelihoods. As a coalition of your collective constituents, we expect our goal of achieving a public health policy that affords paid leave for all Michigan workers to be heard, listened to, and supported by you. We know that working individuals, their families and the state are strongest with time to heal from illness or injury, to welcome a new child, to help a loved one recover, or to ease their passing. We believe that everyone should be able to take time to care for themselves or a loved one without risking their job or paycheck. Being there for family is what matters—no exceptions. Right now the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave for members of its workforce. Current laws have failed to keep up with the needs of our workers, families, or our businesses in the 21st century. Having widespread access to paid leave would also give workers the confidence in their employers to abate their fears and concerns about getting exposed to COVID-19 (and other likely communicable illnesses) while on the job. Despite existing protections from retaliation for workers who are exposed or who may need to take time off to quarantine because they or a close contact has been exposed, many workers are still concerned that without adequate paid leave policies, they will have to choose between risking their physical health and their financial health. It’s a zero-sum situation and lose-lose situation for our workforce and the power to rectify that is at our collective fingertips. This is a workers’ rights issue, an economic justice issue, a racial justice issue, and a gender equity issue. And as a matter of equity, it’s time for paid sick leave for all of Michigan workers, not just those who already are lucky enough to have access to it. Because of dedicated community organizing Michigan has a Paid Sick Leave law; however, the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that it is inadequate. We must update and expand it in the very short term in order to cover every working person, to provide paid leave for a longer period of time than the current law provides, and include health pandemics, as SB 961 sponsored by Sen. Erika Geiss does. We urge you to support SB 961 so that Michigan is never caught unprepared again, whether the crisis is national or personal.

Specifically, this legislation will: ● Require adequate transparency and approval around voting changes, including any attempts to deny voting rights or impose overtly stringent requirements for voters. ● Strengthen federal oversight and accountability around proposed changes to election procedures, particularly around specific measures and in specific jurisdictions that have a record of voter suppression. ● Grant the Attorney General authority to request federal observers be placed where racist threats to voting are prevalent. ● Ensure that “racial minority groups, language minority groups, or minority groups on Indian land” are not prevented from voting due to practices such as changing boundaries, voting locations or voter registration rolls. A recent Intersections of Our Lives poll shows that women of color voted at historic levels in the 2018 midterm election. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said the stakes were too high not to vote. Yet, 25 percent of Black, Latina, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women voters said they did not think their vote was counted accurately. Our democracy and our ability to influence decision-making that impacts our bodies, lives and families is fundamentally threatened when we are not all able to participate in the democratic process. #ProtectTheVote by signing this petition to show your support for voting rights. Urge Congress to take action to stop voter suppression. Call or email your Congressional leaders today, and let them know that you support the passing of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!

Music venues not only provide entertainment and a gathering place, they also improve their communities and help heal the pain so many are dealing with during these extraordinary times. If venues do not get assistance, many will have to close their doors permanently. That must not happen. Please sign our petition and show your support. Thank you.

Congress let federal unemployment benefits and other coronavirus relief aid expire, and they have no idea what they’re going to do to help millions of struggling families! How are we supposed to feed our kids or pay the bills?? Republicans blocked the extension–so they need to hear from millions of us. Will you sign my petition urging Congress to extend unemployment benefits for as long as the pandemic lasts? #ParentsAct

The Black Lives Matter movement means more than just stopping police-related death of people of color at the hands of law enforcement. It means looking at how racism plays into every aspect of American life. It is time that as Americans, we take a hard look at our racist institutions and ask ourselves if we’re willing to fight for long-lasting, systemic changes or if we are willing to continue with reformism and business as usual. Defunding the police does not mean less public safety. It means that instead of spending exorbitant amounts of money on policing the ailments of society, which solve nothing, we should be investing in programs that directly benefit over-policed, POC, and marginalized communities. Please sign our petition to show the Santa Cruz City Council that they need to do more than performative gestures!

We've told you about the dire situation happening at Primex Farms, a nut company in Wasco CA. The situation is escalating. According to a July 26 CNBC article, 150 of the 400 workers have now tested positive. In addition, a UFW census shows 49 of their adult family members and 34 children have tested positive for COVID-19. Sadly, one Primex worker has since died. A second worker, who tested positive, was removed from life support and sent home for palliative care; she is not expected to survive. Protesting Primex's flawed response to the virus, employees walked out on strike and formed a picket line. Workers were requesting safety measures, including social distancing procedures, company provision of personal protective equipment such as face masks and payment of sick leave for infected or exposed employees. The company promised improvements, but when they did not happen, workers -- including those in quarantine with the virus -- defied the company and held a virtual press conference. Now the major pistachio and almond processing company is retaliating against key groups of outspoken workers. This company uses several staffing agencies to supplement their direct hire workforce. Many of the workers who spoke out worked through USA Staffing. On July 22, Primex told the dozens of workers employed by USA Staffing that they were terminated because “production had dropped” -- but then they brought in new workers the same day! Brisdey Nieto is one of these fired workers. She tells us, “The company's anti-union consultant told us that due to the union taking the actions it had taken the clients had heard and therefore production had dropped. They were firing us. I could not believe that. I saw that same day they hired new workers and that they had started working. If production had dropped; why hire new workers?” The UFW immediately filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board for the company illegally retaliating against the workers for union activities and joining together to improve conditions. Workers don't want to wait; they want their jobs back now and they want to be protected on the jobsite. They're asking you to sign their petition telling the company to rehire them, with appropriate coronavirus protections in place. Workers are hoping to turn in thousands of signatures in the next few weeks. Will you add your signature today?

This is important to protect the culture and authenticity of our city and this business is a very loved local taco shop please sign to save the best pork al pastor in town!

Progressives have been sidelined by the DNC for far too long. The people have spoken and they favor progressive politics. We will not allow our party to be taken over by never Trumpers. We believe in healthcare as a human right, a wealth tax, criminal justice reform, and so does America. We refuse to be pushed aside.

It’s important that one of the most influential people in modern day politics, especially a Democrat, to speak at the Democratic National Convention. We all need to hear what she has to say. And giving just 60 seconds is not enough. At the very least give her 2 minutes. Obviously we would love for her to have even more time than that since she is such a champion for fair wages, corporate accountability, environmental justice, and so many other important issues. Please sign and share!

Since the 2016 CDC guidelines, millions & millions of people in pain have been forced tapered or dropped on their long time safe & effective prescription pain medicines, causing them to have adverse health conditions(such as heart attacks, strokes, etc.) as well as more people committing suicide now, because they just can't deal with all of the pain. Not to mention pushing more & more to illegal street drugs because their pain is untreated or undertreated causing the overdoses & deaths to keep increasing. Less than 1% of prescription pain medicines get diverted. Where's the crisis in that??? The mass majority of people who take prescription pain meds for their pain do so safely & as directed. But everyone is not the same & needs different dosing. Some need less for their pain. But some need more. Everyone is different & they do not get the same benefits from the same dose & same kind of medicine as everyone else. So you cannot treat everyone with the same dose or put a limit on them. People in pain who take prescription pain medicines are not druggies or addicts(although they are far to often treated like they are) which is very unfair. They have the pain to work against the medicines(& vise versa) & do not get "high". The medicines help dull the pain so they can move & get through each day. The 2016 CDC guidelines were supposed to be just that .... guidelines, for PCP doctors prescribing initial pain medicines. NOT for ongoing chronic pain. But some how those guidelines are now being used as law & as a weapon. The DEA is now using the 2016 "guidelines" as a weapon against our doctors. & this needs to STOP Now! This is causing doctors to drastically taper & drop everyone off of their long time safe & effective prescription pain medicines in fear for their license being taken by the DEA. Not to mention the DEA going after doctors, closing their practices down. Where & what are all their patients supposed to do being cut off in the blink of an eye? Yep, they are going to the streets for illegal street drugs, committing suicide or having detrimental adverse health conditions. People in pain are being harmed left & right! & this needs to STOP!!! It should have never started in the first place. But it needs to STOP NOW!!!! Throw out the 2016 CDC guidelines & do not make any more. Also, those guidelines were all one sided(when made) & based on false & misinformation. Throw out those guidelines & do not make any more. So it can bring back the doctor - patient relationship, to where the doctor can help their patients without fearing for their practice, license or their lives! STOP punishing people in pain. We did not ask for pain but are stuck with it. Opioids(the opioid plant) has been around since the beginning of time. It was given to us to help us with our pain. It wasn't until illegal street drugs came into the picture that started causing problems. Its illegal street drugs that are causing the over doses & deaths. & by restricting prescription pain medicines, you're just pushing more & more to illegal street drugs & therefore to over dose or die. Stop treating people in pain like addicts. Those are 2 totally different groups of people. Each of whom should have their own individualized treatment. Our government are not doctors. Nor do they have any idea of medical conditions or how it should be treated. So, they have no right putting restrictions on our doctors & how they can or can't treat their patients & with what & how much medicines that work best. PLEASE STOP Punishing People in Pain & the doctors who treat them! Thank you!