For Immediate Release
Contact: Kimberly Gutzler
kimberly@nationalchildrenscampaign.org
202-476-9141
Youth-Powered #YourWorkersMyFamily Launching to Demand Protections for Essential Workers Nationally
April 27, 2020 – #YourWorkersMyFamily Demands Pay and Protections for Essential Workers Nationwide; partners with National Children’s Campaign in support of the CoronaStrike Coalition for a week of action Monday, April 27-Friday May 1.
#YourWorkersMyFamily, a youth-powered campaign led by youth activists Yolian Ogbu and Victory Nwabufo is teaming up with the National Children’s Campaign (NCC) to support the efforts of the #CoronaStrike Coalition.
#YourWorkersMyFamily is demanding universal hazard pay and required PPE for all essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. We are an intergenerational organizing team of labor activists, working people, and concerned family members from across the country. Our coalition was inspired by the story of a wildcat strike led by Texas healthcare workers. This story went viral on social media on April 14, garnering mainstream media attention and 95,000 likes on Twitter. We mobilized within 48 hours to create a campaign in support of these workers.
Our week of action begins April 27th with our social media launch, followed by a two-day tweet bombing campaign to demand hazard pay and PPE for essential workers. In addition, we will be sharing stories from essential workers and their families. Finally, our week of action will culminate on May 1st, International Workers’ Day, to foster engagement with #CoronaStrike, #MayDay2020, and other nationwide efforts.
Across the country, essential workers are struggling to secure basic job protections including hazard pay, mandatory paid sick leave, and personal protective equipment. NCC and #YourWorkersMyFamily are aligned in their efforts to advocate for the safety of our loved ones who are on the frontlines.
“It often takes children & young people to bridge the political divide during these polarizing times,” said Kimberly Gutzler, President & Co-Founder of the National Children’s Campaign. “That is why we fully support the youth-led #YourWorkersMyFamily campaign that is fighting for basic protections for family members who are on the frontlines of the response to the coronavirus.”
Gutzler added, “The National Children’s Campaign mission is to elevate and amplify the voices and needs of America’s 74 million children and their families. That commitment is more important than ever during this pandemic, which is why America must come together to protect these frontline heroes. This injustice must be rectified now.”
Beyond May 1st, #YourWorkersMyFamily demands that workers’ humanity be valued and are calling for their stories to be heard. Rich, a pharmacy supervisor from New Jersey shares: “I joined this coalition because it feels like my employer values making money more than it values me as a worker. They are pushing promotions and coupons driving people into the store to buy non-essential items and putting my health at further risk. Is profit more important than my health?” #YourWorkersMyFamily fully endorses #CoronaStrike’s vision to “develop a broad, united front organized around short-term and long-term aims that put workers and other disenfranchised people before profit.”
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The National Children’s Campaign is a national nonprofit organization that serves to amplify the voices of America’s 74 million children and youth and make sure that our nation’s political leaders prioritize the issues that matter to those who are too young to vote. The National Children’s Campaign focuses on health, education, climate and environment, child welfare, gun violence, child immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and youth civic engagement.
#YourWorkersMyFamily was founded by youth activists Yolian Ogbu and Victory Nwabufo.
It is a youth-powered campaign demanding universal hazard pay and required PPE for all essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. We are an intergenerational organizing team of labor activists, working people, and concerned family members from across the country. Our coalition was inspired by the story of a wildcat strike led by Texas healthcare workers. This story went viral on social media on April 14, garnering mainstream media attention and 95,000 likes on Twitter. We mobilized within 48 hours to create a campaign in support of these workers
Please follow us on:
Twitter @YWMForg
Instagram @YourWorkersMyFamily
Facebook Your Workers My Family
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