During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
The Chicago Federation of Labor helped host a “Save the News” rally in downtown Chicago. Union members were joined by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, as well as other community leaders. They spoke about the need for free and fair access to information, and how it is especially critical for working people right now because of the pandemic, the economic crisis and the protests against racial injustice. “The public’s right to information is at stake more than ever because of the risks journalists face,” Don Villar (NABET-CWA), secretary-treasurer of the federation, said in a statement. “Journalists put their health and safety at risk to show how a global pandemic is affecting our city, and how protests have roiled the streets of Chicago. They all want to do their jobs in a historic moment, but we have journalists put on the sidelines by furloughs.”