On Wednesday, working people across the United States joined the Workers First Caravan for Racial + Economic Justice. In observation of social distancing guidelines for public safety, working people took to their cars and joined caravans across the country. America faces crises on three critical fronts: a public health pandemic, an economic free fall and long-standing structural racism. To address these crises, we must focus on America’s Five Economic Essentials, which cannot be addressed without also taking on racial injustice directly.
America's Five Economic Essentials are:
1. Keep front-line workers safe and secure.
2. Keep workers employed and protect earned pension checks.
3. Keep state and local governments, our public schools and the U.S. Postal Service solvent and working.
4. Keep America healthy by protecting and expanding health insurance for all workers.
5. Keep America competitive by hiring people to build infrastructure.
Here are some highlights of yesterday's caravans from around the country:
Just finished up an Executive Council meeting and am headed to the Capitol to join the #WorkersFirst Caravan for Racial + Economic Justice. #1u pic.twitter.com/Y8SMSPDeJ8
— Richard Trumka (@RichardTrumka) June 17, 2020
I’m heading to the US Capitol in Washington DC for the @AFLCIO #WorkersFirst Caravan - we’re demanding Congress hear our voices and pass the HEROES Act and put an end to systemic racism and inequality! #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/kXkRH7KQhT
— Liz Shuler (@lizshuler) June 17, 2020
#WorkersFirst #HeroesAct pic.twitter.com/gKDzb90ANe
— [email protected] (@DCLabor) June 17, 2020
Kicking off Workers First Caravan❗️❗️#WorkersFirst #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/GUUCBIBqqE
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) June 17, 2020
AFT President @rweingarten is in a car on the way to the #WorkersFirst Caravan for Racial + Economic Justice! Tune in live: https://t.co/Rk1mH97z0q pic.twitter.com/rfGPexowH0
— AFT (@AFTunion) June 17, 2020
Set-up for #WorkersFirst news conference at #TxAFL-CIO to all for #HEROESAct to see all families through pandemic and demand racial justice. #SenateActNow #1u pic.twitter.com/pP1ayRKR52
— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) June 17, 2020
The #WorkersFirst Caravan in Atlanta is headed out! Honk if you see us! #UnionStrong #gapol pic.twitter.com/ccsfJycP7Q
— Georgia AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOGeorgia) June 17, 2020
HAPPENING NOW: The Workers First Caravan is beginning in the Washington, D.C. area. CLUW President Elise Bryant is on board! We are demanding that Senators support the #HEROESAct, the proposed COVID-19 financial and social relief bill. #WorkersFirst pic.twitter.com/elqfeUaEQu
— CLUW National (@CLUWNational) June 17, 2020
.@unitehere folks getting everyone ready for the #WorkersFirst caravan, where hundreds of cars will be driving from Arlington + Maryland to the Capitol pic.twitter.com/joC7H7yTtc
— Kalina Newman (@KalinaNewman) June 17, 2020
The #WorkersFirst caravan is lining up in #Columbus #Ohio to demand Mitch McConnell take up the #HeroesAct and help restore funding to local governments. We can’t call workers essential one day and make them expendable the next. pic.twitter.com/1ewcA3BFXS
— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) June 17, 2020
Workers First Caravan for Racial & Economic Justice is getting underway in Nashville! @NashvilleCLC is getting folks out in droves #WorkersFirst pic.twitter.com/Qggihk18aq
— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) June 17, 2020
The video is too long to fit us all, but we are heading out in our caravan! #WorkersFirst #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/zFVH7b1uJG
— Virginia AFL-CIO (@Virginia_AFLCIO) June 17, 2020
Pride at Work South Florida members are out on the streets today for racial and economic justice #WorkersFirst #1u #SenateActNow #1uPride pic.twitter.com/6CtLWtsYiN
— Pride at Work (@PrideatWork) June 17, 2020
We stand with working people who are standing up for what is right via the #workersfirst caravan. Working families are demanding Congress hear their voices, pass the HEROES Act, and put an end to systematic racism. cc @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/Wvl7B7UQ0h
— Transp. Trades Dept. (@TTDAFLCIO) June 17, 2020
Cars lined up and ready to go for the @coloradoaflcio #WorkersFirst caravan around @SenCoryGardner ‘s Denver office #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/ebLRztlBG5
— UNITE HERE Local 23 (@unitehere23) June 17, 2020
That's why we showed up this morning to put #WorkersFirst. The Senate must pass the #HeroesAct ASAP! #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/do9kPX883x
— Northern Nevada Central Labor Council (@northernnvlabor) June 17, 2020
Decorating our cars and getting ready to kick off our #WorkersFirst caravan in Indianapolis! pic.twitter.com/AWMS1Nao11
— Indiana AFL-CIO (@INAFLCIO) June 17, 2020
Workers rallied nationwide seeking action from elected leaders on three fronts: the coronavirus pandemic, the resulting economic devastation, and the long-standing structural racism that has sparked protests. #WorkersFirst https://t.co/GSvcifF4UE
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) June 17, 2020
Int. Pres. John Costa joined @ATULocal689 Pres. Ray Jackson today as hundreds of cars with members from ATU, @unitehere, @AFSCME, and others at the Tommy Douglas Conf. Ctr. for the #workersfirst caravan for Racial + Economic Justice around the U.S. Capitol. #1u #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/IFD5ju58X0
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) June 17, 2020
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Workers First Caravan Broward County #WorkersFirst#SenateActNow #CWA #IATSE #AFT #UFF #BTU #FOPE #OPEIU #SEIU #1union #FLAFLCIO #BRAFLCIO #FFLL pic.twitter.com/tyhqopNGFO
— Broward AFL-CIO (@BRAFLCIO) June 17, 2020
We kicked off the #WorkersFirst caravan in York PA today with our union sisters and brothers from across the Commonwealth. It’s time for the Senate to take action, fight for equality and put #WorkersFirst! @AFLCIO @PhillyAFLCIO @sepaalf @AlleghenyLabor @afscmecouncil13 pic.twitter.com/qB9j5QAmHL
— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) June 17, 2020
#1U #Workersfirst #WorkersFirstCaravan https://t.co/29y57PtFj1
— Rhode Island AFL-CIO (@riaflcio) June 17, 2020
Today is a national Day of Action for the @AFLCIO highlighting the importance of the 5 economic essentials paramount to America's recovery.
— Nevada State AFL-CIO (@NVAFLCIO) June 18, 2020
1: Keep front-line workers safe and secure
2: Keep workers employed while protecting their pensions pic.twitter.com/LC5NAcO4Ig
Local 1 was proud to join our @MOAFLCIO Brothers and Sisters on the Workers First Caravan for Economic and Social Justice! #WorkersFirst @RepAnnWagner @FjacobsLU1 @AFLCIO @UFCW655 pic.twitter.com/24AN8ITkwd
— IBEW Local One (@IBEWLocal1) June 18, 2020
Today we had a great action in Orlando to call on Congress to pass the HEROES Act! We demand Rick Scott and Marco Rubio put workers first!#WorkersFirst#SenateActNow#1u pic.twitter.com/OMDc6nA5NU
— CentralFloridaAFLCIO (@CentralFLAFLCIO) June 18, 2020
I’m proud to stand with folks across the country participating in today’s #WorkersFirst Caravan. Senate Republicans need to pass the #HeroesAct now and take action to root out systemic racism. https://t.co/s5zCJBXYIp
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 18, 2020
American workers are paying the price for Leader McConnell’s efforts to slow-walk our response to COVID-19. Truly inspiring to witness today’s caravan of workers in Washington, driving together to demand that the #SenateActNow to pass the #HeroesAct. #WorkersFirst pic.twitter.com/W4I4w5wxxZ
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) June 17, 2020
I was inspired to see swarms of cars circling the U.S. Capitol as part of @AFLCIO's Workers First Caravan for Economic and Social Justice. Workers from around the region are demanding Congress take decisive action to end racial prejudice in policing. #WorkersFirst #SenateActNow pic.twitter.com/SztXNFTGcg
— Rep. Andy Levin (@RepAndyLevin) June 17, 2020