Hello all!

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the White House has made sweeping changes to the country’s immigration apparatus, altering daily operations and disrupting the lives of thousands, says CNN.

Since early March, there have been at least a dozen changes, ranging from postponing immigration hearings to pausing deportation flights to certain countries and suspending refugee admissions. The administration is also trying to push some of its most restrictive policies amidst this crisis that have struggled to be put into practice, including blocking entry to asylum seekers.

For more on how the coronavirus has impacted immigration, click here.

The Trump administration is trying to rescind protections for LGBTQ+ workers at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in a continuation of worker attacks, according to the NLRB Professional Association (NLRBPA).

Currently, LGBTQ+ workers at the NLRB, the federal agency responsible for enforcing labor law, are protected by a collective bargaining agreement that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2002. However, that collective bargaining agreement ended in 2019 and the organizations are currently negotiating a new contract.

The NLRBPA, the organization that represents NLRB workers, said that NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb and NLRB Chair John Ring, who were both appointed by the current White House administration, sent a proposed contract that eliminates the ban on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination as well as the agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity Committee that was operated by both workers and management to address discrimination issues at the NLRB.

For the whole story in LGBTQ Nation, click here.

Nine years ago, USW member E.J. Jenkins had a vision—he wanted to start conversations and ignite change in his community of Gary, Ind., a lakeside city just outside of Chicago struggling with mass joblessness and a housing crisis caused by a history of segregation and steel industry downturns.

That vision led to what is now Black Labor Week, an annual five days dedicated to labor, to Black history and culture, and to the community members of Gary.

The March 11, 2020 episode of the USW’s podcast, Solidarity Works, covers the District 7 Steelworker event that is growing into a movement, the activists who make it all happen and the city they serve. Listen to it at usw.to/podcast or on your favorite podcast streaming service.

LGBTQ working people will likely see a major impact – both in their health and their checkbooks – by the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. LGBTQ people have higher rates of smoking, a risk factor, as well as higher rates of cancer and other immune-compromised conditions, which are also risk factors with this disease. Additionally, LGBTQ working people are more likely have jobs in industries being hit hard by the crisis, such as creative, transportation, service, and others. We’re also more likely to be in low-wage and hourly jobs that are seeing massive layoffs and hour reductions.

The labor movement is mobilizing to fight to protect all working people in these turbulent times and we want to be sure you have the latest information available. Below, you can find general information about the virus and information about what unions are doing in response to COVID-19 as well as LGBTQ-specific resources and actions you can take to ensure all working people get the help they need in this crisis.

Read Pride at Work’s update on coronavirus.

This list will be updated as more resources come online.

Over 2 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders workers are facing xenophobic and racial discrimination in health care, transportation, and other workplaces in addition to increased exposure to communicable diseases, says the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA).

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the AFL-CIO constituency group is speaking up on how xenophobia and racism interact with America’s inadequate health care system and outdated labor laws to endanger workers and hinder disease prevention.

“Health care workers are the ones who care for us when we are sick, but as workers on the frontlines they face an increased exposure to illness,” said APALA National Executive Board Member Ligaya Domingo in a press statement. “COVID-19 is preventable and treatable, but only if we ensure working people are informed and protected.”

Since the novel coronavirus outbreak hit the news in December 2019, there have been increased reports of hate crimes and other acts of discrimination against Asian people, including blatant verbal and physical attacks, around the world. APALA says employers must include a protocol against racial discrimination in their responses to COVID-19 to prevent racism spreading along with the coronavirus.

Click here to access resources, including fliers, for how to support AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) workers in your workplace.

Labour History & Music