Democratic leaders of the House of Representatives today introduced the HEROES Act, the next phase of legislation to address the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today release its April jobs report, which found that 20.5 million American jobs were lost last month and the unemployment rate has soared to 14.7%.

As outbreaks of Covid-19 continue to intensify throughout the notoriously unsafe meatpacking industry, the administration and others have made claims indicating the largely minority workers in the industry are at fault.

The Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee today marked up two bills, the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. Included in the bills is language making permanent Buy America for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF).

President Donald Trump announced today that he intends to invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to keep meatpacking plants open during the COVID-19 crisis. Meatpacking plants have become hotspots for the virus. According to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting there have been at least 18 reported worker deaths due to COVID-19 in the meatpacking industry and at least 4,400 reported positive cases tied to meatpacking facilities at 80 plants in 26 states.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today joined leaders from the BlueGreen Alliance and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) David Michaels to honor workers who have died on the job this year—including those who lost their battle with Covid-19—and to call on OSHA to protect workers during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Marking the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Michigan AFL-CIO today announced they are joining the Michigan BlueGreen Alliance state table.

It is critical we ensure the safety of workers on the job in the face of COVID-19, whether they are nurses on the frontlines, workers in warehouses, utility workers keeping the lights on across the country, or manufacturing workers building essential products. Congress has taken significant steps to protect workers, and must continue to prioritize the most vulnerable; safeguard working peoples’ jobs, homes, and livelihoods; shore up essential public services; and protect the health and safety of frontline workers.

Leaders from the United Steelworkers (USW), Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), Union of Concerned Scientists, and BlueGreen Alliance today called for immediate actions to protect workers on the job from COVID-19 and help families struggling with the economic devastation caused by the virus.

The Trump administration is expected tomorrow to release a rule dramatically weakening the nation’s globally competitive fuel economy and vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards. A BlueGreen Alliance analysis estimated a rollback of the standards could cost at least 90,000 future jobs in American manufacturing.

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the latest step forward to aid workers and families. Following the vote, the BlueGreen Alliance released a statement from Executive Director Jason Walsh: 

The U.S. Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a legislative package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that includes added accountability for taxpayer funds that would go to companies; bolsters unemployment compensation; and directs urgently needed help to hospitals, schools, and millions of Americans, among other provisions.