We endorse the principles and demands to defend working people against the coronavirus developed by Labor Notes and labor activists across the country, summed up as:

- Shut down every workplace except those essential to health and survival.

- Federal government economic support for all non-essential workers, to allow and incentivize them to stay home. The unemployment benefits in the CARES bill are a step toward that goal. We must demand more.

- Provide everything that essential workers need to do their jobs safely and compensate them for the immense risk they are taking.

Specifically:
Ensure that industries and businesses labeled as “essential” really are.

Shut down all non-essential businesses for a time frame recommended by public health authorities, with full cancellation of rents, mortgages, utilities, student and credit card debt, and other obligations for three months. No evictions.

$3,000 a month per person for the duration, to be paid by the federal government by taxing corporations.

A relief package to support working people, not bailouts for billionaires and corporations.

An Essential Workers Bill of Rights: Priority testing, all protective equipment, sanitized workplaces with social distancing, fair hours, hazard pay, free child care (which is also essential work).

Free and high-quality medical care for COVID-19 and all secondary illnesses for all those infected.

Use the Defense Production Act powers to immediately ramp up production of medical supplies and building of facilities.

Jobs program to train health care providers at all levels and to employ workers to build hospitals, expand production of medical supplies, and do other socially necessary jobs.

These benefits will be applied to all workers regardless of immigration status.