Transit workers are on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. We need them to keep service running, to provide the essential connections that keep us all alive and fighting. That job is dangerous, as they are trapped in a bus with passengers, breathing the same air and potentially becoming exposed. We don’t yet know, and may never know, the full count of transit workers lost to the pandemic, but we already know the numbers are too high. In the words of labor activist Mother Jones, we will “pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
We met May 1st to discuss ways to support our transit union locals, including showing up during their contract fights and giving them the mic and platform to elevate their concerns. You can find a summary of that conversation on the resources page. We know standing shoulder to shoulder with the bus and subway drivers helps riders, and is our best defense against the austerity narratives that try to pit riders against drivers in a zero-sum game.