(USA) ACTION ALERT: Sign a petition in support of severance pay for Burgerville Workers!

on April 4, 2020 Betriebsarbeit, International, Organizing, Solidarität with 0 comments

In the past week, Burgerville corporate has furloughed 68% of workers. Burgerville workers are calling on you to support our demands for severance pay for furloughed workers and increase protections for those still working, including $2/hr in hazard pay and two additional weeks in sick leave.

Nearly 100 Burgerville workers have signed the petition. Add your name in solidarity to pressure the company to do right by its workers! It should not be us—the underpaid and undervalued workers—who have to pay for this crisis through pay cuts, layoffs, evictions, and health emergencies. In a time of public health crisis like this, these demands support the protections low-wage workers need to help to keep our whole community safe!

Sign the petition!

“In order to preserve our own safety and security and the health of the broader community during this crisis, we demand the following:

Hazard pay of $2 an hour for all Burgerville workers for the duration of the pandemic.

An additional two weeks of sick leave for all Burgerville workers, in accordance with the recently passed Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act.

The right to use sick hours to cover hours lost due to a public health emergency, as well as the elimination of the required doctor’s note to go on quarantine leave.

In the event of closures or layoffs, a severance package of 2 weeks worth of pay, based on the workers hourly wage plus the average hourly tips for the month of February.

Guaranteed rehire for any worker laid off.

Free shift meals and free childcare for all workers who are risking their own health, and the health of their families, to continue to provide food for the community.

Why is this important?

These are extraordinary times. All workers at Burgerville have faced either severe cuts to their hours or have been furloughed–with no warning and no financial assistance. The workers that remain have little to no choice but to work in conditions that expose them and their loved ones to a deadly virus. For those who are furloughed, the company is telling us not to worry because of government assistance, but rent is due and the money isn’t in our wallets. Burgerville has an obligation to us now. This has and will lead us to further insecurity for our kids, our homes, our food, and our healthcare.

Amazon, Whole Foods, New Seasons, Market of Choice, and other companies are already offering workers hazard pay to acknowledge the increased risk that grocery and service workers are facing right now. As one of the few businesses that is able to stay open during the pandemic, it is our responsibility to provide the community with the support it needs–through our food and our health. The less of us who are exposed to the virus, the healthier the community. The less of us who have to rely on public assistance because we have the support of our employer, the more resources for workers laid off from businesses that are no longer open. Now is the time to prioritize that people remain healthy, fed, and housed.”