THE PROBLEM

Our communities are extremely vulnerable in times of crisis because of long standing oppression and inequality. Because of systemic discrimination Black people already face unequal pay in the workplace and have higher rates of unemployment.

THE SOLUTION

We must mold long-term economic solutions that not only address the immediate crisis but pave the way for a just recovery that doesn’t prioritize corporations and leave our communities behind.

FEDERAL ACTION

Implement Paid Leave to reduce spread of virus and ensure safety of all:

• Extend a mandated eight week paid sick leave to ALL workers (including full-time and part-time workers, contractors, and farm workers) in the public and private sector, without exception. 
• Ensure paid family and medical leave for those who are caring for the sick or for children who are not able to attend school.

Implement a Universal Basic Income to specifically support and protect workers in the informal economy and those engaged in reproductive labor, the care economy, and other often unrecognized forms of work: 

• Immediately implement a Universal Basic Income for all people living in the United States including disabled, undocumented people as well as currently incarcerated people. The UBI recognizes the care economy, and therefore recognizes reproductive labor such as family planning, having children and raising children, domestic work, and care labor as work. 

Ensure access to basic needs including food for all:

• Eliminate work requirements for food stamps, Medicaid and other government assistance.
• Expand all existing service and support programs for low-income individuals.
• Supports and/or stimuli that shore up the safety net and the economic security of those most in need—from food stamps to rent/housing assistance to unemployment insurance to paid leave among others—should be universally accessible, regardless of immigration status, without triggering any immigration penalties. 

Ensure the financial health and stability of all individuals so they can better weather this crisis:

• Cancel student debt through an Executive Order and/or congressional action.  
• Make any bailout contingent on the cancelation of all payments and interests due on all credit card, mortgage, and debt to all financial institutions. This extends to related subsidiary institutions and lenders like payday loans, mortgage lenders, etc.   
• Increase minimum wage to all frontline workers (meaning anyone still mandated to work and people who are in frequent contact with the public) to at least $30 per hour.

Implement an equitable plan to pay for needed response to the current crisis:

• Enact a tax on extreme wealth to pay for expansion of social services and federal investment packages. 
• No unconditional bailout of corporations or industries. No loopholes to allow for stock buybacks and CEO bonuses. No aid to any businesses, small or large, that layoff or furlough workers in this crisis.

Increase resilience and stability of our economy:

• Enact a Green New Deal that advances comprehensive structural reform toward national climate resiliency and preparedness; ensures public control of key industries, utilities, and natural resources; and catalyzes people-oriented public spending that transforms the national economy to one that is just, equitable, and sustainable.
• Pass legislation to guarantee jobs to all displaced workers and employ millions to transform our economy towards renewable energies that stabilize both our nation and our climate under the New Green Deal.
• Pass $2 trillion federal investment package targeted towards working people, small business, and state and local services NOT to financial institutions.  
• No Corporate Bailout. Any financial assistance to industries must be for the purposes of maintaining payroll and benefits for workers. Additionally, we demand a cancelling of the burden of interest and payments on everyday people to financial institutions.

STATE ACTION

Increase resilience and The People First: All relief efforts must prioritize Black families and communities over corporations. We demand:

• Ensure at least 8 weeks of paid sick leave for all workers, including independent contractors and regardless of immigration status, to make sure no sick worker is leaving their home.
• Mandate Paid Sick leave policy for all employers. 
• Ensure paid family and medical leave for those who are caring for those who are sick or for children who are not able to attend school.
• Provide a longer paid leave option for workers with children until public schools re-open.
• Extend free childcare options for all.
• Provide access to emergency funds (or tax credit) for all homecare and childcare providers.

• Provide access to emergency funds (or tax credit) to informal home care and childcare providers.
• Immediately increase SNAP & WIC benefits by 100%.
• Freeze all tickets and fine repayments. 
• Provide free Identification, drivers license, and vehicle registration to all residents.
• Establish a universal basic income to all people living within the United States, including people who are incarcerated.
• Increase minimum wage to all frontline workers (meaning anyone still mandated to work and people who are in frequent contact with the public) to at least $30 per hour. 
• Extend universal basic income to all people living in the United States, including incarcerated people.

LOCAL ACTION

Increase resilience and The People First: All relief efforts must prioritize Black families and communities over corporations. We demand:

• Provide access to funds to informal home care, eldercare, and childcare providers.
• Freeze all tickets and fine repayments. 
• Free identification, drivers license, and vehicle registration to all residents.
• Increase minimum wage to all frontline workers (meaning anyone still mandated to work and people who are in frequent contact with the public) to at least $30 per hour.