Workers at Risk

Working people and their communities are bearing the brunt of the harms created by dangerous and dirty fossil fuel infrastructure working conditions. Similarly, lower wage working communities have been asked to absorb enormous risk for the sake of the economy, corporate profit margins, and stock portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 20,000 Amazon workers and over 27,000 meat-packing workers have been infected with COVID-19; sanitation workers, grocery store clerks and other “essential workers” are bearing the brunt of the effects of the pandemic, while those with more social and economic privilege continue to work from home. Our social and economic system creates the conditions for certain workers to be perceived as disposable, especially during times of crisis.

Essential workers are often living with the burden of multiple, overlapping systemic barriers to health, wellness, and prosperity. Although their work is considered "essential," wages for essential workers are often low, leaving them with few options for quality housing. These workers are more likely to live in segregated neighborhoods overburdened with a variety of environmental harms. They are more likely than higher-wage workers to live with various types of pollution that erode their health over time.

Moving Forward

As climate change and pandemics like COVID-19 present ever greater challenges to working people attempting to maintain a reasonable quality of life, mutual aid networks are stepping in to provide much needed relief and assistance. Historically, these networks have been key to providing much-needed resources, fostering cooperation and strengthening community capacity for self-determination.

Workers at Risk

Moving Forward

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