As the coronavirus threatens Texans, the Texas AFL-CIO today called on political and business leaders to take actions suggested by front-line union workers who face elevated risk of becoming ill.

"Texans looking to steer clear of the coronavirus and safeguard their families know that protecting working people protects communities," Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy, joined by representatives of several unions, said at a news conference.

"The union members of the Texas AFL-CIO know the landscapes of their work in ways that no one else does," Levy said. "Teachers, nurses, government employees, transit workers, airline workers, hotel and food service workers, and others in frontline jobs have come forward with good advice on maintaining safe workplaces to minimize danger."

"More needs to be done to fight the coronavirus and protect our communities, especially given that Texas has refused to expand Medicaid and continues to have the highest percentage of people without health insurance," Levy said. "And it can be done without panic or resort to xenophobia or false rumors about the spread of the virus."

The Texas AFL-CIO supports the following actions (a working paper with more detail is attached to this news release):

Expand access to paid sick days for workers if they or a loved one have been exposed to COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms, or have underlying medical conditions putting them at heightened risk.

Listen to frontline workers: nurses, hospital workers, EMS workers, airline industry workers, educators, public health experts and more about the necessary steps to keep working people safe on the job and to protect our communities.

Make sure no Texas worker or family unfairly experiences catastrophic financial consequences as a result of measures to keep our communities safe.

"No Texans should have to choose between going to work sick so they can pay their bills and staying home without pay to keep our communities safe," Levy said. "In the case of the coronavirus, that bad choice could be a matter of life and death."

"Texas working families are right to be nervous about the coronavirus. We certainly don't pretend to have all the answers, but we have long experience in advocating for safety first in the workplace" Levy said. "We call on our state's leaders to rise to the challenge posed by the coronavirus and do the right thing."

Unions and union organizations who have contributed to the suggestions below include: National Nurses United, Service Employees International Union, UNITE HERE, CWA-Association of Flight Attendants, Transport Workers Union, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Texas State Employees Union, Texas American Federation of Teachers, Amalgamated Transit Union, Austin EMS Association, American Federation of Government Employees, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, and more.

The Texas AFL-CIO is a state labor federation that includes 245,000 affiliated union members who advocate for working families in Texas.

Texas AFL-CIO Proposals to Protect Texas Communities and Families From Coronavirus