Long Island Workers Call on New York State to Create Fund for Excluded Worker Pandemic Relief
What: Covid-safe Car Protest for Excluded Worker Fund
When: Wednesday, Aug 19
9:00 am EST – Cars gathering
10:00 am EST – Caravan begins
11:00 am EST – Caravan ends, Press Conference, and Rally
Where: Beginning at 1434 Straight Path, Wyandanch, NY, ending at 1995 Brentwood Rd, Brentwood, NY
You can register your car for the Caravan here.
You can stay up to date on the Caravan though our Facebook page.
On Wednesday August 19th, Long Island immigrant day laborers, worker organizations and allies plan to lead over 50 cars to participate in a “COVID-safe car protest” calling on Long Island Democratic State Senators (known as the “Long Island Six”) to create an emergency fund for undocumented and other excluded workers in New York State.
Long Island was one of the first and hardest hit areas by COVID-19, and yet many day laborers, undocumented workers, immigrant families, formerly incarcerated workers, and small business or self employed were deliberately excluded from the largest federal stimulus in U.S. history. They continue to be excluded from New York State unemployment insurance, despite their contributions to it. The caravan will travel through Wyandanch, Central Islip, and Brentwood, areas that have been devastated, first by COVID-19 and then by the exclusion from pandemic support. Suffolk County legislator Samuel Gonzalez,
who represents the district where the caravan will arrive, is co-sponsoring the event.
The groups are calling on their Long Island Senators and Governor Cuomo to reject bigotry and address the exclusion by passing the Excluded Worker Fund legislation authored by Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblywoman Carmen de la Rosa (S8277A/A10414). This legislation would establish the fund through a tax on billionaire wealth, benefit thousands of Long Islanders, and contribute hundreds of millions to the local economy.
Speakers at the event will include: Directly affected workers and community members, Suffolk County Legislators Samuel Gonzalez and Jason Richberg, and supporters. A broad coalition of local faith, labor, and civil rights groups have endorsed the call to action, including: Long Island Jobs with Justice, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Freeport Worker Justice Center, Workplace Project, 32BJ SEIU, Long Island Progressive Coalition, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Centro Corazon de Maria, New York Immigration Coalition, Make the
Road New York, SEPA Mujer, New Hour, NYCLU Suffolk Chapter, Long Island Language Advocates Coalition, Rural and Migrant Ministries, OLA of Eastern Long Island, Nassau DSA, Empire Justice Center, Long Island Immigrant Student
Advocates (LIISA).
