Former OSHA Official: Without Safety Precautions, More Wisconsin Workers Will Die

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD AUDIO OF PRESS CALL HERE. 

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Today, Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care Wisconsin hosted a press call with Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and local meatpacking workers to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak in Brown County and its links to area businesses. Opportunity Wisconsin and Protect Our Care were also joined on the call by Deborah Berkowitz, a former senior policy advisor at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to remain open, despite hundreds of COVID-19 cases being linked to these types of facilities across Wisconsin. 

“This president gave meatpacking conglomerates legal carte blanche in the middle of a pandemic and it's reprehensible and indefensible. It’s reckless and it’s dangerous and it speaks to this president’s complete and total inability to relate to or care about regular people here in Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin and across the United States,” said Mayor Genrich. “It's offensive to those who are on the frontlines in this community - in our health systems, in our meatpacking plants, in our grocery stores - all across this community providing incredibly essential services. We are asking to have a president and administration that recognizes the gravity of this threat in Green Bay and in Wisconsin and responds appropriately.”  

“The president issued an Executive Order where he created a false choice. He said there's a choice between keeping workers safe and alive and feeding America. But we can do both,” said Berkowitz. “This outbreak in meatpacking was not inevitable. It was because of a decision by all big meat companies to not implement basic guidance that the CDC issued back in March to keep everyone six feet apart and prevent the spread of COVID-19...The companies will continue to prioritize production and profits over worker safety until they are required to implement safe provisions.” 

Many of these same meatpacking facilities have a long track record of repeatedly putting their workers at risk. With this order, President Trump is giving big corporations a shield from any liability, even after they caused significant COVID-19 outbreaks in the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin. To make matters worse, the Trump administration will not be requiring meat processing facilities to follow basic safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  

“The Executive Order does not require or give authority to force plants to stay open. If the companies open up it's because they are deciding to open. If they open up without safety precautions more workers will get sick and more workers will die...The administration has completely failed and abdicated their responsibility to assure that all workers have a safe workplace,” said Berkowitz. 

“Workers need to believe that President Trump has their backs, not corporations’,” said Mark Westphal, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and President of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council. “The Defense Production Act has put workers in a really terrible situation. They are being forced to choose between their livelihood and their lives. The president has sided completely with corporate CEOs on this one and has pretty much told workers, ‘Hey you are on your own.’” 

Raquel Sanchez Alvarado has been with Green Bay’s American Foods Group for a year and a half. Almost a month ago she came down with a bad cough, but kept going to work. A week later she tested positive for COVID-19. 

“These companies must take responsibility for their workers to be safe. Some people who are positive are still going back to work, and people aren't getting tested who might be positive,” said Alvarado. “They need to do more testing. We are human beings and we deserve the same treatment as the people above us.” 

Filiberto Reyes-Martinez works at the same plant and was recently suspended from work for speaking up on behalf of his coworkers and speaking out about the unsafe working conditions. 

Speaking through Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, Reyes-Martinez said, “As workers, it's important that we raise our voice and that we have our rights respected. To ask for personal protective equipment is nothing small - this is a way to avoid death….What happened to me is a great injustice for simply asking for PPE, because there are people who are dying. It's extremely important that companies provide equipment and safety for workers.”   

According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, health officials have traced at least 189 positive cases of the virus to the JBS Packerland Plant, located in Brown County. As of April 24, “Brown County now has by far the highest rate of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 among Wisconsin’s 72 counties.” On Sunday, April 26, JBS USA Holdings, Inc. announced the temporary closure of their Green Bay facility. The outbreak is now being investigated by OSHA.  “

There's very few OSHA inspectors around,” said Westphal. “It would take almost 90 years for the OSHA inspectors in Wisconsin to inspect every facility. The only way they come to a plant is if there's proof and a complaint has been filed. The only way there will be protection is through strong community support and local officials.”  

This latest move from President Trump is not surprising. Over the course of his time in office, President Trump has continuously prioritized big corporations like JBS USA, over the Wisconsin workers that make these corporations run, including: 

• Rolling back regulations protecting meat-industry workers.

• Giving JBS USA $67 million in bailout funds meant for farmers struggling in the wake of his trade war.

• Allowing multinational corporations to benefit from changes to the international tax system that will cost American taxpayers $14 billion. JBS USA also benefited from the reduction in the domestic corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD AUDIO OF PRESS CALL HERE. 

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

About Protect Our Care
Protect Our Care is leading the fight against efforts to repeal and sabotage the Affordable Care Act while promoting access to quality, affordable coverage for all Americans.

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Wisconsin Parents Speak Out about the Destructive Impact of COVID-19 and President Trump’s Economic Policies

“You think it's okay, but every time the phone rings, you just hope it's not someone else who died.” 

“As a health care worker, the most frustrating thing is that nobody is listening to us.” 

WATCH/DOWNLOAD THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — On Wednesday evening, Opportunity Wisconsin and 9to5 Wisconsin hosted a group of middle- and working-class parents from all across Wisconsin for a virtual roundtable to discuss the challenges they are facing during the coronavirus pandemic and how the Trump administration’s economic policies haven't worked for their families or communities.

“It's 24/7. You have a 4-year-old yelling at you, and you can’t take a break. You can’t take them to a grandparent’s or relative’s. It’s a weird way to live right now,” said Jyllian Grady, a single mom and service industry worker from Eau Claire. “I have to pay for rent and daycare, but unemployment and the stimulus payment does not cover a whole month and I have no income. I don't want to lose the spot for my son's daycare, but I have so many other things that I have to pay for and I can’t cover all of it.”

President Trump has prioritized the interests of the rich and powerful while in office. His tax cuts for the rich and corporations increased inequality and undermined broad-based prosperity. His Wall-Street friendly rules have encouraged corporations to take on destabilizing debt. And he’s refused to invest in public protections like health care and disease prevention. Now we’re seeing the results.

“I’ve now had seven family members, including my sister, who have had COVID-19. You think it's okay, but every time the phone rings you just hope it's not someone else who died,” said Dr. Selika Ducksworth-Lawton, a professor and Eau Claire resident. 

“People are one paycheck away from not having anything. We knew this was going to happen. This isn’t a shocker to anybody who works in health care. Nobody listened to us. As a health care worker the most frustrating thing is that nobody is listening to us,” said Sara Thielen, RN, of Eau Claire. 

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act championed by President Trump and his allies, 1 in 4 Wisconsinites will ultimately see a tax increase. By 2027, Wisconsinites with the lowest incomes are expected to pay more in taxes because of the 2017 tax law, while the wealthiest 1 percent of residents will receive nearly $8,000 in savings. 

“The minimum wage really hasn’t changed in a long time. When we look at how people have been prepared, most people aren’t because they’re living paycheck to paycheck. Unless trickle-down economics have worked for you, you don’t have a massive savings account to be able to sustain when things like this happen,” said Kim Cronk, RN, Eau Claire County Board Supervisor, and single mom. “When we see these massive corporations that are giving this (Paycheck Protection Program) money back - the money wasn’t meant for them in the first place.”

“It's the small businesses that are really providing most of the jobs, said Dr. Ducksworth-Lawton.“It feels like a system that is just created to mess with people. It doesn't listen to the people and it gives money to the wrong people. We need to give money to small businesses.”

Wages have been stagnant in Wisconsin for decades — adjusted for inflation, the median wage in Wisconsin has only risen 73 cents since 1979. Instead of giving hard-working Wisconsinites a boost, President Trump blocked a federal minimum wage increase, a move that denied more than 800,000 Badger State residents a pay increase and resulted in $3 billion in lost wages. 

Many of these same workers are now facing sky-high debts and are being forced to decide between daily necessities like food and medicine just to survive. In 2017, 22 percent of Wisconsin residents stopped taking the prescription drugs they need because the costs were too high.

“Most people are just trying to play catch up and are still not caught up. If they reopen the country before it is ready and the economy is already crashing, I can see more alcoholism, crime, and suicide - and mom and pop places are closing  and they cant rebound,” said Nancy Yarbrough, a nonprofit executive in Milwaukee.  

Gina Monroe, a public school teacher and small business owner from Bayfield, echoed these sentiments, “Nancy, hearing you say that - you being down in Milwaukee and me being up here in rural Wisconsin - it really resonates, because it’s exactly the same. We’re on two different ends of the state, but it’s exactly the same...We now have kids going to school virtually. That doesn’t mean that parents have had any of their other stressors subside. Now they have financial stress and stress about whether their kids are going to be on track.“

In the midst of a pandemic and economic crisis, President Trump slashed the safety net and tightened food stamp requirements, putting 700,000 people at risk of losing food support. He has proposed massive cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, making it harder for Wisconisn’s poor and elderly to get necessary health care.

“The most important thing a nation does is take care of its people, everything else is secondary,” said Dr. Ducksworth-Lawton. “We need to think as a people about how we return more of our power to the local and think of how we get these people to listen to us. Right now, it doesn't feel like anybody is listening to people at the bottom.”

“We ask ourselves as a nation, as a community, as a people - how do we emerge a more equitable and just society? But we have a leader who has no concept of national interest apart from personal interest...How do we emerge a more equitable society, because that certainly wasn't the case before COVID-19,” said Monroe. 

WATCH/DOWNLOAD THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

About 9to5 Wisconsin
9to5 Wisconsin  is a statewide, membership-based organization on the frontlines working for economic security for all women — particularly women of color. 9to5 Wisconsin is dedicated to putting working women’s issues on the public agenda and centering the voices of those directly impacted in policy solutions. Current campaigns include advocating for a paid leave program for all Wisconsinites, voter registration outreach and civic engagement work. Stay connected by visiting us online at our website, or visiting our Facebook page.

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COVID-19 and Milwaukee’s Black Community: “There’s No Going Back to Normal”

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and Alderwoman Chantia Lewis were joined by Milwaukee community leaders and residents to discuss COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on the Black community 

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — On the heels of a new report from UW-Milwaukee highlighting how race and patterns of segregation can be linked with the spread of COVID-19, Opportunity Wisconsin and Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) hosted a virtual conversation with U.S. Representative Gwen Moore to discuss how COVID-19’s impact has been exacerbated by years of damaging economic policies championed by President Donald Trump and his allies. The conversation, moderated by Milwaukee Alderwoman and Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member Chantia Lewis, featured Milwaukee residents who have been personally impacted by the pandemic.

“There's no going back to normal,” said Angelina Wyatt, RN, a frontline nurse at a Milwaukee mental health facility. “We have to hold these corporations accountable...to make sure they are meeting the needs of the communities that they serve. As long as we have these racial disparities we’re going to continue to see black and brown communities infected at a higher rate.”  

Opportunity Wisconsin and BLOC are calling on President Trump and his administration to invest in Wisconsin’s communities of color during this economic crisis, instead of pushing policies that primarily bail out the wealthy and well-connected. 

“The PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] was designed to enable businesses, unfortunately like Ruth’s Chris, to be able to pull down millions of dollars because in fact they do hire low wage workers. The program was not intended for publicly traded companies, but that’s the way it was written in the Senate,” said Representative Moore. “The second package did not do anything to improve the PPP. It added more money to take care of the volume of applications that were still in the pipeline. But one thing we were able to do - and a lot of it was focused on the work done by the Congressional Black Caucus and the Progressive Caucus and many members of the Democratic Caucus - we set aside $60 billion of that last funding to be able to be put through community development financial institutions, credit unions, and small community banks.”

While health conditions like diabetes and asthma exist at higher rates among Black people, making Black people more susceptible to the virus, Black Americans are also more likely to hold essential jobs during this crisis, such as health care, grocers, fast-food workers, transit, and postal services. What’s more, many of these same people are facing economic barriers such as stagnant wages and absence of paid leave, as well as food, housing, and transportation insecurity. 

“This work around health justice is not something that is new,” said Rick Banks, BLOC political director and organizer. “The discrimination in healthcare and lack of access that Black people in this city and country face is not new.”

According to UW-Milwaukee’s report, “As of April 8, nearly twice the number of African-American county residents as whites had tested positive for COVID-19. African-Americans represent 27 percent of the county’s population, but they account for 45 percent of confirmed cases. More disturbing still, of the 67 coronavirus-related deaths reported in Milwaukee County as of April 8, 46 of the victims were Black.” 

“I am COVID-19 survivor,”  said Adrienne Lathan. “I was released from the hospital on March 31st, after six days. Four days after being released, I lost my dad. He had many medical issues, but two days before he passed he tested positive for COVID-19. It's been a rough 30 days for me, but the rapport I had with my primary care doctor has been very important and very helpful, and has helped me get through this.’.”

“I see in our black community that we don’t have a lot of that, and I thank goodness that I have the medical insurance that I do and the primary care coverage that I do,” said Lathan. 

Earlier this month, Representative Moore joined several of her House and Senate colleagues in introducing the Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect and report racial, ethnic, and other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, treatment, and fatality rates.

“I was in the crowd who didn’t think this was serious. But once this hits home and you see people who you know who are grieving for people who they lost through COVID-19, and listening to the experience of health professionals fighting every day,” said Banks. “There are people who have experienced this and will tell you how real this is for them.”

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

About BLOC
BLOC works to invest in our community and engage citizens to build long-term political power, ensure a high quality of life and access to economic opportunity for members of the Black community in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin through coordinated political action and empowers Black leaders with the tools, training, and resources needed to organize and guarantee that their issues, concerns, and values are represented at all levels of government. To learn more about BLOC, visit blocbybloc.org or stay connected on Twitter at @BlocbyblocMKE and on Facebook at Facebook.com/blocbyblocmke.

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Statement on President Trump’s Move to Force Meat Processing Plants to Remain Open

“Unfortunately, this is yet another example of President Trump rewarding the wealthy and well-connected while Wisconsin workers are left to suffer.”  

MADISON, Wis. — Today, on the heels of Workers Memorial Day, Opportunity Wisconsin released the following statement as President Donald Trump signed an executive order compelling meat processing plants to remain open, despite hundreds of COVID-19 cases being linked to these types of facilities across Wisconsin. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “at least 551 meat and food processing workers at seven Wisconsin factories have tested positive - or the equivalent of nearly 9% of the state’s reported cases.”

“As positive COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket in Brown County, particularly among frontline plant employees, it’s unconscionable that President Trump would play politics with the health and safety of Wisconsin’s workers,” said Mark Westphal, Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee member and president of the Fox Valley Area Labor Council. “Workers should never be put in a position where they have to choose between their livelihood and their lives. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of President Trump rewarding the wealthy and well-connected while Wisconsin workers are left to suffer.”  

According to the Green Bay Press Gazette, health officials have traced at least 189 positive cases of the virus to the JBS Packerland Plant, located in Brown County. As of April 24, “Brown County now has by far the highest rate of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 among Wisconsin’s 72 counties.” On Sunday, April 26, JBS USA Holdings, Inc. announced the temporary closure of their Green Bay facility. The outbreak is now being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

JBS USA has a long track record of repeatedly putting their workers at risk. With this order, President Trump is giving JBS USA a shield from any liability, even after they caused a significant COVID-19 outbreak in the Green Bay area. To make matters worse, the Trump administration will not be requiring JBS USA or other meat processing facilities to follow basic safety guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).   

This latest move from President Trump is not surprising. Over the course of his time in office, President Trump has continuously prioritized big corporations like JBS USA, over the Wisconsin workers that make these corporations run, including: 

• Rolling back regulations protecting meat-industry workers.

• Giving JBS USA $67 million in bailout funds meant for farmers struggling in the wake of his trade war.

• Allowing multinational corporations to benefit from changes to the international tax system that will cost American taxpayers $14 billion. JBS USA also benefited from the reduction in the domestic corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent.

Jarrett Brown, a former employee of a Wisconsin meatpacking plant, shared his thoughts with Opportunity Wisconsin in a video filmed earlier this year, “Everybody who works at the plant, including myself, we’re living paycheck to paycheck. Last year there were like 4 or 5 times where I just didn’t have enough money to pay the rent. The company’s worth billions and billions of dollars. They got that huge tax break from Donald Trump and what did we get? They’re trying to nickel and dime the workers. The decisions being made in Washington, D.C. by Donald Trump are hurting the people of Wisconsin.” 

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

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Wisconsin Emergency Physician to VP Pence: America Was Not Prepared. We Are Struggling.

Ahead of the Vice President’s visit to the Badger State, frontline healthcare worker serving rural Wisconsin speaks out about Trump administration’s handling of pandemic and damaging economic policies  

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

MADISON, Wis. — Today, ahead of Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Wisconsin, Opportunity Wisconsin interviewed Dr. Rachel Hughes, an Iowa County emergency medicine physician, about the Trump administration’s handling of COVID-19 and how economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies have exacerbated the pandemic’s impact on Wisconsinites. 

When asked what message she would send to Vice President Pence, Dr. Hughes replied, “We are in this situation where our hospitals are struggling and our healthcare workers are struggling because we were not prepared…[There were] many warning signs that this was going to happen. This was not out of the blue, we had some time to prepare, and we really wasted that time.” 

President Trump has prioritized the interests of the rich and powerful while in office. His tax cuts for the rich and corporations increased inequality and undermined broad-based prosperity. His Wall-Street friendly rules have encouraged corporations to take on destabilizing debt. And he’s refused to invest in public protections like healthcare and disease prevention. Now we’re seeing the results.

“Policies that don't allow folks to build wealth and support families and help them grow, that comes back to hurt us when our society goes through a stressor like we are going through right now,” said Dr. Hughes.

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act championed by President Trump and his allies, 1 in 4 Wisconsinites will ultimately see a tax increase. By 2027, Wisconsinites with the lowest incomes are expected to pay more in taxes because of the 2017 tax law, while the wealthiest 1 percent of residents will receive nearly $8,000 in savings. 

“There are some really basic principles that have been used in other countries to allow social mobility and how you best care for all of the people at the bottom, who are often working multiple jobs to make ends meet, to assure that they can make a better life for themselves and children,” said Dr. Hughes. “That includes supporting higher wages, family and parental leave, helping people pay for daycare, which are all things that are considered essential and part of the government's responsibility in other countries.” 

In the midst of a pandemic and economic crisis, President Trump slashed the safety net and tightened food stamp requirements, putting 700,000 people at risk of losing food support. He has proposed massive cuts to Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, making it harder for Wisconisn’s poor and elderly to get necessary healthcare.

“People should never have to decide between their health or their rent and whether they can go to the grocery store this week,” said Dr. Hughes. “A lot of these frontline workers and a lot of Americans that are going to get sick from coronavirus are people who work in the gig economy or people who are owners of small businesses, or people who work hourly wages and may not qualify for benefits from their employer. And then of course when people have to take time off from work to take care of their own health or the health of their family members, they may lose some of those benefits.”

Wages have been stagnant in Wisconsin for decades — adjusted for inflation, the median wage in Wisconsin has only risen 73 cents since 1979. Instead of giving hard-working Wisconsinites a boost, President Trump blocked a federal minimum wage increase, a move that denied more than 800,000 Badger State residents a pay increase and resulted in $3 billion in lost wages. 

Many of these same workers are now facing sky-high debts and are being forced to decide between daily necessities like food and medicine just to survive. In 2017, 22 percent of Wisconsin residents stopped taking the prescription drugs they need because the costs were too high.

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

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Amaad Rivera-Wagner: A little more empathy and leadership to go along with your 'perspective,' Sen. Johnson

Love brought me to Green Bay and hope is keeping me here. However, Sen. Ron Johnson’s recent op-ed calling for more “perspective” during this coronavirus crisis has left me feeling frustrated and fearful. In his piece, Sen. Johnson urged readers to “evaluate the total societal cost of this awful disease” and reminded us that “death is an unavoidable part of life.” I’d like to see a bit more empathy and leadership, senator.

My husband, William, and I were a seemingly unlikely pair from the beginning — him the son of two generations of Wisconsin dairy farmers and me the son of a teenage single mother from an East Coast manufacturing town. We met for drinks one June evening in western Massachusetts and fell in love over a debate about who is the greatest Green Bay Packers quarterback.

In addition to our mutual love of the Green and Gold, we would also come to learn about our shared passion for public service — him serving as an emergency room physician and me as a progressive policy activist. And thanks to a great opportunity with a Brown County health system, six years later, we found ourselves packing up our belongings and moving into an apartment within a stone’s throw of Lambeau Field.

Green Bay is incredible — a small city with big city ambition. As someone who has always been passionate about uplifting marginalized communities, it was refreshing to see a mayor and a local chamber of commerce pushing to make the city more inclusive and a place where longtime Green Bay families can build on their legacies and new residents have the opportunity to create their own. In most places I’ve lived, these are unlikely allies. But like so many things in Green Bay, the focus here is centered on bringing our communities together, not picking winners and losers. Unfortunately, however, if others in Washington, D.C. follow the lead of Sen. Johnson, that is exactly what is going to start happening in our hospitals and health centers across the Badger State and throughout the country.

As I write this, William is working on the frontlines at the hospital across town. And just like his colleagues across the country, he is already having to ration his personal protective equipment, unsure when they’ll receive a new shipment of face masks and gowns. Meanwhile, health care workers and first responders aren’t the only ones on the front lines. Grocery store clerks, farmers and delivery drivers are risking their own health and safety each day to serve our communities.

Policymakers must support their efforts by providing adequate resources to health care workers and basic protections to low-wage workers. State and local governments are doing their part to provide resources to their residents. Our federal policymakers must be working in lockstep with them, not attempting to justify potentially hundreds of thousand of American deaths in the name of our economy.

The only economic context worth noting at this moment is how policies championed by President Trump and Sen. Johnson were the kindling that allowed this current crisis to burn hotter than it otherwise would have. Between their tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected, the free passes given to Wall Street to load up on debt and take risks, blocking every attempt to pass paid leave while dismantling the Affordable Care Act, or cutting investments in disease prevention and other public health priorities — they have prioritized the interests of the powerful over working people and families. And now we are all paying the price.

I agree with Sen. Johnson on one thing — perspective matters. It just depends whose you prioritize. My perspective is that of someone suffering through sleepless nights, worrying my husband doesn’t have the resources needed to both save patient lives and protect his own. When William scrubs in, he’s not pondering economic theories through his head in order to determine whether this patient is worth saving. He’s not declaring that death is just a part of life right before he starts a long shift trying to save people’s loved ones. It’d be great if some politicians had the same perspective.

Amaad Rivera-Wagner, Green Bay, is a regional lead with Opportunity Wisconsin, a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people.

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Story originally published by The Cap Times.

Milwaukee Service Industry: “We Won’t Make It Through”

PRESS CONTACTS:
Opportunity Wisconsin: press@opportunitywisconsin.org  
PRAWN: melissa@oddduckrestaurant.com

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Small business owners and displaced workers gathered for a virtual conversation to highlight how COVID-19 has impacted the Milwaukee area service industry 

WATCH THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE. 
(Starts around 5:25)

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — On Thursday evening, as U.S. jobless claims soared to 6.6 million and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was on track to reach record highs, Opportunity Wisconsin and the Progressive Restaurants and Activists of Wisconsin Network (PRAWN) hosted a virtual conversation aimed at elevating the stories of small business owners and displaced workers in the Milwaukee area service industry. 

“A lot of people see our industry as unskilled and unimportant, but with the changes coming from COVID-19, we know that’s not true. We are here to make sure that we are supporting our workers,” said Melissa Bucholz, PRAWN Executive Director, Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee Member, and Odd Duck owner. 

According to new data from Navigator Research, 71% say the economy is in bad shape, 59% know someone who’s lost their job due to coronavirus, and by 13 points, Americans believe President Trump’s economic response favors the wealthy and big corporations over middle and working-class people (50-37%).

“We feel like we don't have protections from the federal government,” said Tony Marquez, Owner of La Estacion in Waukesha. “Big corporations have protections, and I hope that the federal government doesn't forget about us because we are a huge engine of this economy. I can’t stress how scary this is - not knowing how we will pay for our restaurant, how we are going to pay our bills. I couldn't sleep.”

“Our business is down 70%. We are holding on, and I want to emphasize that we all did this without knowing that there would be any programs to help us, we did it because it was the right thing to do,” said Bucholz. “Without significant access to programs, we won’t be able to rebuild, and so many others won't make it through.“

The economic crisis sparked by COVID-19 has been fueled by years of President Trump’s economic policies that continue to this day. From the moment he took office, President Trump prioritized the interests of the wealthy and well-connected over those of workers and families — and now Wisconsinites are paying the price.

“We hear a lot about how businesses were going to get a big break with the 2017 tax cuts,” said Becky Cooper Clancy,  Bounce Milwaukee Owner. “If there was a significant change in tax cuts, it wasn’t noticeable for us. When you see large corporations get a tax cut when they don’t even pay taxes at all, it's really frustrating.”

Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act championed by President Trump and his allies, 1 in 4 Wisconsinites will ultimately see a tax increase. By 2027, Wisconsinites with the lowest incomes are expected to pay more in taxes because of the 2017 tax law, while the wealthiest 1 percent of residents will receive nearly $8,000 in savings. 

Wisconsinites are up against staggering unemployment, loss of health care, quarantine, and an infectious disease on the rise — corporate bailouts won’t pay our bills, protect our health, or put food on our tables. We need all the support we can get from lawmakers to ensure our financial security and health. 

“Not only did I have my current job, but I also had a second job to make ends meet, to pay for student loans, and that was my fall back plan and that fell through too,” said Whitney Eagan, an Events Coordinator at a local Milwaukee hotel. “This is so out of our control. It’s nothing that any of us did wrong or a bad business decision anyone made. But in a matter of 24 hours everything that you were working for is just gone. That $1,200 is not going to do too much in the sense of how many bills I'm going to have to pay still.”

As we fight our way out of the current crisis, policymakers need to focus on restructuring our economy in a way that rebalances power toward workers, provides security and stability to the most marginalized workers, and puts systems in place to ensure our economy works for all us — not just the wealthy and well-connected. The next wave of economic stimulus simply cannot be a massive giveaway to big corporations as millions of working people struggle.

“Small businesses are in a very unique situation and moving forward we are going to have to come together and protect ourselves, and hold the federal government accountable,” said Marquez.

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle-class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

About PRAWN
The PRAWN (Progressive Restaurants and Activists of Wisconsin Network) follows in the success and tradition of national organizations such as RAISE and ROC United who advocate for the rights of restaurant employees. By focusing on both restaurants and consumers across Wisconsin, they fight for Wisconsin's more than 200,000 restaurant employees by undoing some of the damage that the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has done to both service employees and the restaurant industry. To learn more, head to thePRAWN.org and follow them on Twitter at @NotTheWRA and Facebook at Facebook.com/NotTheWRA.

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Community Leaders and Displaced Workers Call on Congress to Support Main Street Over Wall Street During COVID-19 Response

Working Wisconsinites from across the state gathered for a conference call this morning to highlight the economic impact being felt by Badger State residents

MADISON, Wis. — Today, Anna Landmark and Chantia Lewis, members of the Opportunity Wisconsin steering committee, were joined by displaced workers and small business owners for a press call to discuss how COVID-19 is impacting communities around Wisconsin. 

“I wanted to participate in this forum because it is a unique time in history and it is important to elevate stories so that people can understand what we are really facing,” said Chantia Lewis, Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee; My Lewis Company President; and City of Milwaukee Alderwoman. “It's one thing to talk about legislation, but it is not until you talk to everyday people to see what the impact is going to be, and I see the real value in elevating stories especially now.”

On the heels of a record rise in unemployment claims nationwide, and more than 100,000 new unemployment claims filed in Wisconsin in just the past week and a half, participants called on the President and lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to invest in workers and their families during this economic crisis, not push policies that primarily bailout big corporations and CEOs.

“We are concerned, and have concerns about what legislation has been passed and what is going to happen to us,” said Anna Landmark, Opportunity Wisconsin Steering Committee and Landmark Creamery Co-owner/Cheesemaker. “It’s hard to see airlines getting big loans with no requirement to pay those back when I am struggling to get small loans. Things feel really scary right now.”

According to new data from Navigator Research, by 12 points (49%-37%), Americans say that President Trump’s economic policy response to coronavirus favors the wealthy and big corporations, instead of middle and working-class people. Those saying his policies favor the wealthy and big corporations is up 7 points since the beginning of this week.

“When you are chasing the American dream to try to save enough money and you do have 3 months of savings, that is only when you are able to have a level of access. I don't think the policies that we are seeing coming out of Washington give us that access,” said Lewis. “When we talk about a $500 billion bailout for corporations, I am not seeing that focus on the people coming from Washington...That same level of access should be granted to regular citizens who are the heartbeat of our communities. Small businesses are the heartbeat of communities and if we don't support them and those owners of small businesses and the consumers of those businesses...we are hurting our nation.”

In addition, recent Data for Progress research reports that 62% of Americans are concerned about bailouts that don’t also protect payroll and take care of workers.

“This is not something that I ever would have thought would be a possibility. Restaurants and bars in the downtown area have been thriving and these businesses have been gaining momentum so this is really hard to see,” said Andy Gehrke, Manager of Dive in Eau Claire. “I am lucky to be on the management team but I will see a cut in 40-50% of my income. My biggest concern is that all of my hourly employees are being taken care of. The relief package is not nearly enough. When you think about a $1,200 check for each of us, it is not enough.”

Wisconsinites are up against staggering unemployment, loss of health care, quarantine, and an infectious disease on the rise — corporate bailouts won’t pay our bills, protect our health, or put food on our tables. We need all the support we can get from lawmakers to ensure our financial security and health. 

“I am a single mom of 5 and it is just me, everyone depends on me. With the nail salon shut down, there are no funds, and I'm working through my savings,” said Latasha Clark, Owner of Diva Nailz in Milwaukee. “What I am most concerned about is that, as an independent contractor, I may not be eligible for unemployment. That scares me.”

“Right now, we are kind of open. We offer delivery, but our storefront is not open. We are reopening a little bit today because we have a few different funeral services to deliver to - celebrations of life are still happening and people want to honor their loved ones the best they can,” said Jake Lindgren of Avalon Floral in Eau Claire. “I lost my mother in November and I cannot even imagine saying goodbye to a loved one at this time. We are trying to give people light in this darkness.”

About Opportunity Wisconsin
Opportunity Wisconsin is a coalition of Wisconsin residents fighting for an economy that works for working people. Through our stories, we’re elevating the real consequences of the destructive economic policies championed by President Trump and his allies these past three years, and showing how they have made Wisconsin’s economy worse off. Join us in demanding our elected officials focus more on growing the economy for middle-class folks and expanding opportunity for all Wisconsinites, not just the wealthy few. To learn more about Opportunity Wisconsin, visit OpportunityWisconsin.org or stay connected on Twitter at @OpportunityWI and on Facebook at Facebook.com/OpportunityWI.

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