Essential Protections for Essential Workers
As coronavirus leaves America's workers vulnerable to economic hardship and infection, Ford Foundation's Sarita Gupta and Open Society Foundations' Tom Perriello make the case for building an economy that truly works for everyone and prepares the country for the next inevitable crisis.
Published in Project Syndicate | APRIL 27, 2020
Essential Protections for Essential Workers
By TOM PERRIELLO, SARITA GUPTA
The COVID-19 crisis has exposed deep vulnerabilities in our economies and societies. Just as those with pre-existing health problems are more likely than their healthy counterparts to face serious complications and even death if they become infected, workers and small businesses are most at risk from the pandemic-induced economic downturn. This disparity is particularly pronounced in the United States.
To be sure, the COVID-19 crisis is threatening the livelihoods of workers everywhere. But in most developed economies, social protections—including guaranteed paid family leave and sickness benefits, affordable health care, robust pension systems, and effective labor unions—are softening the blow.
That is not the case in the US.
Press Line
Tel (+1) 212-573-5128
Fax (+1) 212-351-3643
[email protected]
The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization with assets currently valued at $16 billion. For more than 85 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.