@rbreich We are all essential Your peers need us to produce and consume

@rbreich I think China does too

@rbreich Here in Ontario, Canada the situation isn't a whole lot better as this past week the Provincial conservative government once again voted down a bill to provide 10 paid sick days/year to workers in the province. The previous government had put sick days in place prior to losing the election to Doug Ford's conservatives. Ford repealed those sick days very quickly after his election in 2018. The provincial guarantee is now 3 days/year.

@rbreich
what I’ve been reading…
- Congress wants to cut Medicare reimbursement to doctors by ~8%
- Emergency and virology medical internships are not being filled
Who are we helping?

@rbreich UK just as well.

@rbreich I'm firmly of the opinion that the line between doctors saying "hmm... a lot of viral pneumonia about" and "global pandemic" was crossed in the US. No otherwise-healthy adult was going to risk losing their job, lose a day's pay, and pay to see a doctor for a simple cough. The US' complete lack of healthcare system and labour laws caused the pandemic, regardless of what country it started in.

@rbreich absolutely shocking.

@rbreich I'm originally from WV where I've seen how important unions are. I support unions all the way.

@rbreich
Not only in America, exactly the same in Australia.

@rbreich
They should all just walk out. Bring the rail line to its knees. Watch how fast things change. What are they gonna do, have the national guard round them up? That'll be a really good look for them.

@rbreich yeah, not think why we still have undocumented immigrants living in us for 20, 30 40 years without the chance to become citizens.

@rbreich like every other trade in North America.

@rbreich Alas, Despair.com had corporate messaging for this years ago...

@rbreich seems like the overall working conditions have been made hazardous, unsafe, courting disaster - in the name of quarterly numbers for stockholders. Whole industries as predators. That bomb train in Quebec comes to mind...

@rbreich not only in America. Canada too.

@rbreich as I sit here still coughing, barely able to speak after being sick the past 5 days and missing 3 days of work, yes, yes, and yes!

@rbreich Preach.

@rbreich ❤️

@rbreich No other developed country treats their citizens like that!

@rbreich @andrewdwilliams “Heroes” are what the wealthy call the poor who the wealthy send out to die for them

@rbreich this!

@rbreich So much this!

@rbreich Essential, but to the wealthy their workers are unfortunately disposable.

@rbreich exactly!

@rbreich essential worker at this point, from what I've seen, has basically become more of an insult than anything

@rbreich No, you picked some people to be essential, leaving countless others to lose employment all together. Spare us the sanctimonious pity for the working man's welfare!

@rbreich A poor country in southeast Asia gives 7 days paid leave to all workers in the private sector. I'm sure it is not the reason the country is damn poor. Out of difficulty the state recognized the workers' hard work and gave them the incentive.

@rbreich In my opinion the oligarchy or their tool for perpetual wealth capitalism. Is designed to enhance their wealth at the expense of their employees.

@rbreich Seems to be the exploiting mentality of slave owners. It is after all in your history to deny those who work for you of human consideration and basic rights.

@rbreich For "essential" read "expendable"

@rbreich in Germany we have health care and paid sick leave for employees for decades now, even Works Councils and other tools of doom. Alas, look how our poor economy struggles and fails to compete with the rest of the world! [/sarcasm off]

@rbreich not just US tho' you undoubtedly have a wider problem. UK has been steadily following worst practice with 'zero hour contracts' and false 'self-employed' status for far too many essential workers, and those forced into gig-economy to juggle more than one job to make ends meet. Only Uber UK forced to make recent u-turn to keep licence in London, many others haven't.

@rbreich Not only in America (I assume you mean USA - America is a continent) UK Government treats essential workers much the same way

@rbreich Sadly, not only in America. Britain got pretty good at it too! Apparently, it's OK to clap for NHS during the pandemic, but not OK to pay the nurses enough, so they are able to feed their children without having to use food banks!

@rbreich not true, this happens in every country and most of those people get paid less

@rbreich
Not only in America, in the UK people were encouraged to stand on their doorstep and "Clap for Heroes" to say thank you to all of the essential workers who kept the country going during the pandemic, the nurses, doctors and other hospital workers, delivery drivers, refuse collectors, train drivers, supermarket staff, teachers, etc.
As soon as the media stopped calling it a pandemic these same people were disregarded, and as the cost of living leapt beyond the reach of their meagre pay-packets the government then encouraged the public to demonise them for demanding an income that kept up with their bills, saying the wave of strikes sweeping the country is damaging the economy.
No mention of the corporate greed or government mismanagement & corruption that has crippled the country and caused half the population to drop below the poverty threshold...

@rbreich These things are not just subject to America, even in underdeveloped and developing countries.

@rbreich honestly. Essential workers should be the highest paid and benefited people we have.

@rbreich only essential to the robber barons to make money for them

@rbreich Not only in the US but also the UK treat their essential staff that way.

@rbreich It’s far from being something that one finds only in America. The world over, elites pander rhetorically to “the people” when trying to acquire or retain power, only to ignore the interests of “the people” almost completely when exercising power.

@rbreich I thought Gov’t view of “essential” was kinda like how pre-20th century “field laborers” were “essential”.

@rbreich ambulance crew are going on strike in the U.K. in December and January.

@rbreich reneging is reneging. They negotiated a deal and then wanted to hold up all of America for more. They could have traded for more sick leave in the original deal that generated 24 percent pay increases. And they HAVE sick leave- they just call it personal days