Organizers of a national workers strike say tens of thousands are set to walk off the job Monday morning in more than two dozen U.S. cities, to protest systemic racism and economic inequality that has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubbed the "Strike for Black Lives," essential workers such as nursing home employees, janitors and delivery men and women will join fast food, ride-share and airport workers in events targeting corporations and government leaders.
Western New York nursing home workers will be among them. The local SEIU union said members will be at Humboldt House in Buffalo and Elderwood in Williamsville "to demand employers take action to confront triple threat of white supremacy, public health emergency, broken economy."
The union said the informational picket "will highlight the debilitating impacts of discrimination, low wages, lack of hazard pay, poor staffing, and inadequate health insurance on the lives of healthcare workers and the people we care for. We cannot achieve economic justice without racial justice," said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry.
Demonstrations are also expected in Rochester, Utica and New York City, as well as cities around the country.
