Issued January 14, 2021
San Francisco, Calif. - Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement tonight in support of President-Elect Joe Biden’s proposal to beat COVID-19, and invest in jobs and working people:
“Working people across the nation are demanding to be respected, protected and paid. President-Elect Biden has laid out an ambitious plan that shows he hears their call and stands squarely in their corner. Many of the proposals he outlined - from testing and vaccine distribution to a $15 minimum wage and state and local funding - are long overdue, but that only makes it more important for Congress to begin their work immediately.
“Taking bold action that recognizes the moment we are in is the right way for the President-Elect to approach pandemic relief and recovery. When we have lost 400,000 souls, and millions more have gotten sick and lost their jobs, we have no choice but to be bold and meet this moment. Coronavirus did not create the overlapping health, economic and racial crises working people are facing, but it did lay bare the degree to which too many people of all races have been struggling for too long. This means that Black, brown and indigenous communities must be at the center of our recovery and relief efforts. During the campaign, the President-Elect talked about how we must build back better. Millions of families across the country are still in the midst of an emergency and the President-Elect’s plan reflects this.
“There is still a long road to travel, but SEIU members and the millions more united in the Fight for $15 and a Union are filled with hope and determination. We will continue making our voices heard to ensure working people of all races, our families and our communities have a seat at the table and in the highest corridors of power.”