UNITE HERE 74 members hard hit by coronavirus pandemic

Donate today to help laid-off hospitality workers

As frontline workers in the hospitality, food service and transportation industries, nearly 300,000 UNITE HERE members and the families they support will be among those most affected by the coronavirus.

Already, large numbers of workers are facing unprecedented layoffs in the face of decreased travel, cancelled meetings and hotel bookings, university closures, casino closures and suspended sporting events.

“While the affected industries and corporations will rebound, this will be catastrophic for workers facing a totally unexpected loss of their livelihoods,” said Kevin McNatt, president of UNITE HERE Local 74 in St. Louis.

“UNITE HERE is mobilizing to support our members through this crisis,” McNatt said. “We are reaching out to employers to collaborate on relief efforts and are discussing extensions to paid sick leave and paid time off, additional health insurance coverage, and safety policies. We are lobbying at the city, state/province, and national levels for policies that will protect our members. We have been working around the clock to set ourselves up to support workers with unemployment claims and material assistance. But this will not be enough.

“Our union knows how to fight. And we know how to win. And we know when we can’t go it alone,” McNatt said. “Our members, who are majority women, immigrants, and people of color will need more support so that they can weather this storm.”

You can help laid-off hospitality workers feed their families and pay their bills with a contribution to the UNITE HERE Education and Support Fund to help support their needs in the coming weeks and months. Donate online at app.moonclerk.com/pay/2tj1vmqdq437. Please designate “UNITE HERE Local 74” when making your donation.