Prematurely Lifting State Stay-At-Home Orders Is a Treacherous Decision that Disproportionately Hurts Low-Paid Women of Color, Says NWLC

The following is a statement by Emily Martin, NWLC Vice President for Education & Workplace Justice:

“The treacherous decisions by governors in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee to lift stay-at-home orders are based on nothing more than a wing, a prayer, and political expediency. Pressuring businesses to reopen against the advice of medical experts and blocking mayors from taking the necessary steps to keep their cities safe amounts to a game of Russian roulette. Women—especially the Black and brown women who are disproportionately represented in the low-paid service sector—will bear the brunt. Waitresses, hairdressers, nail salon workers, fast food workers, cleaners, and retail workers, among others, are being treated as expendable and ordered to put their health and that of their families on the line in the absence of adequate testing or available personal protective equipment. And these workers are the least financially able to refuse. We call on businesses in these states to reject this misguided invitation to endanger employees and the public by opening prematurely.”

 

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