Sundin stated, “Against the advice of scientists, he's opening up before infection rates have dropped. Against his own promises, he's opening up when there are still widespread reports of PPE shortages for healthcare workers. Minnesota is still behind with testing, and contact tracing is unheard of. Grimly, the only benchmark the governor has met is expanding the number of ICU beds available for those who get the sickest.

“Governor Walz's decision endangers us all, but especially frontline workers, Black, indigenous and other people of color, our seniors and loved ones with underlying health conditions. His new “Stay Safe MN” order does nothing to guarantee the safety of workers forced to return to work, does nothing to provide childcare for those whose children are studying at home, and nothing to ensure that unemployment benefits get into the hands of those still waiting, nothing to expand access to housing and food and health care. His new order is a do-it-yourself project for working and oppressed peoples, and a plan to ensure the flow of profits to hospitals and malls and others,” Sundin continued.

Sundin concluded, “Workers and unions are already fighting for workplace closures or PPE and other safety precautions. Communities are organizing themselves to get cloth masks and other resources to our neighbors. The governor's plan puts profits before people. Now more than ever, we need to organize together to demand policies that put people first. The Coalition to Advance a People's Agenda is coming together to do just that.”

#MinneapolisMN #Healthcare #JessSundin #GovernorTimWalz #CoalitionToAdvanceAPeoplesAgenda

Minnesota Workers United is currently asking Minnesotans to call Governor Walz and let him know that Minnesota cannot safely reopen until there is universal testing available, plans for any businesses to reopen are reported, vetted and approved by the Department of Labor and by any unions representing involved workers, and until unemployment is made available to any workers who refuse to go back to work until they deem it safe to do so. The phone number to call Governor Walz is 651-201-3400.

Up to now, numbers of COVID-19 cases in Minnesota have remained lower than in many other states largely because of social distancing and the closure of non-essential businesses. While this is better than higher numbers it is certainly not enough. Only 22% of workers were sent home even under the strictest times of the stay-at-home order. Even before that order expired another 100,000 workers were already ordered back to work, many of these workers work in completely non-essential workplaces like golf courses.

Minnesota is just beginning to hit its spike in COVID-19 cases, with the curve rising faster every day and no end in sight. Now is not the time to reopen any further services in Minnesota. Instead, resources must be spent putting the above-mentioned plans into place to make workplaces safe once things do reopen.

#MinneapolisMN #US #Healthcare #PeoplesStruggles #DonaldTrump #MinnesotaWorkersUnited #COVID19 #GovernorTimWalz