Support The American Rescue Plan – Send A Message to Congress

Respect us. Protect us. Pay us.

SEIU 721 members have been working hard this past year. We worked hard to keep our communities running safely, we worked hard to stand up for our rights in the deadly pandemic, and we worked hard to elect a new administration and a new senate.

Now it’s time to put those victories to work. We need a stimulus for workers and for state and local governments. We’ve been pushing hard and can’t give up now!

This is our opportunity to rebuild America. It’s time to make sure every family is healthy, safe, and secure, no matter our race, our job or where we live.

Here’s how we’re going to do it.

The American Rescue Plan

The American Rescue Plan will invest nearly two trillion dollars where they’re needed most – in the schools, hospitals, refrigerators and pockets of working people. By creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, ramping up our fight against COVID-19, getting stimulus checks to working families and finally raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour – this our shot to bring back the American dream. 

Lend your voice to the fight! Record a selfie video explaining why working people like YOU need the American Rescue Plan. 

Record A Powerful Message

  1. Grab your smartphone and turn on the selfie feature(front camera)VHC Selfie Sample
  2. Take off your mask, and introduce yourself with your name, your job and that you’re an SEIU 721 Member
  3. Briefly describe your experiences/challenges working during COVID
  4. Choose one of the reasons for why we need the American Rescue Plan and relate it to your life (you can learn more details about the plan below)
  5. Finish by encouraging congress to pass the American Rescue Plan
  6. Upload your video using the form below

    By checking the box, I certify that I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions for my submission and understand that my videos or images may be used on SEIU Local 721’s website and/or social media.
  • Drop files here or
    Max. file size: 512 MB.

     

    Go Deeper On The American Rescue Plan

    Public Health

    • Public Health Corps​ — hire 100,000 public health workers to conduct testing, tracing, and vaccine outreach in the near term, then transition into community health roles
    • Expand community health centers ​– increase funding to provide health services to underserved populations
    • COVID mitigation in correctional facilities ​– provide funding for supplies and distancing, safe re-entry, vaccinations, and more
    • Provide Americans with 14 weeks of emergency paid family and medical leave through September​ — for caregivers dealing with closed schools or care centers, eliminating exemptions for big and small employers, providing for a $1,400 leave benefit for eligible workers, reimbursing State and local governments and employers with fewer than 500 employees through a refundable tax credit.

    Schools & Local Government

    • Funds for state and local government — ​Distribute ​$350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, and territorial governments​ to ensure that they are in a position to keep front line public workers on the job and paid, while also effectively distributing the vaccine, scaling testing, reopening schools, and maintaining other vital services.
    • $130 billion in relief for education institutions and safe school reopening ​– Funds can be used to reduce class sizes; modify facilities; improve ventilation and cleaning/sanitizing; PPE; covid testing; hire nurses, counselors, and tutors; increase transportation capacity; address digital divide and lost learning time; invest in community schools; fund pre-k; execute distance learning plans; provide financial assistance and emergency grants to college students;
    • Fully fund states’ short-time compensation programs (work-sharing)​ — compensating businesses who keep workers on the payroll at reduced hours when demand is low due to pandemic. These programs avoid layoffs and pave the way for rapid rehiring and an accelerated recovery.

    Families

    • Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour​, and end the tipped minimum wage and sub-minimum wage for people with disabilities.
    • $2,000 stimulus checks —​ specifically, $1,400 in direct funds on top of the $600 in aid approved by lawmakers last month.
    • Increase supplemental unemployment benefits ​to $400 per week (currently $300).
    • Hazard pay — ​Call on employers to meet their obligations to frontline essential workers and provide back hazard pay.
    • Child Care support — ​$25 billion emergency stabilization fund and an additional $15bn for CCDBG to expand child care assistance, help hard-hit child care providers cover their costs, and increase tax credits to help cover the cost of child care.
    • Subsidize health care for unemployed — ​Ensure access to health coverage by subsidizing continuation health coverage (COBRA) and lower or eliminate health insurance premiums.
    • Improvements in SNAP​ ​program​– 15% increase in SNAP benefits and moratorium on state match.