Summary:

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) and SEIU California hosted a webinar on the outsized role of workers in COVID-19 relief and recovery efforts, as we reimagine a social safety net that protects and supports our frontline workers. SEIU California represents 700,000 workers on the frontlines, including caregivers, security officers, janitors, school workers distributing food, healthcare workers, nurses, nursing home workers, social workers, and more.

As states and localities start to reopen the economy, the continued health and economic burdens faced by frontline workers add to mounting evidence about the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color. According to research from UCLA LPPI, in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, the coronavirus pandemic has deepened race and class inequalities, and many workers of color are shut out of relief and recovery programs. We discussed what it means to be a worker during COVID-19, and how the pandemic can give rise to the genuine opportunity for all workers as we seek to rebuild our economy.

UCLA LPPI and SEIU California hosted a discussion with these expert voices:

• Diego Cartagena, President and CEO of Bet Tzedek
• Maria Cabildo, Senior Fellow at Advancement Project California
• David Huerta, President of SEIU-USWW
• Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Metro Reporter at Los Angeles Times
• Sonja Diaz, Founding Director of UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute