AFL-CIO Warns Against Hasty Reopening Of Economy: ‘Many More Deaths’
The AFL-CIO warned Tuesday that workplaces were still far too dangerous to consider reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic, even as some governors are starting to lift restrictions in order to get businesses up and running again. Richard Trumka, the federation’s president, said there was still insufficient personal protective equipment and not enough testing to make worksites safe yet. He called for stronger legal protections for those who will have to refuse dangerous work as their employers begin to call them back. “We’ve already lost too many of our members. Too many of our members have been infected and had their families traumatized,” Trumka said on a call with reporters. “The greatest mistake we can make is reopening the economy too soon,” he went on. “A rush to reopen without protections for workers will lead to an explosion of the disease, many more deaths and another shutdown.”