Here in New York City, transportation workers and allies are holding a rally this morning to call on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to halt any planned layoffs, service cuts and fare increases as part of an upcoming budget. MTA workers say they are bearing the brunt of massive losses due to the coronavirus crisis, as they continue to provide vital services to the city, even as they were not given sufficient protections, including PPE, during the pandemic’s first wave. This is MTA worker Jonathan Beatrice from the group Local 100 Fightback.

Jonathan Beatrice: “They ultimately want us to pay for this crisis. They want us to pay for it, not any of the 118 billionaires that live in New York, some of whom have profited from this crisis. They want to freeze our pay. They want to eliminate our jobs. They want to lay us off. We need to come together and tell the MTA no.”