ST. LOUIS — A caravan of cars circled the Federal Courthouse and downtown on Thursday to get the attention of leaders in Washington D.C. to support the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.
The demonstrators want Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt to support the bill that will provide essential pay for front-line workers, job protections, financial support for state and local governments and PPE for all.
The workers sent 100,000 emails and thousands of calls to elected leaders across the country to support the bill.
SEIU Janitors, Healthcare Workers, Show Me $15 Fast Food Workers and the St. Louis County chapter of the NAACP organized the Essential Worker Caravan.
The bill would provide more money to American workers and the economy: $1,200 per person or $2,400 for those filing jointly, as well as $1,200 per dependent, up to a maximum of three.
"During the COVID-19 crisis, janitors, security officers, healthcare workers, fast food workers and more - mostly immigrants and people of color - have been on the front lines keeping the public clean and healthy and connecting them with services," a press release for the event said.
"These workers, who have been deemed "essential" under most state and local safer-at-home orders, including here in St. Louis City and County, are coming together to demand Congress turn public gratitude into legislation that protects their livelihoods and their health."
The House could vote on the HEROES Act as early as Friday.
