My Brothers and Sisters, I want to start my message today by commending the brave UAW Ford, FCA and GM men and women who have stepped up and agreed to serve as paid volunteers, to go back into production facilities to begin readying them for a restart date. That effort began today, and these dedicated volunteers will play a critical role in putting our members’ safety first as we get our economy back to work. These members will be helping to ensure that the plants meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) health and safety COVID-19 protocols.

My Sisters and Brothers, As we come together at the end of another week, I want to talk a little about what you may have seen in the news and in my messages over these past few days. What is dominating the news cycles, the stock market, our state and local governments and all of our conversations across all sectors is how do we stay safe as we plan for a restart of our economy.

What does it really mean to have a voice in your workplace? The extraordinary global crisis that we are all facing has put this into sharp focus. And at the forefront of this pandemic are essential workers -- those front line employees in hospitals, grocery stores, transportation industries, security and firefighters, warehouses, construction sites and more. For those who are union members with a collective bargaining agreement, their voices are heard. The power of union representation allows them to demand safety improvements, have a say in their workplace, their schedules and so much more. In short, they have a voice that is heard, something that non-union workers lack.