‘Labor Supports Labor’ with meals for frontline healthcare workers

The following is from MLK Labor:

SEATTLE (May 20, 2020) — King County Unions and workers have donated tens of thousands of dollars to provide free meals to frontline health care workers. The “Labor Supports Labor” meal donation drive seeks to provide a meal to every health care worker in King County who are risking their health to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Donations are being accepted over GoFundMe. However, many unions have been writing checks to pay for meals.

Each boxed meal is being prepared at the Seattle University cafeteria (serviced by Compass Group USA) by a UNITE HERE Local 8 member who would have otherwise been furloughed. So far, more than 600 meals have been delivered to six different hospitals with 100 meals being delivered each day.

The meal drive was originally the idea of Kenny Stuart, President of the Seattle Fire Fighters Union, IAFF Local 27. Fire fighters have seen the impact of the coronavirus firsthand and this was a way for labor to thank the front line workers in hospitals.

“Seattle Fire Fighters know what it means to take great personal risks to help others. We want to support our union health care workers who are working long hours and taking care of people during this pandemic despite the risks,” says Kenny Stuart. “We want them to know that we are in this together.”

If you are interested in covering the health care meal donation drive, please contact Charlie Lapham at 503-713-3032 or charles@mlklabor.org.