Skip to content
Know Your Rights
Category: Workplace Justice

We’re calling to #FundExcludedWorkers!

  • Deborah L. Axt Board Member

We are in a critical moment to ensure that New York provides for workers who have been excluded from relief during this pandemic. Join us every week at 1 PM for our phone bank in our fight to create a fund for excluded workers.

Last month, we marched from Madison Square Park, a block away from Jeff Bezos’ $100M penthouse, to the office of Governor Cuomo to send a strong message: #FundExcludedWorkers and #MakeBillionairesPay.

Prior to the march, more than 100 excluded workers including day laborers, street vendors, carwasheros, laundry workers, nail salon workers, undocumented moms and their children, clergy and elected officials fasted for 24 hours, and even slept outside the home of the richest man on earth, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. 

Last week, we also took our fight to the homes of billionaires and millionaires on Long Island. While New York’s 120 billionaires have fled to their Hamptons mansions and gotten $45 billion richer since the beginning of the pandemic, immigrant and working class communities are choosing between paying rent or buying food.

Over the past couple of weeks we have released videos on our social media channels featuring the stories of community members most impacted by COVID-19. Most recently we also released a video featuring Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Senator Jessica Ramos, and Assemblywomen Carmen De La Rosa and Yuh-Line Niou, calling on New York State to immediately enact a “Mark to Market” billionaire wealth tax to bring in likely more than TWICE what is needed to fully fund emergency income replacement for excluded workers.

In case you haven’t seen the videos on our platforms, we want to share them all with you here to remind you of all the work we have yet to do to make this a reality for excluded workers.

If you want to be part of this fight–join our alliadxs team for a 30-minute phone bank every week to drive calls to state leadership with this demand.

We will need you in the fight!


Meet Kathy, a trans immigrant woman. Kathy, a Make the Road NY member not only has faced discrimination for being trans, but has also been excluded from federal and state relief:

“I don’t think it’s right for the government to prioritize rich people right now. I haven’t been able to pay my rent since March, when is my help coming?”

Watch Kathy’s story and share with your networks!


Meet José, an immigrant who pays his taxes, yet has been left out of government aid. 

“I lost my job during COVID. Now I have less than I did before the pandemic started but still, I have to make sacrifices to survive. Meanwhile, I have to watch the rich get richer. It’s not right.”

Watch and share his story here!


Meet Fatoumata, a jewelry street vendor from the Bronx. Fatoumata, a member of The Street Vendor Project has paid her taxes for 13 years, since she migrated to the US from the Ivory Coast, yet she has been excluded from any federal & state aid.

“I stopped selling in March. It’s hard for me. Because I don’t sell, I can’t pay my rent.”

Watch Fatoumata’s story and share with your networks!


Meet Patricia, a mother of two children with special needs. Patricia, a Make the Road NY member cleaned homes prior to the pandemic. After being impacted by COVID-19, she stopped working and now fears being evicted with her children.

“My family has no income. We owe two months of rent. We have no way of paying it and we are afraid of being evicted.”

Watch and share her story here!


Thank you for taking the time to watch the stories of excluded workers in need of emergency income. We hope you can help us spread the word about our campaign. And if you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition calling on Gov. Cuomo to #FundExcludedWorkers.

¡Sí se puede!