ACS’s Commitment to Workers’ Rights

Statement from ACS President Russ Feingold:

"In these perilous times, where essential workers are literally placing their health and lives on the line to provide healthcare, food, transportation, and other basic needs for all Americans, the American Constitution Society calls upon employers to support the right of their employees to form a union, to bargain collectively, and to demand safe working conditions. Since its founding, ACS has demonstrated its commitment to these fundamental rights of all workers.

Our commitment has only deepened during this pandemic. One of ACS’s first pandemic-related programs was a briefing call entitled, “Immunizing the Labor Market? Protecting American Workers During a Pandemic.” Programs like this are a priority for ACS, along with our other efforts to improve the lives of America’s workers. Our Board of Directors – all of whom serve in their individual capacities and not as representatives of their employers or organizations – strongly supports ACS’s values and programs in this area.

The plight that essential workers face during this crisis must be addressed, as must the rights of the millions of workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis. ACS remains as committed as ever to doing everything we can to support all workers at this time. ACS calls upon government at all levels – local, state, and federal – to protect and expand the rights of workers to basic protections including paid sick leave, healthcare, and the right to organize. And we call upon employers to provide a safe work environment and to support the right of their employees to form a union.

Our Constitution calls upon us as a nation to our highest values, among them the values of life, liberty, and equal protection of the laws. Essential workers including those in healthcare facilities, warehouses, and grocery stores deserve these protections today more than ever before. Our lives depend on them."