Why I Hate Dolphins in the Age of Covid

The ongoing pandemic has undoubtedly shaken the economy and society in an unprecedented manner. Millions of Americans have filed for unemployment and thousands of businesses have gone bankrupt. However, in the midst of this chaos stands the individuals with jobs that typically would have been overlooked in “the pre-COVID-19 world.” People say “you don’t want to end up working at a supermarket or as a garbage collector for the rest of your life.” Those jobs have a certain low social status and a reputation for not paying much. However, the current crisis has humbled society into recognizing the importance of jobs that have traditionally been held by historically marginalized people.

The increased reliance on these individuals working low-wage jobs has given the labor movement greater teeth than it has seen in a long time. Before COVID-19 hit, ­­­unionization rates in the United States private sector were reaching all-time lows, bringing with it, all-time lows for the power of organized labor. However, workers at Amazon, Walmart, and a variety of large companies have been using their newfound essential status to strike and pressure their bosses into establishing more equitable working conditions. While securing relatively positive change for working-class individuals, these strikes and movements have been met with some criticism from the public with many saying that worker safety precautions are preventing people in need from receiving essential goods and services.

I believe that these strikes are not enough to establish a long-term shift towards equitable working conditions in labor. Economic holds are too controversial of a statement to garner widespread support from the American public at large. However, the spotlight that the drastic state of the world has shined on these historically marginalized workers can still be used to the labor movement’s advantage. I think that the way forward is for collective support of political figures that strongly advocate for the rights of workers. The waves of liberal social movements, such as from the Black Lives Matter movement, tell politicians that there is a need for societal reevaluation with an emphasis on promoting historically marginalized individual rights. That coupled with the new emphasis on the essential status of low-status, largely minority workers means that there is a demand from the American people to have individuals in office that will fight for minority rights. We need political leaders who care about the rights of the folks who are on the front lines and who strive to make America a fair, equitable society for all people.