As the coronavirus spread across the nation late last week, U.S. Senator John Cornyn had some simple advice: “If you’re sick, stay home.”
Easy, right? Texas’ other Republican senator, Ted Cruz, has already heeded that counsel: He is now tweeting from the safety of self-quarantine after being exposed to the virus at a conservative political conference. But these are men who live off the largesse of the federal government, drawing a fine salary with benefits. Their political party, meanwhile, has done everything possible to stop many Texas workers from enjoying the same security—and with the coronavirus now infecting at least 27 people in the state, we could all pay the price.
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, about 40 percent of workers in Texas lack paid sick leave. Many of these laborers—for fear of losing their housing or going hungry—fight through colds and even the flu at work. Service workers are particularly likely to lack paid leave and to spread contagious illness to the public. Two years ago, a movement of activists and workers in Texas tried to do something about that.
