Sunrise Plans Dozens of Actions Nationwide to Demand Jobs Guarantee, $10 Trillion Infrastructure Plan

Climate justice campaigners with the youth-led Sunrise Movement are organizing online and in-person actions this week to demand U.S. congressional lawmakers back a federal jobs guarantee the group says will "be the backbone of building a just, sustainable, and people-centered new economy."

The push from Sunrise will take the form of at least 65 town hall events nationwide as the group tries to press members of both the House and Senate to sign the "Good Jobs for All" pledge as part of getting politicians committed to investing $10 trillion over the next decade to guarantee good jobs for all Americans and tackle the climate emergency with bold policies that match the scale of the crisis.

"On April 7th our movement is calling on every Member of Congress and Joe Biden to sign our Good Jobs for All Pledge to pass legislation that ensures a federal job guarantee to every American," the group says.

Coinciding with President Joe Biden's ongoing rollout of his $2 trillion "American Jobs Plan" focused on infrastructure, Sunrise plans to target lawmakers with an argument that says even the White House's opening bid falls woefully short when it comes to combined crises of economic inequality, lack of healthcare, the pandemic, and global warming.

According to the group's website:

We live in a moment of historic crises--a health crisis, an inequality crisis, a racial justice crisis, and a climate crisis that looms over it all. We've got no shortage of work to do to address these crises, and build a better society that works for all of us.

With so much work to be done, there's no reason anyone in the richest country in the history of the world should be unemployed, underemployed, or working a job that isn't in the national interest. It's time to fulfill Franklin Delano Roosevelt's promise, and Dr. King's dream. It's time to guarantee good jobs for all.

The site also includes a map of cities and towns where actions are taking place--including Lancaster, Pa.; Durham, N.C.; and Tempe, Ariz.--as well as a link to a signup page for those wanting to get involved.

"As someone who does not have access to affordable healthcare, I know how important proper healthcare and a liveable wage are. I know the pain that comes with unstable employment and a failing healthcare system," said Kashish Bastola, a 16-year-old Sunrise Movement leader in Dallas. "That's why our movement is demanding a Green New Deal that will guarantee Good Jobs for All while stopping the climate crisis and creating a safer, healthier society."