Political Director’s Report — February 2021

Every politician I speak to hears about our priorities related to the COVID-19 pandemic including the vaccine rollout, the economy, and when our public schools will open. I imagine these topics are on your mind too. The good news is the reports of COVID-19 infections are trending down. Let’s work to keep that decline. Please keep practicing the guidelines set by L.A. County. Practice social distancing, wear a mask, and wash your hands.

Our Business Manager keeps in constant contact with the appropriate L.A. County staff and is asking the right questions about vaccine availability. We will continue to press the County to improve the vaccine rollout. Unfortunately, the limited availability of the vaccine is slowing the distribution. In an ideal world, we would be able to offer our halls as distribution centers for the vaccine, but that depends on when we can get access to the vaccine.

I recently spoke to LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez who is working night and day to bring the necessary parties together to agree to a safe re-opening of the LAUSD schools. School closures and daycare closures continue to create stressful situations for working families. I can tell you from personal experience, my wife and I find ourselves navigating Zoom for our job meetings and for our daughter’s schooling. I appreciate the commitment and effort our daughter’s teacher has demonstrated, but the truth is, class on a computer screen is just not cutting it. Our kids need to get back on campus.

My hope is that the vaccine distribution is ramped up, that teachers and school staff have access to it, and that we can implement the appropriate procedures to open public schools safely and swiftly. For information about vaccine appointments in L.A. County visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com.

This week, the U.S. reported surpassing 500,000 COVID-19 related deaths. This is a grim statistic. As President Biden expressed on February 22, the pain of losing a loved one invokes anger and can make you question your faith. I want to express my condolences to everyone who has lost a family member, a friend or neighbor. Stay safe and please make time for your mental health. Take a walk, meditate, do whatever you need to do to practice healthy habits for yourself.

 

Antonio Sanchez
Political Director
IBEW Local 11

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