NPEU Condemns Initiatives to Restrict Masks

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 22, 2024) The officers and executive board of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union, IFPTE Local 70, AFL-CIO, CLC, condemn local and state initiatives that restrict public mask-wearing. We call for our lawmakers and fellow unionists to stand against dangerous and authoritarian restrictions on critical protective equipment and to affirmatively safeguard masking rights.

It has been more than four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed and disabled millions of Americans. Masking remains a part of daily life for many, and COVID-19 is still a serious health threat. Restricting masks jeopardizes the health of millions across the country. As workers, we recognize that the health of our communities matters. We stand in solidarity with disabled and immunocompromised people who have been disproportionately impacted by pandemic denialism. And while some initiatives include exceptions for those who mask for health reasons, police will have discretion to determine who qualifies. This will result in targeted enforcement that further criminalizes over-policed BIPOC and other marginalized communities. Masks are a critical safety tool, and we deserve to protect ourselves and those around us.

Anti-mask initiatives aren’t just a threat to public health and safety. Though they are rooted in ableism and eugenics, they have also coincided with increasingly authoritarian government responses to protests. Protected First Amendment activity has faced growing criminalization, most notably since the demonstrations against police brutality in 2020, and the recent protests opposing U.S. support for Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. As union members, we condemn lawmakers who would remove a critical public health tool so that overfunded police departments can better deploy surveillance technology, undermining public dissent and other forms of collective action.

In the wake of an election that promises greater restrictions to collective action, it is vital to protect the use of tools that keep our communities safe. We call on state, local, and national lawmakers to affirmatively protect public health and freedom of expression, and urge our fellow unionists to oppose harmful, authoritarian restrictions. Together, we must defend both our health and our right to dissent.

About NPEU:
The Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), a local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO, represents professionals employed at more than 50 nonprofit organizations in DC and across the United States. With thousands of members, NPEU gives nonprofit workers a voice to strengthen their workplaces and continue to do work that makes a difference in people’s lives. More information is available at npeu.org.