Milwaukee Veterans For Peace members joined union workers, community health care advocates and others in a VA Appreciation Parade Thursday to thank Veterans Administration hospital workers and demand that federal government do more to protect their safety.
A caravan of autos paraded past the hospital Thursday and drivers parked and got out of their cars on National Avenue to show their support with signs, honking horns, and banners.
“These workers are literally putting their lives on the line to care for patients during this pandemic,” Veterans For Peace Chapter President Paul Moriarity said. “It is unbelievable that the Trump administration is not doing everything possible to protect these workers’ health. Many don’t even have the personal protection equipment they need to insure their safety.”
Mark Foreman was a Navy hospital corpsman serving with the Marines in Vietnam when he was seriously wounded and disabled in 1968. “I have been a VA patient for more than 50 years, and am one of countless veterans who values and appreciates what VA workers do to provide us with excellent care.
“During this pandemic, they are truly on the front lines; that’s not a cliché, it’s a fact. They report for duty every day, risking exposure to themselves and their families. They are working in extremely stressful conditions, for long hours, with a staff shortage – and being subjected to anti-union harassment by supervisors. They need and deserve our help and support,” Foreman said. “That’s why I am here today.”