ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Workers in the service industry in need of masks will soon have help thanks to an Ann Arbor organization looking to distribute over 1,000 masks around Tree Town. Service Industry Workers of the Ann Arbor Area will distribute mask packages (see above) to industry workers in need in Washtenaw County. The organization is focused on mutual aid efforts for industry workers in need, workplace organization and service worker advocacy. During the 2020 holiday season, it raised over $10,000 in mutual aid for service workers struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers in the service industry can also stay up-to-date with the organization’s plans and planned events through its Facebook group.

ANN ARBOR – A local group called the Service Industry Workers of the Ann Arbor Area, or SIWA3, has launched a fundraiser for service workers in Washtenaw County as the holidays approach. “We recognize the plight that service workers are in right now,” said SIWA3 founder Gabrielle Bussell. Since then, she has thrown her efforts into organizing and raising awareness full time for service industry workers in the area. Since the pandemic began, Bussell and her team have received more than 200 testimonials from local service workers about workplace grievances. 5% of workers reported employers refusing to allow sick workers to go home.