1. Find out how many federal workers are in your state
- Go to Governing.com
- Scroll down to “Select”
- Select your state from the list
- Cite the Labor Department’s total federal jobs estimate. For example, Colorado has an estimated 53,158 federal workers.
2. Find your Representative
- Visit Find Your Representative
- Select your state from the “Choose a State” dropdown
3. Use this script as a guide
You: Hello, my name is [Full Name]. I’m a voter here in [name of state.] I’m calling to ask Rep. [last name] to support an important piece of legislation that was just introduced.
Staff: May I get your street address and spelling of your name?
You: Provide answer to question or information.
Staff: Something to effect of, “You’re calling about a bill ?
You: I’m calling to ask Rep. [name] to support H.R. 8466, The Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act of 2022, that was introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11). The bill simply requires Federal agencies to develop a comprehensive safety plan, to publish the safety plan on the agency website so employees and the public have access to the information, and to ensure employees (and contractors) are aware of and understand the safety plan.
The Chai Suthammanont Healthy Federal Workplaces Act is co-sponsored by Government Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Maloney (NY-12) and Rep. Brown of Ohio (OH-11).
The bill is named in honor of Chai Suthammanont (soo-tam-man-aunt), [my dear friend / coworker / uncle / brother / dad] who was a foodservice worker in the Child Development Center at the Marine Corp Base at Quantico. Despite asking several times about the Center’s — and the Department of Defense’s — leave policy during the pandemic, he was never told what the policy was. Tragically, he contracted COVID-19 from a coughing co-worker who refused to wear a mask and who was not sent home, despite her symptoms. Had Chai been told what the leave policy was — that workers 65 and older were to contact their supervisors and stay home — Chai would not have been at work to be infected by his co-worker.
What is more, the Center did not provide PPE, the supervisor doubled the kitchen staff even though the number of children at the Center went from about 450 to 50, and there was no clear communication about how Chai, who was 68, male, and Asian, could request leave. Chai
contracted COVID-19 from his co-worker on April 22. He was notified that he needed to self-quarantine – after he got home from work – on April 27. He developed breathing problems and was taken to hospital on May 4, where he died on May 26, after being on a ventilator for 13 days. He left behind a devastated wife of 24 years (together for 27), four sons, four grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, his own father who is in his late 90s, neighbors, colleagues, and friends.
I am asking Representative [last name] to support this bill so that other federal workers do not suffer the same unnecessary death as my [friend / son-in-law / father / brother / brother-in-law]. [If your representative is Republican] As you know, public health emergencies such as COVID-19 is truly non-partisan; it attacks and kills Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. It attacks and kills voters and non-voters, alike. I hope Representative [name] will support this bill regardless of who introduced it.
Staff: May ask additional questions or may say something along the lines of “I’m sorry for your loss. Thank you for calling. I’ll be sure to let the Congressman/woman know.”
You: Thank you. If you would like to see who this extraordinary person was, to learn just how senseless his death really was, please visit www.RememberingChai.com. You’ll know why the bill is named after this special person.