You’ve heard from the smart, informed and educated people. I think it’s time you heard what minimum wage workers have to say – about you.

I am officially “essential”. Even got a notice from the state saying we were “essential, stay open”. After we talked it over, we agreed with the state and went to the store to get supplies. On the way in we passed people pushing 3, 4, or more grocery carts overflowing with cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, dried beans, bread and canned food. WTF?

We are a small town with a tight-knit business community. It took ten days to get organized, but we stopped the hoarding. The restaurants adapted and stayed open - we didn’t lose even one. In fact, the one’s with the best food had more business than ever.

Unfortunately, “essential workers” saw a side of customers we’d never seen before (Selfish. Angry. Stupid. Mean. Vindictive. Cruel. And dangerous). We spent an entire year navigating our way around the ugliest Americans you ever saw. We were yelled at, screamed at, insulted, belittled, ridiculed, threatened, bullied, pushed, shoved, breathed on, coughed on and touched. None of us were exempt from your nastiness. Not even pregnant women, teenagers, mothers or grandparents were safe from you. My goodness, some of you even punched us, slapped us and pulled our hair.

You were upset and you took it out on us – the essential workers. Because we went to work each day, you got to stay home and home-school your kids. Because we kept the country running, you got paid to work at home. While you were feeling sorry for yourselves, we were feeding you, making sure your kids ate, fixing your cars, keeping gas stations open for you and cleaning up after you – and you treated us like shit. We did our part and you made us cry. You hurt our feelings. You scared us. You endangered our families by refusing to follow the rules. You made us feel stupid for coming to work each day.

When we were grieving relatives, friends or co-workers who died after contacting Covid, you were laughing, saying it was fake news and lies. Our dead were not lies. 600,000 dead people is not a bad flu season.

You did not ask how we were doing, but we asked each other. We talked to each other. We talked about you – a lot. We remember you – boy, do we remember you.

You are not good people. You have bad manners, and you are selfish. We do not like you anymore. We do not respect you – at all.

YOU are the reason, WE do not want to go back to work. YOU are the consumers - not us. YOU have money to spend - not us. We do not want to work with YOU anymore. We don't want to be anywhere near YOU.