Domestic violence is “acting like an opportunistic infection, flourishing in the conditions created by this pandemic.” Survivors are forced to stay home with their abusers to comply with shelter-in-place orders, they are afraid to seek help for fear of contracting the coronavirus, and they face limited options as shelters deal with budget cuts and lost funding during a national recession.

At the same time, 80% of hotel rooms across the country are empty and 95% of unionized hotel workers have been laid off, leaving many without any income or access to health care. The majority of hotel workers are women, and a large number of them undocumented, which means they have no access to the social safety net. 

In the past, when enough of us raised our voices, we've forced giant corporations--like CBS, Netflix, and Target--to take action. Marriott International, which owns dozens of chains like the Ritz-Carlton, is a behemoth known as the "Walmart of the hotel industry." Marriott has the power to both open up rooms to survivors who desperately need them and ensure workers are protected with personal protective equipment and premium pay. That's why we're joining our friends at Survivors Know to call on Marriott to open its empty rooms to survivors who need emergency shelter right now and ensure its essential workers are treated with dignity. Will you add your name?