Campaign, launched with End Poverty in California (EPIC), SEIU California, BlackECE, Caring Across Generations, and Southern Economic Advancement Project, calls on lawmakers to center workers in policymaking.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 1, 2026
Media Contact
Eme Crawford, SiX Senior Director, Communications
eme@stateinnovation.org
Today is May Day, or International Workers' Day. State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is proud to recognize 96 state legislators who have signed the #Listen2Workers pledge, a public commitment to listen to workers, elevate their voices, and advance policy rooted in their lived experiences.
Workers, students, families, and champion elected officials will rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.
The #Listen2Workers campaign, launched by SiX’s partners End Poverty in California (EPIC) in collaboration with SEIU California, BlackECE, Caring Across Generations, Southern Economic Advancement Project, and allies, is focused on the stories of workers — their lives, struggles, hopes, and ideas for change — and the power that becomes possible when workers and state legislators collaborate toward brighter futures.
As part of the May 1 announcement, SiX is spotlighting state legislators on social media who are elevating workers in policymaking.
At its core, #Listen2Workers carries a simple but urgent message: show up for the working class, listen regularly, and develop policies that reflect workers’ wants and needs.
Through videos, forums, and written pieces, the campaign seeks to build shared power between state legislators and workers — including caregivers, cashiers, cooks, farmworkers, and other blue-collar workers — beginning with the most powerful thing: listening.
State legislators who join the campaign sign the following pledge:
“I pledge to listen to workers and the working communities of America.
I pledge to introduce legislation directly connected to the workers’ needs.
I pledge to record at least one interview with a worker in my community.
I pledge to share the #Listen2Workers campaign with my colleagues.”
“This May Day, it’s workers over billionaires, said Ida V. Eskamani, SiX Senior Director, Economic Justice Initiative. “SiX is proud to organize state legislators across the country who put this belief into practice, in policy and on the picket line. We are up against some of the most powerful individuals and corporations in the world, but with people power, we can build a fair economy, a functioning democracy, and a future where working people come first. And it starts in the states.”
"May Day reminds us that our economy relies on the labor of nurses, farmworkers, and builders, yet their voices are often the last heard in state capitals,” said Andrés Perez, SiX’s #Listen2Workers project lead. “The #Listen2Workers campaign’s primary goal is to bridge that gap. We are empowering state legislators to move beyond traditional advocacy and embrace a model where policy is co-authored by the very people who keep this country running."
SiX is a multi-issue organization established over ten years ago, dedicated to supporting and empowering state legislators across all 50 states. Its mission is to build long-term, people-centered governing power that advances justice. Central to SiX’s approach is collaborative governance — also known as co-governance or shared power — a model that gives historically marginalized communities a seat at the decision-making table alongside elected officials. SiX is proud to partner with the May Day Strong coalition. Find a May Day action near you here, and check out our Real Affordability Agenda, released in partnership with the May Day Strong coalition.
The #Listen2Workers campaign strengthens the connection between workers and policymakers, helping foster policy innovations that reflect workers’ experiences, priorities, and vision for change.
For a full list of the state legislators who signed on, please contact Eme Crawford eme@stateinnovation.org.
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About State Innovation Exchange (SiX)
State Innovation Exchange (SiX) is a national resource and strategy center that supports state legislators in advancing transformative policy and building a more equitable democracy. SiX partners with lawmakers to promote sustainable, people-centered solutions that strengthen communities and improve lives.