You are reading

Queens Lawmakers Call on Governor to Provide Hazard Pay to Essential Workers

(Stock: Unsplash)

April 20, 2020 By Allie Griffin

Two Queens lawmakers are demanding that essential workers receive hazard pay for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Assembly Member Aravella Simotas and State Sen. Jessica Ramos sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo and other state leaders on April 14 urging them to use a portion of the federal stimulus funds allocated to New York to compensate workers putting their lives in danger.

“The frontline essential workers risk their lives every day and all New Yorkers owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Simotas and Ramos wrote in the letter. “The state should use a portion of the federal stimulus funds provided to New York as a result of the COVID-19 crisis to adequately compensate and support those who are putting their lives on the line.”

The temporary hazard pay would go to healthcare workers, as well as anyone deemed an essential employee during the pandemic–including grocery store employees, nursing home employees, transportation workers, cleaning and maintenance crews and others.

“In the face of an unprecedented global pandemic, our essential workers have truly stepped up,” Simotas and Ramos wrote in a joint statement. “Many of these employees are working despite a shortage of proper personal protective equipment, commuting on crowded public transit, or putting in more hours than typically expected.”

The workers are risking their own health as well as their families, the lawmakers noted.

“Our state must do everything it can to ensure a just compensation for those who are putting their lives on the line every day,” they said. “That begins with hazard pay for essential workers.”

Cuomo is in favor of hazard pay, but is asking the federal government to provide it.

He called on the federal government at his daily briefing today to designate funds for specifically for hazard pay. Cuomo said that essential frontline workers should get a 50 percent bonus.

He said the workers, such as healthcare professionals, police officers, firefighters and grocery store workers, deserve more than just a thanks.

“They are the ones that are carrying us through this crisis,” Cuomo said.

These workers don’t have the luxury of working from home and are exposing themselves to potential infection, Cuomo said.

“Pay them what they deserve,” he said. “I would say, hazard pay — give them a 50 percent bonus and I would do that now.”

Letter Advocating for Hazar… by Queens Post on Scribd

email the author: [email protected]

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Anthony LoBello

Once again my Freedom is being suppressed. Why aren’t my comments being posted. They are the truth. I guess freedom isn’t that free in America anymore .

Reply
Anthony LoBello

Will Con Edsion,D.E.P, D.O. T, DSNY FDNY National Grid, NYPD, Verizon, Spectrum be include in this.Cause they are laying it on the line also and many are getting Covid19.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Glendale man charged for selling counterfeit luxury auto accessories, bringing in over $1 million: DA

A Glendale man, along with several corporations linked to him, were criminally charged with trademark counterfeiting and money laundering stemming from the trafficking of bogus custom automobile accessories for luxury brand vehicles, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Sunday.

Fei Wu, 39, of 68th Place in Glendale, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court for allegedly providing phony custom items to buyers who first purchased generic tire rims from him on eBay, where he was among the biggest sellers of such rims.