Cartwright unveils hazard pay proposal for essential front line workers
Cartwright, D-
The bill compensates workers for the risks they are taking and for the public services they are providing during the unprecedented public health and economic emergency.
Under Cartwright's proposal, high-risk health care workers receive a hazard pay increase of
Pay would be capped at
It would be retroactive to Jan.31, 2020, and would be available through the end of this year.
During a video press conference Tuesday afternoon with health care advocates and
Cartwright said, "Grocery store, mail delivery, health care, and distribution center employees continue to report for duty, in order to provide our communities with life-sustaining services during this crisis. There's a lot that needs to be done for our caregivers and essential workers, but securing hazard pay for those in harm's way is the least we can do."
Cartwright was joined in the event by
"Our front line health care workers who work in hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics -- and essential workers who stock the shelves, check us out at the grocery store, and deliver our mail -- they deserve a fair, equitable, and living wage for the work they do. And that isn't what's happening here today," Dach said. "These workers are the ones waking up, suiting up and fighting this war on behalf of all of us."
As
"In this moment, it's going to take an act like this to have the backs of workers who are thrust into the most challenging situations they've been in during their careers," Yarnell said. "They need to be assured that if they get sick, they will have access to care. They need to be assured that they are paid a living wage, or, frankly, essential worker pay, in order to keep people in their jobs and make sure we have our arms around the people who are going to save us from this pandemic."
Kessler added, "These workers understand the obligation they have to take care of their fellow citizens, and they have taken on this burden in such a meaningful way. Without question, this is a great bill in terms of recognizing the workers -- not only our union workers, but also the non-union workers who often don't have a voice in the workplace."
Under the proposal:
--High-risk health care workers would receive a flat rate hazard pay increase of
--Other essential workers would receive a flat rate hazard pay increase of
--Telework hours are not covered.
--The hazard pay timeline is
--"Essential workers" and "high risk health care workers" would be eligible to receive back pay from
--Self-employed individuals and independent contractors would be eligible for hazard pay.
Failure by employers to pay eligible employees the proper hazard pay amount would be treated as a violation of section 6 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206).
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