27 results for tag: COVID-19

Lessons from the Pandemic on How to Protect and Support Essential Workers

Hosted by Farida Jhabvala Romero May 7, 2021 Low-wage frontline workers have kept Californians fed and vulnerable populations cared for since the start of the pandemic. And they’ve borne a high cost for their work. A recent study out of UC Merced finds a 30% increase in deaths for essential workers in 2020. We’ll hear about people working in restaurants, grocery stores, home care, and other industries who feared losing income -- or their jobs --if they took time off to recover from COVID-19. And as the state moves toward a full reopening next month, we’ll look at lessons learned during the pandemic on how we can better protect and ...

Coronavirus: Alameda on track to boost minimum wage

By Peter Geharty April 22, 2020 The coronavirus may have closed businesses and left owners and workers feeling uneasy about their future, but those working in this city on minimum wage are still on track to get a raise. The minimum wage in Alameda, now $13.50 an hour, will jump to $15 an hour starting in July, despite the pandemic. The City Council decided unanimously Tuesday to go ahead with the raise, initially approved in October 2018. Under state law, businesses with at least 26 employees must pay at least $15 an hour starting Jan. 1, 2022. But officials in some cities, such as Alameda, wanted the increase to happen sooner, especi...

Push to get essential workers hazard pay during coronavirus outbreak

By Viktoria Hallikaar April 21, 2020 As essential workers continue keeping our nation afloat a toll is being taken on them. Long hours, close contact with others, and a risk for catching the virus are all things they have to consider. Now, more people are pushing for increased pay. "They deserve a fair and equitable living wage for what they do and that isn't what's happening here," said Leslie Dach, the chair of Protect Our Care. Essential employees are continuing to show up to work, knowing they're vital for health care, food distribution, and more, Many come in every day worried they could be out of a paycheck if they get the ...

Amid Pandemic States Nursing Home Workers Will Get Extra Pay

By Laura Krantz April 14, 2020 After pressure from desperately understaffed nursing homes, state officials on Tuesday said they will soon grant the facilities permission to boost some workers’ pay by 25 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus rips through the state, the jobs of nursing home staff have become newly hazardous. The virus has infected not only elderly residents but also workers, in one case killing a nurse. As workers go out sick or stay home due to fear, facilities have struggled to retain staff, especially the low-paid nursing aides who earn barely more than minimum wage. The state’s decision to increase nursing ...

Human rights advocates call for higher minimum wage for essential employees

By Dallas Parker April 14, 2020 While thousands of Alabamians have filed for unemployment benefits in the past few weeks, essential workers are still making their daily commutes. But is their risk worth the reward? One human rights advocacy group believes the state should be taking better care of its essential employees. The Center for American Progress said employees whose wages have not kept up with inflation and increasing costs are feeling the biggest economic crunch during this crisis. Minimum wage workers make up a significant portion of essential employees. “We need higher minimum wage to help reflect the essential role that ...