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Hazard pay for frontline workers
Gov. Cuomo is proposing the federal government provide hazard pay for frontline workers during the coronavirus outbreak.
NEW YORK - Workers who are keeping essential businesses and public services in New York up and running during the coronavirus pandemic should get hazard pay, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the feds should put up the cash.
"We all say, 'Boy, they did a great job. The health care workers did a great job. The police, they're heroes.' Yes, they are, but you know what, thanks is nice but also recognition of their efforts and their sacrifice is also appropriate," Cuomo said. "Pay them what they deserve. I would say hazard pay, give them a 50% bonus, and I would do that now."
The governor said most of these frontline workers are women, at least a third of them are from low-income households, and disproportionately black and Hispanic.
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"So they've been doing this work, they've been stressed, they're going home to a household often had two-wage earners, one of them is now not working, they're living just on that one salary," Cuomo said. "You can talk about health disparities, et cetera. But, I believe all the studies are going to wind up saying, 'Yes, when you are home with your doors locked, dealing with cabin fever, they were out there dealing with the coronavirus.' That's why they are more infected."
Cuomo suggested that the federal government fund hazard pay for health care workers, public safety workers, transit workers, building cleaning service workers, grocery and delivery workers, childcare workers, airline workers, and more.
"They are the ones that are carrying us through this crisis. This crisis is not over," Cuomo said. "If you look at who they are and the equity and fairness of what has happened, I think any reasonable person would say, 'We should right this wrong.'"