Senate Democrats propose $25,000 hazard-pay plan for essential workers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Hill


BY ALEXANDER BOLTON - 04/07/20 11:43 AM EDT

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other Democrats are proposing to give doctors, nurses and other essential workers, such as grocery store clerks, up to $25,000 in hazard pay as part of the phase four coronavirus relief bill.

The bonus pay, which would amount to a $13-per-hour raise, would also go to truck drivers and janitors, who Democrats say are also essential to keeping the health care system and economy running during the crisis.

It would stretch from the start of the public health emergency to the end of the year.

“As the COVID pandemic has reached alarming new levels, our health care system is strained to the max, our economy is strained to the max. Doctors and nurses, medical personnel of all types are putting their lives on the line every single day to fight this disease and save others,” Schumer said on a conference call introducing the proposal.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/491547-senate-democrats-propose-25000-hazard-pay-plan-for-essential-workers

[The Magistrate]

1. The Best Idea I Have Heard Yet, Ma'am

Just who are the essential workers in our society is being thrown into clear relief by this crisis.

It is clear income is not matched to utility under our normal arrangements.

People should remember this, whenever someone begins burbling about who deserves what share of the money our economy creates.

[jorgevlorgan]

13. Well said, Sir.

This would be an excellent thing to happen, although I expect the Grand Old Psychopaths to keep any such thing from happening.

[LiberalArkie]

2. And telephone outside techs, Power and water people.. Most have to go into peoples homes

to repair and install internet and work on other stuff

[riversedge]

12. I think it should include all folks still working

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Oh yes, this will be popular with the GOP

compensating labor, paying workers who do the work for the work they produce. I'd bet this is a non-starter.

[Progressive Jones]

4. No mention of USPS workers in the article. nt

[OilemFirchen]

5. Nurses' aides (PCTs, NAs) must be included as essential workers.

They, along with the (mentioned) housekeeping staff and hospital food service workers are likely at greater risk than their more professional peers. An aide, specifically, will usually spend much more time with a patient than a nurse or doctor, more frequently, while engaged in more risky tasks - often without PPE.

[Mr.Bill]

6. I'm all for this,

but something these folks are really going to need is tax relief at this time next year. This 25K should be tax free, federal and state and so should the overtime pay they are making. My wife is a retired nurse, and during years when she worked a lot of overtime because the hospital was understaffed, just about all the money was eaten up by taxes.

[Alacritous Crier]

7. That's a great idea!! -- nt

[iluvtennis]

8. Woohoo...

[Sherman A1]

9. It is a great idea

I suspect it will go nowhere, but still a great idea.

[pecosbob]

10. Fat Chance IMO

The people such as myself still working crappy, low paying jobs will get nothing. This is the way things have always been and the way they will always be. The rich profit from other's misfortune and the poor make that profit for them.

[SWBTATTReg]

11. And make the damn billionaires and rich companies who don't pay taxes pay for it. After all, ...

these people aren't essential as we're finding out now. Have you missed any of their so called critical businesses? Where are they, on the front lines? Are they placing their lives at risk, to help us in our time of need? I suspect that a lot of them are cowering in their castles, or little cubby holes somewhere, awaiting the end of this thing.

It's amazing that it takes a crisis of this magnitude, to really pinpoint those crucial people necessary for all of us to have the lives that we have today. My humble thanks to everyone of them that are on the front lines, putting themselves in harms' way. My humble prayer for each and everyone of them to go home afterwards, to their families in good health. Amen.

[rainbow4321]

14. It HAS to include us contracted healthcare workers

If they give the money ONLY to hospital systems, it goes only to direct employees. Travel healthcare workers are frontline, also. But we are employees of various travel HCW agencies. We take contracts around the country and work on the frontline but are NOT hospital employees so any money given to the facilities won’t make it to us travelers/contractors. There are travelers in the current hot spots but also those of us elsewhere..who are getting to see things like “that patient was sent to a regular floor but started to run a fever and has been transferred to the CoVid unit now for testing”. Sweet...so those of us in/out of his room before the transfer get to wait on his test results 😭?
Tweek the bill, please! Include contract HCW or risk leaving out many frontline healthcare workers.

[DiverDave]

15. This truck driver is all for it

Due to the virus, freight rates are down, as is freight to haul.
I just had to deadhead 345 miles for a load.
Been a long time since I had to go that far for a load.