Title
To Support an Essential Workers Bill of Rights
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis that has spread throughout the United States, impacting the lives and livelihood of thousands of workers and families in the city; and
WHEREAS, since the beginning of the crisis, everyday heroes have emerged from every neighborhood in the city, steadfastly continuing to do the work that is needed to keep our country and our communities running; and
WHEREAS, because these workers were needed to keep the City of Columbus running, they have been designated as “essential workers,” necessitating that they continue to go to work despite lock-down orders that were put in place around the country to protect public health and safety; and
WHEREAS, essential workers include, but are not limited to, domestic workers, farmworkers, first responders, doctors, teachers, nurses, healthcare and home care workers, grocery store and drug store employees, food service workers, federal, state, and municipal employees, janitorial staff, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, transportation workers, frontline financial workers, and childcare workers; and
WHEREAS, even as essential workers have been celebrated for their commitment to the community and their neighbors, many are low-wage workers who face risks to their health and safety at workplaces, some of which lack proper COVID-19 controls, protocols, and personal protective equipment, and face higher rates of infection, serious illness, and death; and
WHEREAS, the workplace health and safety risks posed by COVID-19 to essential workers often compound longstanding workplace inequities and injustices including low wages, lack of overtime pay, lack of fair scheduling practices, no paid leave or health benefits, and active efforts to limit workers’s rights to collectively bargain; and
WHEREAS, due to the sectors in which they are disproportionately employed, Black, Latina...
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