Articles

Soto seeks worker rewards

Florida Politics / April 21, 2020

Although most of the country has been shut down by stay-at-home orders, there are still essential workers risking their safety working on the front lines to ensure Americans are still receiving health care, essential supplies and services. Rep. Darren Soto of Kissimmee and a few delegation colleagues believe these workers deserve added benefits for their vital service.

Soto, joined by his colleagues, wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza seeking overtime and hazard pay for those who work in fields covering essential services.

"Countless public sector employees are putting themselves at risk to perform essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic," the members wrote "This includes our first responders (fire, police, EMS), 9-1-1 operators, postal workers, teachers and school administrators, transportation and utility services, and countless others. These people are required to continue their service on behalf of the public and are directly exposed to the danger of the crisis."

According to the Labor Department, last week Americans filed 5.2 million unemployment claims, bringing the total over the last four weeks to more than 22 million. The letter points to putting added economic weight on essential workers who in many cases have become, or are becoming, the sole source of income in their household and adds to a higher risk of contracting the virus.

"Without surprise, postal workers and transportation service employees have some of the highest numbers of those who have contracted COVID-19," the members continued. "We must protect these public employees' ability to work. They have been deemed essential for a reason.

"This is why I urge your full and fair consideration to allow local governments to use resources from the state stabilization fund to cover the overtime and hazard pay of local essential service public sector employees," the letter concludes."

Joining Soto in signing the letter were Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings, Frederica Wilson, Kathy Castor and Al Lawson.