Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., speaks throughout a Senate Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee listening to to look at Division of Homeland Safety personnel deployments to current protests on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Washington. (Toni Sandys/The Washington Put up through AP, Pool)
Whereas hundreds of thousands have the privilege of working safely from house, as a janitor, I don’t. Each day I’m going to work, placing my well being on the road to maintain others protected from COVID-19. I consider janitors as the primary line of protection towards this virus. We scrub down all the things, killing the illness earlier than it could actually influence anybody else.
Janitors, safety officers and extra service staff have felt invisible. We head into work whereas everybody else heads out, working nights and odd hours, typically for much much less pay than we’re price. Now, we’ve been instructed we’re important for preserving the general public protected, wholesome and clear.
However important mustn’t imply sacrificial. In Might, nurses, quick meals staff and I met with Sen. Tammy Baldwin to induce her to help the HEROES Act. She agreed that hazard pay for working via the pandemic, job protections and PPE necessities would go a good distance towards defending important staff like me who’ve continued to work via this disaster. Our different senator, Ron Johnson, refused to even meet with us.
I’m annoyed Sen. Johnson didn’t care sufficient to listen to us out. His constituents are struggling to make ends meet and help our households. Whereas I’m fortunate to have saved my job, my girlfriend misplaced hers, making it tougher for us to pay the payments particularly after the additional unemployment insurance coverage expired.
Hazard pay and job protections within the HEROES Act would assist us make ends meet and reveal an actual dedication from our leaders to the important staff who’ve saved our financial system operating all through the pandemic. The HEROES Act additionally consists of $25 billion for america Postal Service to guard it from political assaults. Our nation is in a disaster, and getting via it requires daring options.