{"id":39194,"date":"2023-01-02T05:40:18","date_gmt":"2023-01-02T05:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/ct-housekeepers-want-to-be-treated-like-essential-workers\/"},"modified":"2023-01-02T05:40:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-02T05:40:18","slug":"ct-housekeepers-want-to-be-treated-like-essential-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/ct-housekeepers-want-to-be-treated-like-essential-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"CT housekeepers want to be treated like essential workers"},"content":{"rendered":" \r\n<br><div>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: This story was originally published on Sept. 4, 2022. <a href=\"http:\/\/ctmirror.org\/tag\/best-of-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read all of CT Mirror\u2019s \u201cBest of 2022\u201d stories here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/09\/04\/el-personal-de-limpieza-sabe-que-son-esenciales-quieren-ser-tratados-como-tal\/\">Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \"><aside id=\"bs_multiple_zones-9\" class=\"bs_multiple_zones clearfix\"\/><aside id=\"bs_zones-111\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>During the terrifying spring of 2020, as COVID-19 paralyzed the nation and hospitals buckled, Katherine Stearns was on the front lines in Windham Hospital\u2019s emergency room.<\/p>\n\n<p>Stearns works as the lead housekeeper at the hospital. She remembers everything about the early days of the pandemic as \u201cfrantic,\u201d from the burning sensation the Purell left on her hands to the patients who went from just fine to intubated in an instant.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt was scary, like, really scary, to watch that,\u201d said Stearns. \u201cWe were in the middle of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Despite being touted as \u201chealth care heroes,\u201d some housekeepers say the benefits they have rightfully earned have only come after painstaking demands for recognition, if they\u2019ve come at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside>\t\t\t\t\t<amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\n<p>In Connecticut, some of these benefits are now becoming available. But critics say financial awards fall far below what is deserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>There are 95,000 housekeepers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/oes\/current\/oes372012.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">working<\/a> in hospitals across the country, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/research\/essential-but-undervalued-millions-of-health-care-workers-arent-getting-the-pay-or-respect-they-deserve-in-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">greater than the number of doctors working in hospitals<\/a>. Housekeepers are among the health care workers who spend the most time with patients and their families, often talking to and forming relationships with people as they clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-105\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>Neil Prose, a dermatologist and professor of medicine at Duke University who specializes in provider-patient communication, directed \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.fhi.duke.edu\/healthhumanitieslab\/portfolio\/keepers-of-the-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keepers of the House<\/a>,\u201d a 2020 documentary about the role that housekeepers play in patient care.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThey know the patients better than we do. That\u2019s not small. And they\u2019re doing work without which we couldn\u2019t survive \u2026 especially during COVID,\u201d  Prose said in an interview with the CT Mirror.<\/p>\n<aside>\t\t\t\t\t<amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<aside>\t\t\t\t\t<amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/amp-analytics>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\n<p>That work is physically demanding. A daily cleaning of a patient\u2019s room includes emptying the trash, mopping the floors, cleaning the bathroom and wiping down any \u201chigh-touch\u201d areas, like handrails and television remotes.<\/p>\n\n<p>And once COVID hit, every cleaning process became much more involved.<\/p>\n\n<p>Before entering a room with a patient who had symptoms, Stearns and her team had to \u201cgown up,\u201d which included putting on a hospital gown, gloves, an N95 mask and a face shield or goggles. When a COVID patient was discharged, anything the patient used had to be removed or sanitized, down to the curtains, which had to be taken down and washed (Stearns said the hospital has since begun using disposable curtains).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt was nonstop,\u201d said Stearns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \"><aside id=\"bs_multiple_zones-10\" class=\"bs_multiple_zones clearfix\"\/><aside id=\"bs_zones-110\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-a-second-class\">\u2018A second class\u2019<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"1157\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984696 jetpack-lazy-image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=771%2C1157&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=336%2C504&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=771%2C1157&amp;is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1\"\/><noscript><img data-lazy-fallback=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"771\" height=\"1157\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=771%2C1157&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=771%2C1157&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=336%2C504&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=1200%2C1800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_001.jpg?w=1333&amp;ssl=1 1333w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myriam Nevarez, left, and Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez worked as housekeepers at UConn during the pandemic. Rodriguez cleaned in-patient covid wards while Nevarez disinfected the entrance out of many other tasks. But when their whole family had to quarantine at home for three weeks after Rodriguez tested positive a second time, the couple didn\u2019t get any payment. <span class=\"image-credit\">Yehyun Kim \/ ctmirror.org<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Despite the crucial role they played, housekeepers reported feeling unseen and undervalued throughout the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n<p>Until a few weeks ago, Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez worked at UConn Health as a housekeeper for 10 years. <\/p>\n\n<p>Rodriguez recalled the supply shortages that plagued hospitals in the early months of the pandemic, when he regularly used a single mask for an entire week. Once N95s became available, doctors and nurses were prioritized in receiving them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThey made a double standard, a second class for the housekeeper,\u201d said Rodriguez, despite the reality that a hospital cannot operate without a cleaning staff. \u201cWhen they don\u2019t have housekeepers, it\u2019s chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>The housekeeping workforce, like most sectors of first responders, buckled under the strain of the pandemic. The influx of patients created unprecedented demand for their work, while the virus caused many workers to be out sick. Housekeepers helped hospitals navigate the shortages by taking on new responsibilities and working overtime.<\/p>\n\n<p>Rodriguez typically cleaned common areas, like hallways and waiting rooms. But during surges, he would also clean rooms on the COVID floor. In December 2021, Stearns recalled, eight of Windham\u2019s roughly 20 housekeepers were out sick. She and others who were healthy worked overtime to help the hospital absorb the shortage in cleaning staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-98\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>\u201cI was picking up every single day I was off,\u201d said Stearns, who went from working her regular schedule of 32-hour weeks to working between 50- and 55-hour weeks, which she said felt better than sitting at home. \u201cAt least if I was at work I was contributing and helping out some.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>The following February, during another spike in cases, Hartford HealthCare offered certain employees at Windham an overtime bonus for putting in extra hours. Several departments, including patient care technicians, paramedics, and sterile processing technicians, qualified for the incentive. Housekeepers did not because, Stearns was told, their job did not require a certification.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>They made a double standard, a second class for the housekeeper.<\/p><cite>Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez, UConn Health housekeeper<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n<p>The exclusion left her and her colleagues feeling unappreciated.\u00a0Stearns said Hartford HealthCare eventually extended the incentive to housekeepers in April, nearly two months later. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cI just feel like we\u2019re always at the bottom of the barrel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n<p>Donna Handley, president of Windham Hospital, said the hospital has awarded four rounds of bonuses to all employees throughout the pandemic, as well as additional incentives to only specific employee groups in cases of staffing shortages within particular units. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThese would be specific to the shortages and not typically offered to everyone,\u201d stated Handley in emailed comments, adding, \u201cMost incentives offered at Windham were specific to nurses.\u201d <\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-5    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-99\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-fix-the-broken-system\">\u2018Fix the broken system\u2019<\/h3>\n\n<p>The experiences of Stearns, Rodriguez and their colleagues shed light on the ways in which housekeepers have been overlooked, despite the sacrifices they\u2019ve made.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>In a report titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/research\/essential-but-undervalued-millions-of-health-care-workers-arent-getting-the-pay-or-respect-they-deserve-in-the-covid-19-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Essential but undervalued<\/a>,\u201d Brookings Metro fellow Molly Kinder lays out a policy agenda to support low-wage essential health workers, which includes housekeepers, as well as medical assistants, home health aides, cooks and more.<\/p>\n\n<p>Two of the policies that Kinder explores are sick time and hazard pay. This year, Connecticut has implemented both.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<h4 id=\"h-covid-sick-time\">COVID sick time<\/h4>\n\n<p>In January, Connecticut launched a <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/07\/07\/ct-covid-relief-fund-for-essential-workers-is-largely-untapped-after-six-months\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">$34 million Essential Workers COVID-19 Assistance Program<\/a> to replace lost wages and cover medical expenses for front line workers who caught COVID throughout the pandemic, but the initial statute applied only to workers infected <a href=\"https:\/\/cga.ct.gov\/2021\/SUM\/PDF\/2021SUM00002-R03SB-01202-SUM.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">between March 2020 and July 2021<\/a>. In May, the legislature voted to <a href=\"https:\/\/cga.ct.gov\/2022\/BA\/PDF\/2022HB-05506-R02-BA.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">extend the time period through December 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a huge deal,\u201d said Rochelle Palanche, the vice president of SEIU Local 32BJ, the union representing Rodriguez and the other janitors employed by SMG and working at UConn.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>The extension allows qualifying front line workers, including housekeepers, to apply for reimbursement up to $1,446 in lost wages resulting from a COVID infection.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-6    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-100\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>But the program\u2019s rollout has met challenges. As of August 31, the Comptroller\u2019s office reported that it had awarded only 1.7% of the $34 million budgeted, suggesting the fund desperately needs more promotion and an easier application process.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Prior to the bill\u2019s passage, workers had to depend on COVID sick leave policies put in place by their employers. In many cases, these policies only provided enough paid sick time for a single COVID infection without complications, despite cases of extended illnesses, hospitalizations, and multiple infections.<\/p>\n\n<p>Under the COVID-19 leave policy for state employees, UConn Health employees could be reimbursed for a 14-calendar day period in case of infection. A second period of COVID paid leave was provided in \u201ccertain circumstances.\u201d A spokesperson for UConn Health noted that after exhausting paid leave, an \u201cemployee could use their own accruals or choose to go unpaid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Although Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez worked at UConn, he was actually employed by SMG Corporate Services, a company that provides janitorial services to UConn Health. SMG gave its employees working at UConn 10 days of paid COVID sick time between March 2020 and December 31, 2021. The company also stated that, between January 1 and February 28, 2022, it provided \u201ca benefit, negotiated with SEIU Local 32BJ, that was equal to the updated CDC quarantine guidelines at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Between late 2020 and early 2021, Rodriguez got infected with COVID, and SMG compensated him for the days he had to miss. But then, in October 2021, Rodriguez got COVID a second time. Both he and his wife, Myriam Nevarez, who also works as a housekeeper at UConn, had to quarantine \u2014 Rodriguez for seven days and Nevarez for 10.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThe income shut down in my house for almost three weeks. We were struggling. We\u2019ve saved for everything, but we were struggling,\u201d he recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-7    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-101\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>This time, when Rodriguez asked his employer about compensation, he said they told him there wasn\u2019t anything the company could provide to him directly.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>I just feel like we\u2019re always at the bottom of the barrel.<\/p><cite>Katherine Stearns, Windham Hospital housekeeper<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n<p>SMG confirmed that its policy did not provide additional sick time in cases of reinfection but stated that the company \u201cworked with the employee to determine what other state or federal COVID relief program might be available to them,\u201d including \u201cunemployment compensation or extended benefits under state or federal law or pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Rodriguez applied for pandemic unemployment assistance twice and was denied both times. The unemployment application asks whether the applicant is currently seeking a job. Since he had a full-time job, Rodriguez responded \u2018no,\u2019 which immediately disqualified him.<\/p>\n\n<p>Handley, Windham Hospital\u2019s president, confirmed in an emailed statement that the hospital\u2019s workers \u201care compensated if they miss work due to COVID,\u201d though she did not provide specific details of the policy. <\/p>\n\n<p>Stearns said she hasn\u2019t heard of any hospital employees facing issues similar to those Rodriguez and his colleagues experienced at UConn. A spokesperson from Yale New Haven Health, the health system with the most employees as of 2020, did not respond to requests regarding the details of their policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>The state\u2019s relief fund marks the first opportunity Rodriguez and his family have to recoup their lost wages.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-8    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-102\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>Without a policy in place to cover them in cases of reinfection, several of his colleagues avoided getting tested for COVID when they felt sick so they could continue working, said Rodriguez. They feared that a positive test would force them to take time off that they could not afford.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>A spokesperson for SMG Corporate Services wrote in emailed comments that the company is \u201cunaware of any situation\u201d where an employee felt sick but avoided taking a COVID test due to concerns they wouldn\u2019t qualify for sick time. A spokesperson for UConn Health said that the hospital requires vaccination and daily entry screenings for all employees and contractors, adding that coming into work while experiencing COVID symptoms is a \u201cviolation of UConn Health policies.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"514\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984698 jetpack-lazy-image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=336%2C224&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1\"\/><noscript><img data-lazy-fallback=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"771\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984698\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=336%2C224&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_087.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez-Delgado\u2019s bike has been sitting in his basement in the past few months. It\u2019s placed on an old book because he doesn\u2019t have an attachment to lift the front tire. He said he felt worse for his coworkers who decided not to get tested and come to work despite having covid symptoms because they wouldn\u2019t get paid if they tested positive. <span class=\"image-credit\">Yehyun Kim \/ ctmirror.org<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<h4 id=\"h-hazard-pay\">Hazard pay<\/h4>\n\n<p>On August 5, the state launched a pandemic premium pay program to provide <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/08\/05\/ct-covid-19-pandemic-pay-bonus-essential-worker-private-sector-money\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">front line private-sector workers with lump-sum bonuses<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>The $30 million program allows qualifying essential workers to apply for grants ranging from $200 to $1,000 per worker. The size of the grants will ultimately depend on the number of applicants the program receives. <\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s something,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cI think we deserve a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>By simple math, the $30 million program cannot deliver more than 30,000 grants of $1,000 each. <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/09\/01\/ct-essential-worker-relief-premium-pay-program-1a-1b-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">In the first three-and-a-half weeks, 255,000 people<\/a> \u2014 more than eight times the maximum capacity level \u2014 requested applications. And the program will continue to accept applications for another month, until Oct. 1.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-9    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-103\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re lucky if they get $50 at the rate we\u2019re going,\u201d said Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, co-chairwoman of the legislature\u2019s Labor and Public Employees Committee. \u201cWe\u2019re not doing the right thing, we\u2019re not putting people first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Porter, along with her co-chairwoman Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury renewed their push for additional funding earlier this summer. Rep. Sean Scanlon of Guilford, the Democratic nominee for state comptroller,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/08\/23\/ct-essential-worker-bonus-relief-premium-pay-program-pandemic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">called for Connecticut to re-capitalize the program<\/a>, as did Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven. <\/p>\n\n<p>So far, Gov. Ned Lamont, a Greenwich Democrat running for reelection in November, has been noncommittal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Lamont has said twice recently through a spokesman only that he would consider any legislative proposals to expand funding for the program when the regular 2023 General Assembly session begins in January.<\/p>\n\n<p>Massachusetts\u2019 hazard pay program, which covers both public and private sector workers, has a budget of $500 million. The state sent payments to 480,000 people in March and another 330,000 in May.<\/p>\n\n<p>The $30 million budget pales in comparison to an initial bill introduced by the labor committee that called for $750 million in funding to provide full-time front line workers with a $2,000 bonus. The bill never became law, but a much more modest program managed to get legislative approval.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-10    \"><aside id=\"bs_zones-104\" class=\"bs_zones clearfix\"\/><\/aside>\n\n<p>\u201cIt just boggled the minds of the workers that we had to be struggling and pushing,\u201d said Palanche, the vice president of 32BJ. \u201cWe were fighting to the last moment on something so important, something so significant, something that we all agreed was what needed to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>In December, Rodriguez attended <a href=\"https:\/\/ctmirror.org\/2022\/01\/13\/lamont-labor-headed-for-a-showdown-over-hero-pay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a rally outside Gov. Ned Lamont\u2019s Greenwich home<\/a> to demand benefits for essential workers.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a reminder of the sacrifices workers had made, another attendee asked, \u201cWhere\u2019s our Thanksgiving and Christmas?\u201d while fellow protestors chanted \u201cFix the broken system\u201d and \u201cShame on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<h3 id=\"h-we-only-want-a-piece\">\u2018We only want a piece\u2019<\/h3>\n\n<p>While COVID sick time and hazard pay will provide support for housekeepers, the policies don\u2019t address the underlying issue facing them: low wages.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cShort-term fixes \u2026 are urgently needed. But policymakers and employers should also make lasting changes so that these essential workers finally earn a permanent living wage,\u201d wrote Kinder.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Last month, Connecticut raised its minimum wage from $13 per hour to $14 per hour, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/livingwage.mit.edu\/states\/09\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">living wage most residents need<\/a> exceeds $20 per hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Stearns has been working as a housekeeper at Windham for over 10 years and makes less than $16 an hour. Several of her colleagues in the housekeeping department have quit, with most citing low pay as a primary reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhat most said to me is that they don\u2019t get paid enough to put up with this stuff,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n<p>The housekeepers at Windham, as well as other hospital employees, are currently in negotiations with Hartford HealthCare, demanding fair wages and broader health benefits. Negotiations have been going on since December.<\/p>\n\n<p>Hartford HealthCare stated that the parties have completed 21 bargaining sessions to date and that the company looks forward to reaching an agreement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>Rodriguez has since begun a new position working directly for UConn Health. But, while he worked as a housekeeper, Rodriguez served as an ombudsman for SEIU Local 32BJ, helping to navigate conversations between his colleagues and his employer when issues arose. He said that recently people have been coming to him desperate about the impact of inflation on their ability to make ends meet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cThe money we are receiving now doesn\u2019t cover \u2026 the needs that every family has,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cWe have to adjust our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>Rodriguez acknowledged that the many factors putting financial pressure on himself and his colleagues \u2014 the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, rampant inflation \u2014 are not the fault of his employer. But the situation they face resurfaces a disparity that has frustrated him since the start of the pandemic. While the entire health care sector, both employers and workers, suffered tremendously, the federal and state government rolled out robust <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kff.org\/coronavirus-covid-19\/issue-brief\/funding-for-health-care-providers-during-the-pandemic-an-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">programs to support companies<\/a> while providing much more modest support to the workers themselves.<\/p>\n\n<p>The health care industry has \u201ca big cake,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cWe only want a piece of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"514\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984697 jetpack-lazy-image\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=336%2C224&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1\"\/><noscript><img data-lazy-fallback=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"771\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-984697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=771%2C514&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=336%2C224&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&amp;ssl=1 1568w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ctmirror-images.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/20220310_Jose_NewBritain_YK_073.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Myriam Nevarez, left, and Jos\u00e9 Rodriguez-Delgado doing chores in their basement. \u201cThey need the people to clean, but they don\u2019t think about us,\u201d Rodriguez said. <span class=\"image-credit\">Yehyun Kim \/ ctmirror.org<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p><em>For information about both the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctessentialworkerrelief.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COVID-19 relief fund and the premium pay programs<\/a>, call the Comptroller\u2019s information phone line at 833-660-2503. Spanish language support is available.<\/em><\/p>\n<section id=\"block-3\" class=\"below-content widget widget_block\"><aside>\t\t\t\t\t<amp-analytics><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<\/amp-analytics><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\t<\/div>\r\n<br>\r\n<br><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/__i\/rss\/rd\/articles\/CBMiU2h0dHBzOi8vY3RtaXJyb3Iub3JnLzIwMjIvMTIvMzAvY3QtaG9zcGl0YWwtaG91c2VrZWVwZXJzLWVzc2VudGlhbC13b3JrZXItcGFuZGVtaWMv0gEA?oc=5\">Source link <\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note: This story was originally published on Sept. 4, 2022. Read all of CT Mirror\u2019s \u201cBest of 2022\u201d stories here. Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol. During the terrifying spring of 2020, as COVID-19 paralyzed the nation and hospitals buckled, Katherine Stearns was on the front lines in Windham Hospital\u2019s emergency room. Stearns works as &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[161],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39194"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39194\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.brandon.ddtest.info\/multisite-test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}