Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Ro Khanna proposed an
Essential Workers Bill of Rights to protect frontline workers during the
coronavirus pandemic -- and called for Congress to pass it immediately.

The Washington Post reports it goes "beyond the $2.2 trillion Cares Act to
ensure higher wages, universal paid sick leave and job security for all
employees -- including independent contractors and gig workers -- deemed
essential." They call for extra "premium pay" for those on the front lines
and whistleblower protections for those who report unsafe conditions.

Last week, President Obama said Elizabeth Warren is a model for how
lawmakers should respond to this crisis.

[ [link removed] ]Agree with Obama that lawmakers should listen to Elizabeth Warren when
writing the next relief bill? Click here to sign the petition telling them
that! (Then, pass this to others.)

Read It For Yourself:

Essential Workers Bill of Rights, proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and
Rep. Ro Khanna

1. Health and safety protections. Every employee, including employees of
contractors and subcontractors, should be able to do their job safely,
which means having necessary amounts of personal protective equipment
provided by employers at no cost to the employee. Employers should be
required to take proactive actions when someone at the job site may have
contracted coronavirus, including informing employees if they may have
been exposed and evacuating the job site until it can be properly cleaned.
And the Occupational Safety and Health Administration should be required
to immediately issue a robust Emergency Temporary Standard to keep
employees safe.

2. Robust premium compensation. Every worker should be paid a livable
wage, and essential employees are no exception. During this pandemic,
essential workers should also be paid robust premium pay to recognize the
critical contribution they are making to our health and our economy.
Premium pay should provide meaningful compensation for essential work, be
higher for the lowest-wage workers, and not count towards workers'
eligibility for any means-tested programs. It must be retroactive to the
start date of the pandemic, and not used to lower the regular rate of pay
for any employee.

3. Protections for collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining
agreements must be protected from being changed or dissolved by employers
during this crisis, including during bankruptcy proceedings. Workers'
rights to vote for representation in a National Labor Relations Board
election in a fair and safe manner must also be protected during the
pandemic.

4. Truly universal paid sick leave and family and medical leave. Congress
must pass Senator Patty Murray's PAID Leave Act, which provides 14 days of
paid sick leave and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave, so
essential workers can care for themselves, family members, or dependents,
without being required to submit unnecessary paperwork. And we must ensure
that President Trump is not allowed to arbitrarily exclude workers to roll
back these protections.

5. Protections for whistleblowers. Workers who witness unsafe conditions
on the job or know about workplace coronavirus exposure must be able to
openly identify their concerns and have them addressed, without fear of
retaliation.

6. An end to worker misclassification. The pandemic has highlighted the
longstanding problem of employers misclassifying workers as independent
contractors in order to avoid providing the full suite of benefits and
protections available to employees. At a time when too many essential
workers are being denied basic employment protections, Congress should
crack down on worker misclassification.

7. Health care security. All essential workers should get the care they
need during this crisis, including those who are uninsured or
under-insured, regardless of their immigration status. We must use public
programs to provide no-cost health care coverage for all, as quickly as
possible. Congress should also listen to workers who have called for a
full federal subsidy for fifteen months of COBRA for employees who lose
eligibility for health care coverage.

8. Support for child care. At a time when child care providers across the
country are closing their doors and struggling to survive the pandemic,
Congress must commit robust funding to help these providers and ensure
essential workers have access to reliable, safe, healthy, and high-quality
child care.

9. Treat workers as experts. Any time a public health crisis hits, the
government should work with employers and workers to craft a response and
set safety and compensation standards. Essential workers, and their unions
and organizations, must be at the table in developing responses to
coronavirus - from determining specific workplace safety protocols to
helping develop plans for distributing PPE to holding seats on the White
House Coronavirus Task Force.

10. Hold corporations accountable for meeting their responsibilities.
Congress should ensure that any taxpayer dollars handed to corporations go
to help workers, not wealthy CEOs, rich shareholders, or the President's
cronies. That means taxpayers and workers should have a stake in how funds
are used and companies should be required to use funding for payroll
retention, put workers on boards of directors, and remain neutral in union
organizing drives. CEOs should be required to personally certify they are
in compliance with worker protections, so they can face civil and criminal
penalties if they break their word. And any federal funding should be
designed to ensure that employers cannot skirt the rules by firing or
furloughing workers or reducing their hours or benefits in order to access
a tax credit or avoid a worker protection requirement.

[ [link removed] ]Tell Congress: Listen to Elizabeth Warren when writing the next relief
bill. Click here to sign the petition. And pass this to others.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

-- The PCCC Team


Paid for by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee PAC (www.BoldProgressives.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions to the PCCC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

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