ALBANY – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Monday, called on the federal government to provide hazard pay for essential public workers. He proposed a 50 percent bonus.
The governor cited statistics from the Center for Economic and Policy Research that 41 percent of frontline workers are people of color. Of those, 45 percent of public transit workers, 57 percent of building cleaning service workers and 40 percent of healthcare workers are people of color.
He noted people of color are also disproportionately represented in delivery and childcare services and some one-third of frontline workers are members of low-income households.
Cuomo also announced, Monday, the creation of the Reimagine New York Task Force to improve systems in downstate New York once the state is no longer on pause.
