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State Assembly should act to protect our essential workers

Statement from New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech

Now that all eyes are on the vaccine rollout, we can’t take our eyes off the ongoing need for nurses, health care professionals and other frontline workers to be protected from COVID-19 infection on the job. New Jersey requires a 90-day supply of PPE at hospitals and long-term-care homes, and we urge all facilities to remain in compliance. The current surge in coronavirus infections and deaths requires a plentiful supply of personal protective equipment to provide lifesaving care for the thousands of union brothers and sisters who work overtime to care for the pandemic’s victims.

COVID has had a major negative health impact on essential workers and their families. There are two bills in the Assembly – A-3998 (Murphy / Giblin / Verrelli) and A-4129 (Spearman /Vainieri Huttle / Mukherji) – that would help us protect them as the virus continues to surge in our state.

Both bills passed the Senate and have been released from committee in the Assembly.

I respectfully urge all members of the General Assembly to pass them as soon as possible for the benefit of these frontline workers.

In Unity,

Charles Wowkanech President	Laurel Brennan Secretary-Treasurer
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