Relief fund for essential workers impacted by COVID introduced in Congress

May 15, 2020 5:12 PM

NY Congressional Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D), Jerry Nadler (D), Peter King (R), and Illinois Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (D) have introduced the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act in Congress. If passed and signed into law, certain essential workers and their families - including hotel workers in New York and New Jersey - who have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and become ill or died, could be eligible for relief and assistance including compensation for medical expenses, burial costs, loss of employment and other hardships.

As introduced, the bill calls for establishing a $200 billion relief fund and up to $10,000 as a bonus for work done by essential workers from January 27, 2020 through early 2022.

“We applaud Congresswoman Maloney for recognizing the sacrifices hotel workers have made throughout this crisis, and we are grateful to her for seeking to remedy some of the hardship they and their families have suffered,” said HTC President Peter Ward. “Our union has lost over 50 members to this virus, thousands more have been infected, and sadly, we expect these numbers to rise. Establishing the compensation fund proposed in Congresswoman Maloney’s bill is, quite simply, the right thing to do. Our union strongly supports the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act.”

We’ll continue to monitor its progress and keep you updated.