Label
Council Member Gadus
Title
Supporting an Essential Workers Bill of Rights.
Summary
WHEREAS, the City of Toledo has been under the grips of a raging pandemic that has mercilessly spread across our nation, taking lives and livelihoods without warning or recourse for thousands of workers and families; and
WHEREAS, since the beginning of the crisis, heroes have emerged from within our community, dutifully continuing to do the work that is needed to keep our country and our communities afloat, to care for us and our loved ones, to keep us fed, to educate and care for our children, to keep our lights on, and to give all of us the ability to live, work, and learn; and
WHEREAS, because these workers were needed to keep our country, our State of Ohio, our City of Toledo, from complete collapse, these workers have been designated by the government as "essential workers," giving them the ability to continue to go to work despite lock-down orders that were put in place around the country because it was not safe for people to go out; and
WHEREAS, essential workers are us, of and essential to our communities; and
WHEREAS, essential workers include, but are not limited to, domestic workers, farmworkers, first responders, doctors, teachers, nurses, home care workers and other healthcare workers, grocery store and drug store employees, food service workers, federal, state, and municipal employees, janitorial staff, delivery drivers, warehouse workers, transportation workers, construction workers, frontline financial workers, and child care workers; and
WHEREAS, even as essential workers have been celebrated by the people, communities, policymakers, and institutions that depend on and benefit from their labor, too many of them are low-wage workers, who: face risks to their health and safety at workplaces that continue to be unprepared, often lacking workplace controls, protocols, and personal protective equipment; face higher rates of...
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