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Senator Gary Peters has proposed the “COVID-19 Heroes Fund.”
The bill is aimed at providing substantial pay increases to reward, retain and recruit essential workers. The proposal has two parts.
The first, is a $25,000 pay increase for essential front line workers.
The second part, is centered around a $15,000 essential worker recruitment incentive to attract and retain essential workers, needed to fight the global pandemic.
The “Heroes” fund would be backed by the federal government and would cover both the pay increase and retention incentive to support front line workers including healthcare workers, grocery store workers, pharmacists and postal workers.
“So many people are working hard and performing essential duties to help our communities confront this pandemic, and they deserve to be compensated for their dedication,” said Senator Peters. “Whether it’s healthcare providers and food supply workers in the private sector, or postal workers and security professionals in the public sector, we owe our front line workers our thanks and our support. This proposal not only addresses the financial needs of these essential workers, it also presses for additional personal protective gear and other measures that will help ensure they can continue to perform their critical roles while protecting their health and safety.”
