Low-wage workers are our first line of defense against COVID-19, but they are feeling the greatest economic impact of the outbreak. Healthcare and long-term care workers, janitorial workers, food service workers, child care workers, municipal workers, adjunct faculty, gig workers, and others on the front lines are critical to supporting our communities during the OVID-19 outbreak.

But many of these front-line workers are struggling economically and lack basic economic protections.

Massachusetts can't keep waiting for the federal government to take action. We need to lead.

Here's what that means.

Passing emergency paid sick time: SD.2918 (Lewis) & HD.5039 (Donato): An Act relative to emergency paid sick time, which would provide ten additional work-days (80 hours) of job-protected paid sick time for immediate use during the COVID-19 outbreak for all workers not covered by recently passed federal legislation

Guaranteeing hazard pay to essential workers: HD.5031 (Robinson): An Act providing hazard pay for essential workers in the COVID-19 emergency, which requires that workers deemed essential get paid time and a half given the risks they face

Providing emergency cash assistance: HD.4945 (Gouveia): An Act providing for emergency cash assistance in response to COVID-19 & HD.4950 (Miranda): An Act providing emergency access to equity and justice for all in response to COVID-19, which provide cash assistance to Massachusetts residents in this period of economic security

Treating all workers with respect: SD.2916 (Eldridge) / HD.5036 (Barber / Farley-Bouvier): An Act to provide equal stimulus checks to immigrant taxpayers, which provides stimulus checks to immigrant taxpayers who were excluded from the stimulus provisions of the federal CARES Act