Nearly 31,000 fellow Ohioans have died from COVID-19. We can see the impact that it continues to have on our individual lives, from grieving the loss of a loved one, navigating childcare to facing changes in employment. The magnitude of what we are facing collectively, however, remains larger than any one individual. This means the responsibility of recovering from COVID-19 cannot be left to individual choices, and the people who continue to work on the frontlines through this crisis so we can survive, many of whom are Black, Latinx, women and low paid workers, cannot be left without support.

We praised essential workers for their sacrifices – sacrifices they often did not have a choice but to make. Yet, those in power have failed them. Many essential workers do not have enough money to feed their own families or have access to benefits such as paid time off and childcare. This is why it is crucial that relief for essential workers is prioritized by all levels of government and employers, including here in Fremont.

We must advocate for policies that provide essential workers with the sustained protection they need, while using what is available to us now to support the people who have borne the brunt of the pandemic. At Justice for Migrant Women, our humanitarian aid efforts resulted in over $9.2 million in funds, including to support farmworkers in Ohio. We stepped in because the government and many employers were not acting.

Here in Fremont, the City Council failed on a 2-5 vote to pass a resolution that would support an Essential Worker Bill of Rights. Fremont failed to show its support for workers such as those across the food supply chain or those caring for our children, elderly and loved ones.

The resolution contains language related to the kinds of benefits that would help
essential workers. The city of Fremont provided support and benefits to municipal workers during the pandemic. This is commendable. Some businesses went above and beyond to do the same. The federal and state governments provided resources, money and other aid to cities, businesses and some individuals during the pandemic due to legislation, like the CARES Act. However, these benefits did not extend to all essential workers. While this resolution would not extend additional benefits, it would offer a verbal show of support for these workers from the city for their sacrifice during this time of crisis.

Fremont should join the four cities in Ohio that have passed the resolution – Toledo, Lakewood, Dayton and Columbus – to not only show support for essential workers but to demonstrate to the state that we care about all essential workers, including those that are working in low paid sectors. It is time to put action behind years worth of praises.