#IAmEssential
Governor Kate Brown, Oregon State Legislature
Earlier this week Oregon AFSCME submitted a COVID-19 pay proposal to the OR Department of Administrative Services on behalf of our DOC and state workers. Besides COVID-19 pay for frontline workers - this would apply to those still at worksites or those assigned to work with COVID-19 positive people.
The state has indicated they are not willing to make any additional COVID-risk pay and declined our supplemental proposal. While we are disappointed with the state’s response, we will continue to fight to recognize the extreme burden being placed on these workers. We need to do more than just call these workers heroes. Our union is continuing to fight to provide Oregon workers with the equipment you need to stay safe and the pay and benefits deserved for the work you do.
To:
Governor Kate Brown, Oregon State Legislature
From:
[Your Name]
Coronavirus has already changed life for us all, and the pandemic is just beginning to spread across our state. There's a great deal of uncertainty; we don't know how long this will last or how much damage will be done to our collective health and economy. We do know that we need immediate relief for workers and businesses, and a long-term recovery plan to get Oregon back on track and that begins with providing frontline workers with COVID-risk pay.
We need to do more than just call these workers heroes. Our union is continuing to fight to provide Oregon workers with the equipment you need to stay safe and the pay and benefits deserved for the work they do.