Robert Reich on Unemployment & Essential Workers During COVID-19 | NowThis

'It's enough to have a pandemic...but to have a pandemic in the time of Trump is a deep, deep misfortune' — Robert Reich outlines the current state of unemployment in America.

In US news and current events today, the COVID-19 pandemic has left many workers who are deemed essential to be inadequately protected. Essential workers are not being protected properly during the coronavirus pandemic. Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich discusses the alarming state of unemployment in country and talks with Rep. Pramila Jayapal about her Paycheck Guarantee Act proposal which would help protect Americans who have lost their jobs.

Essential jobs include the hospital workers, warehouse workers, and delivery services, sanitary workers, grocery workers, and pharmacy workers — some of which are minimum wage jobs, many of which are not getting hazard pay, many of which are unable to get time off while sick.

179 counties have paid sick leave, but not the United States.

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[dmv]

“To have a pandemic in the time of Trump is a....deep...deep misfortune.” He felt that..and I couldn’t agree more.

[jkaiser]

I'm an essential full time worker with no sick time, but plenty of "thoughts and prayers". Wish me luck.

[kimberlydavis]

As an essential worker I feel I deserve to be payed more than people on unemployment.
My neighbors get to stay home everyday be with their primary family and get 1, 000$ a week.
I on the other hand work 6 days a week am risking my life and my primary family’s lives and make 600$ a week.
This an absolutely insane experience to be going through with out reward. I really believe that all of us on the front line should be earning frontline wages.

[onalyd]

I just saw the press release Robert Reich is going to redistribute 85% of his 7 million dollar assets to essential workers.
That’s so admirable. At a time when most of the commentariat never practice what they preach, this is a very welcome gesture.
Respect my brother 🙏🏻

[Bonbonbabies]

Don't forget us restaurant workers. We have to interact every day with people who are not taking this serious. I'm the only one allowed in our restaurant to handle customers because I'm so careful. I've had this guy lean on the counter and cough, and then wonder why I sprayed him with lysol. Dealing with people at all right now is deserving of hazard pay

[villnthefield.]

These people are saving the world by just checking out your groceries.

Respect to the heroes.

Edit: misspelled “hero’s”
Also wash your hands and stay safe! 💯🙏🏽

[tyillest]

I think all we want is back pay for essential workers. The same way how the unemployed gets there back pay paycheck + 600 from the first day they filed. Should be the same as essential workers should get an additional lumpsum check from the first day the shelter in place was issued. Everyone's mad because the unemployed are making "extra money", so essentially us essential workers just want our share of the "extra money"

[maryargenziano]

I had no choice but to quit my warehouse job. We were exposed on April 2 and the company did not notify us until April 21st. It's a complete nightmare. Nobody should have to quit their jobs because they aren't protected.

[carolynopalenik]

People are forgetting the bus drivers getting most of these people to work.

[williamking]

My work got the ppp, the owner just reopened monday. From what I understand he is making all the ppl who worked longer hours are now the only ones working because essentially the gov is paying our paycheck and he gets to pocket the profit. Just more subsidies for corporations and more "get back to work" for us slaves.

[Recuper]

A universal basic income makes a lot more sense.

[ezekielbell]

UBI all of a sudden sounds like an excellent idea

[matthewjay]

☝🏻Bankers, grocery store personnel, gas station attendants, truckers, petroleum refinery workers, farmers, seasonal workers/harvesters, accountants, and mechanics are also essential workers.

[kt]

Let’s just force companies to pay everyone 100, 000 per year

[wearefreesd]

Give me hazard pay! I’m a light rail operator.

[meeses]

I work in a grocery co-op, and I don't get hazard pay. Our store asks customers to roundup their purchases to the next dollar to donate to our PTO pool.

[IJ]

Stay safe working class. We need you all for revolution!

[kimberlydavis]

To top things off the craziest thing is when someone one has the virus they just disappear after working along side us . Management informs us of another case has a cleaning crew come a sanitize and we continue working. Basically we’re all just sitting ducks if we live we come back in 14 days and if we are hospitalized or die no one knows
I’m not ok with frontline protocol. Or the way we’re being treated for 2$ more an hour

[JB-rtmx]

Thank You Mr. Reich...you are always Spot On 🌎🇺🇸

[HangNguyen-ihrf]

May God bless you with good health Sir!