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Alder Rodriguez (speaking at an event this month): Hundreds of my constituents and neighbors lost jobs in the pandemic.
(Opinion)—As both a healthcare worker and a member of the New Haven Board of Alders, I have seen the enormous impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our communities.
Last December, the Board of Alders passed a “worker recall” law for hotel workers in our city.
Hospitality has been one of the industries hit hardest by Covid. Thanks to worker recall, hotel workers in New Haven who were laid off will be first in line to get their jobs back when work returns.
Workers in our hardest-hit industries across Connecticut deserve the same peace of mind.
That’s why I’m urging the Connecticut General Assembly and Governor Lamont to pass and sign into law Senate Bill 658, the statewide worker recall bill.
As an Alder, I represent Ward 6, which includes the Hill and Long Wharf neighborhoods.
Hundreds of my constituents and neighbors have lost their job due to Covid-19. Many of them worked in the hotel, food service, and commercial services industries, which have been absolutely decimated over the past year.
Covid has changed all of our lives, but the pain has not been felt equally. The hardest hit industries are disproportionately staffed by people of color. And in New Haven, as in other cities in Connecticut, residents in Black and Latino neighborhoods like mine have experienced higher numbers of Covid-19 positive cases than white neighborhoods.
I’m a healthcare worker in an ambulatory facility. When the pandemic first hit, I was moved into one of the cancer care facilities where there was a greater need, assisting some of our community’s most vulnerable patients with getting care and receiving treatment. I have seen how much our community has suffered as a result of Covid-19.
Families are struggling to get by on unemployment, and can barely afford to pay their rent or bills or provide sufficient food for their children. Many people don’t know when their next paycheck will come or what to do if they get sick, since they lost their healthcare along with their jobs. There is a lot of fear and anxiety about the future.
These experiences informed me when worker recall legislation came before the Board of Alders last year.
I voted for New Haven’s recall legislation because I knew it would be good for my community.
Hotel workers in New Haven are some of the most hardworking people I have ever met. They love their jobs and want to return to work. Passing recall legislation let workers know that at the end of this terrible pandemic, they would have a future — that they wouldn’t be left behind or forgotten about.
After recall legislation passed in New Haven, many community members told me that they felt incredibly happy that their voices were heard and that the City of New Haven cared about their livelihoods and wellbeing. It was good for the mental health and the psyche of many city residents to know that they had a little bit more certainty and a little bit more peace of mind about the future.
Worker recall reform is good for workers and good for the economic recovery. It will also benefit employers and strengthen the workplace.
SB 658 requires employers to rehire workers only if the worker is qualified and was laid off through no fault of their own. Recalling former workers instead of hiring new workers is more cost-effective for employers because it reduces search, hiring, and training costs. Moreover, experienced employees are more likely to comply with public safety guidelines and to speak up if violations occur, creating increased safety conditions for both workers and consumers.
Working people across Connecticut need help, and the General Assembly and Governor Lamont have a unique opportunity to help them. I support statewide recall legislation because all hospitality workers in the state deserve the peace of mind that New Haven hotel workers now have.
Carmen Rodriguez represents Ward 6 in the New Haven Board of Alders and is a healthcare worker.
Yes this is exactly what the State needs, especially since the New Haven Alders are doing such a superb job running New Haven into the ground, who wouldn't take their advise?