See It: Elizabeth Warren Backs NYC Essential Worker Bills

NEW YORK, NEW YORK — The new coronavirus crisis has made clear who is and who isn't a real essential worker, Sen. Elizabeth Warren told a group of New York City laborers and politicos.

"Guess what it turns out it's not the investment bankers," she said on Thursday. "It turns out it's the doctors and nurses — bless them all. It's also the people who are mopping the floors in the hospitals, the people who are making deliveries, the people who are stocking the grocery store shelves, the people who are going into folks' homes as home health care workers, the people who are keeping this country going while the rest of us try to shelter in place and not overwhelm our health care system."

Those workers, plus an Uber driver, recycling worker and a Chipolte employee, told their stories on a virtual town hall in which Warren threw support behind proposed New York City "Essential Worker's Bill of Rights." The bills introduced in part by Park Slope City Councilman Brad Lander mirror federal legislation — with the same name — backed by Warren that provides sick leave, wage bonuses and protective gear against the coronavirus.

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The town hall echoed another virtual meeting this week featuring Lander, essential workers and a smattering of New York City politicians. Lander, as he did earlier, said essential workers deserve more than the nightly applause they receive.

He and Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo and Councilman Ben Kallos co-sponsored a four-bill package calling for premiums of up to $75 a shift for essential workers for large employers, prohibiting firing without just cause, paid sick leave for gig workers and to reclassify certain types of independent contractors as employees.

And their proposals aren't idle — in both calls they welcomed essential workers to tell stories about their hard work and concerns.

Amara Sanogo, an Uber driver with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, talked about how the wealthy rideshare company classifies drivers as independent contractors, which strips them of protections.

"Without a little man there won’t be a big person," Sanogo said.

Warren listened to Sanogo's and other worker's concerns, and asked questions of her own, during the brief time she had available before a vote.

"Now it’s so much clearer how much everyone else relies on your work," she said. "The way I see it is you've got the backs of the rest of America, the rest of America needs to have your back."

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson also appeared on the call. He told Warren that New York City was trying to emulate her federal essential workers bill.

"We really need the federal government's partnership in this and I think you agree that American workers on the front line of this pandemic deserve all these protections no matter what city they live in," he said.

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