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Many Latino and immigrant workers are calling on New York state to provide better protection for workers as businesses begin to reopen.
New York City begins Phase 4 of its reopening after coronavirus shutdowns on Monday, which allows a number of different sectors to reopen businesses with certain safety and social distancing guidelines. But workers worry about their safety as restaurants and other stores reopen, and held a demonstration in Jackson Heights last week calling for workers to be provided with protective equipment.
Delivery workers who kept working through the pandemic complain they were only given protective gear such as masks after complaining for a long time. They’re calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to provide to make it mandatory for employers to provide adequate protective equipment. Advocates sent a petition to Cuomo asking for explicit laws and penalties that would ensure employers provided protective gear. El Diario via City Limits
In other local immigration news…
Construction Worker Killed at Murray Hill Worksite
Mario Salas Victorio, a 59-year-old construction worker and grandfather, died in a construction accident in Murray Hill on Thursday. Victorio was nervous about going to work at the job site but felt like he needed the money. A section of roof parapet fell from a 12-story condo building slamming into a construction scaffolding, killing him and injuring three other workers. The family has begun preparations to return his remains to Mexico. His wife had previously contracted COVID-19. City building inspectors still have not determined the collapse of the building. New York Daily News
Immigrants Camp Out at NJ Statehouse
About 30 immigrants camped outside of the New Jersey statehouse on Thursday and Friday, calling on Gov. Phil Murphy (D) to provide additional financial relief for undocumented immigrants who have been excluded from federal relief programs. They are calling for $600 weekly payments to mirror the packages in the federal CARES Act, which also provided $1,200 stimulus checks. New Jersey State Senate bill S2480 would set aside $35 million for stimulus checks for undocumented immigrants who file state and federal income taxes. It would provide $1,000 for families with dependents and $500 for single filers. NJ.com
