Senator Baldwin Asks Scalia How He Plans to Protect Workers

CDC has urged businesses to plan for the coronavirus and its impact on workers

Labor Committee Democrats ask Scalia to outline his plan to protect workers, especially workers on the front-line of coronavirus response, low-income workers, and workers who may not be able to work remotely  

“As businesses work to develop plans to respond to COVID-19, it is critical we ensure they are taking the best interests of workers into account”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined fellow Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and requested Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia provide details about the Department’s coronavirus preparedness and response efforts and how the Department plans to protect the safety, health and economic security of workers and their families in light of the increasing threat from the coronavirus.

Last week, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urged businesses to prepare for the possible spread of coronavirus, including potentially replacing in-person meetings with teleconferences or providing opportunities for workers to work from home.

The senators asked Secretary Scalia to provide more information regarding how the Department is communicating with federal public health officials, what information the Department has given to workers and employers, and what steps it has taken to ensure the safety and health of workers – especially those on the front lines of the government’s coronavirus response such as health care workers and federal and state employees. The senators also stressed to Secretary Scalia the need to protect low-income workers and workers who may not have the option to work remotely.

“As businesses work to develop plans to respond to COVID-19, it is critical we ensure they are taking the best interests of workers into account. Businesses and workers must be provided with up-to-date information so they can base decisions on facts and science,” wrote the senators.

In order to understand the Department’s role in the federal government’s coronavirus preparedness and response efforts and whether the concerns of workers and their families are being considered, the senators requested answers to their questions no later than March 9.

In addition to Senator Baldwin, the letter was signed by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the HELP Committee, and Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

A PDF of the letter is available HERE.