Warren, Brown, Markey, & Blumenthal Urge Vice President Pence & Coronavirus Task Force to Account for the Needs of Frontline Workers

Statement

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), sent a letter to Vice President Michael R. Pence on March 6th, urging the White House Coronavirus Task Force to take into account the needs and concerns of frontline workers as it addresses the novel coronavirus public health emergency.

"Because their jobs entail daily face-to-face interaction with large numbers of people, frontline workers such as nurses and other health care workers, flight attendants, and educators may be the most highly exposed individuals, and many of them will be a key part of the nation's response to this crisis," wrote the senators in their letter.

Their letter notes the Task Force does not currently include a representative from the Department of Labor (DOL) to represent workers' concerns, and reportedly has not communicated with frontline workers like flight attendants, nurses, and educators to identify the problems they face and gather their expertise in developing solutions.

"We urge you to reverse this startling omission by adding a DOL representative to the Task Force and by consulting with frontline workers through their unions and leadership as you develop the government-wide response to the virus," the letter continued. "Translating the insights of frontline workers into actionable preventative measures is necessary to protect workers, the economy, and the general public and to aid in preventing further spread of coronavirus."

The letter urges the Task Force to account for the needs of frontline workers and to consult with workers through unions and other leadership. The letter also asks whether the Task Force has reviewed letters and guidance documents on coronavirus submitted by unions representing frontline workers, how this information has been incorporated into the administration's response, and how the administration is ensuring frontline workers have access to personal protective equipment in their workplaces.

The senators requested a response to their letter no later than March 19, 2020.