Tracking the COVID-19 stimulus
COVID-19
Dear NUHW Member:
The $2.7 trillion federal stimulus package that provides enhanced unemployment benefits also includes $100 billion for hospitals, nursing homes and clinics to “support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19.” That’s not all. Billions more in federal aid is on the way to healthcare providers.
Our healthcare facilities shouldn’t be cutting hours for workers during a pandemic, especially facilities operated by healthcare corporations that are pocketing federal relief funds. Decades of corporate downsizing has left our healthcare system woefully unprepared to handle a pandemic, and it’s simply not okay for hospitals to use the COVID-19 outbreak to further cut staffing.
We’re closely tracking the allocation of federal stimulus dollars. Together, we need to make sure our employers treat NUHW members fairly and do not exploit the crisis to further their bottom line.
Click here for our estimate of how much money each employer of NUHW members received during the first round of stimulus funding, which amounted to about one-third of the initial $100 billion pot.
So far, it’s been a mixed bag. Several employers have done a good job at working with NUHW to create sensible labor pools and ensure that NUHW members continue to receive their full paychecks. Others have been quick to flex workers without giving them access to paid administrative leave or a fair opportunity to join a labor pool.
We’ll continue to monitor how much employers draw down from their stimulus allocations and advocate that they do their duty to provide opportunities so workers can earn their full paychecks.
Please remember that people who lose shifts may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. For more information about applying for unemployment, click here.
Please contact us at COVID19@nuhw.org with any questions about losing shifts or other COVID-19 related matters. And check out our one-page COVID-19 Healthcare Workers Bill of Rights and our more comprehensive policy document to learn more about our top policy goals for protecting healthcare workers during this pandemic and future ones.
In Unity,
Sal Rosselli, President, National Union of Healthcare Workers
Sophia Mendoza, Secretary-TreasurerNational Union of Healthcare Workers