A job description isn’t the only factor the state will consider when determining who will be prioritized. Portraits of Essential Workers in California. The Regional Stay Home Order instructs Californians to stay at home as much as possible and to stop mixing between households that can lead to COVID-19 spread. Nurses, doctors, grocery store workers, police and other essential workers now have access to subsidized child care in California, regardless of their income.. Gov. Vons, Pavilions to Fire “Essential Workers,” Replace Drivers with Independent Contractors. Who exactly counts as an essential worker? And, for several states on the list, lawyers are only considered essential services for specific circumstances. Congress is at the front of the line for COVID vaccines. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Child Care. (Data is from 2018, which is the most recent available.) Lawmakers and businesses spent Friday in a welter of confusion about who’s allowed to go outside and who should go to work, as state agencies huddled, working out exactly which workers were and weren’t “essential.” As Saturday arrived, so did clarification: a 14-page list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.”, The comprehensive list ranges from first responders to restaurant delivery people and includes — yes — cannabis retail workers. “They’re the ones that are having to put their lives at risk to make sure that the clients don’t get sick,” Maldonado said of the estimated 525,0000 caregivers in California. a 14-page list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers.”. Families across California can now search for open child care programs on a new state website — though essential workers are the only ones who can take advantage under the state’s shelter-in-place orders.. The California Department of Public Health posted extensive information online Saturday to clarify the Governor’s stay-at-home order and define essential workers … In accordance with this order, the State Public Health Officer has designated the following list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” to help state, local, tribal, and industry partners as they work to protect communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. The essential workers include a number of specific workers in the electricity industry, petroleum workers, as well as natural gas and propane workers. If you are a licensed childcare provider, your work is essential. Flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and meat workers have also asked for priority in getting the COVID-19 vaccine. In response to COVID-19, California Gov. Multiple counties in California are shutting down all nonessential businesses with their newly issued shelter-in-place orders. Newsom’s stay-at-home directive initially had fewer details than many local bans already in place. The airline will connect essential workers and supplies to the areas where they are needed most during the COVID-19 pandemic with daily flights. Instead, they’ve relied on personal protective gear like face masks and hand sanitizer as a defense against a deadly virus that’s infected more than 1.4 million Californians and left more than 20,000 dead. Others spelled out if, and how, the directives would be enforced. California’s essential workers will get new workers’ compensation protections under an executive order signed Wednesday by Gov. “I’m trying very hard to not be critical of the governor because its a stressful and chaotic time, but tightening this up a little would really reduce the stress level.”, Keep tabs on the latest California policy and politics news. Subsequently, the California Public Health Officer issued a list of "Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers" to clarify what workers were allowed to continue to report to jobsites outside their homes. Officials from California to Vermont have pushed for higher pay for essential workers in both the public and private sector, but have run into budget constraints. Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance technicians. You can find our submission guidelines here. What does the Regional Stay Home Order do? “Nobody knows what the hell to do and are afraid that law enforcement are going to come out and arrest them,” she said Friday. No individuals in these counties may leave their houses to go to work unless they work at an “essential” business, except to maintain “minimum basic operations.” Most of these orders extend until April 7 or 8. Updated March 21, 2020, to include new details on essential workers. But she also said she received a message from a constituent telling her that his father, an electrician, had been ordered to stay home. Figure 1 shows the percent of workers in California employed in front-line essential jobs, broken down by wage group. “There’s a mutuality and there’s a recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay at home.”. Throughout 2020, more than 5,700 providers have at some point closed their doors, according to Child Care Providers United, with more than 60,000 kids losing access to care. Karl Fischer, speaking for the Contra Costa County Health Services, which issued a shelter-in-place order Monday that’s more specific than Newsom’s, said county authorities were awaiting the opinion of legal counsel. Get political and Capitol news in your inbox every weekday, plus breaking alerts. “We’ve got to protect those workers who’ve truly been essential and continue to put themselves in harm’s way,” said Gonzalez, the assemblywoman. But, he added, farm workers must be included in the preliminary phases of vaccine distribution. What is a hazardous duty? Subsequently, the California Public Health Officer issued a list of "Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers" to clarify what workers were allowed to continue to report to jobsites outside their homes. It provides hotel rooms to healthcare workers who give critical care to COVID-19 patients so they don’t bring home the virus to their household. In a Dec. 2 letter to California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, Assemblymen Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, and Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, asked that teachers and school staff gain early access to a COVID-19 vaccine. Workers of firms providing services, supplies, and equipment that enable warehouse and operations, including cooling, storing, packaging, and distributing products for wholesale or retail sale or use. And I know it’s less clear because I have people who were contacting me asking: ‘What does this mean?’ ‘Can I go to work?’ ” she said Friday, speaking from her home office. Businesses want protections, setting up 2021 battle, Who’s funding recall Newsom campaign? Three in 10 essential workers have some college (30 percent) or a high school diploma (29 percent). California law grants governors broad authority during emergencies to make or suspend policy and to enforce those policies with limited oversight or due process. On March 19, a stay at home order was issued by the California government. That federal list includes 16 economic sectors, including “commercial facilities,” energy production, water systems and food production. California Gov. “(COVID-19) has been a death sentence to too many of our workers.”. The coronavirus emergency has consistently revealed deep inequities in the education system, with low-income students at a particular disadvantage compared to their white and wealthy counterparts. More by Ben Christopher. Often, these Californians live in multi-generational housing, take crowded buses to work and lack access to medical care. Families across California can now search for open child care programs on a new state website — though essential workers are the only ones who can take advantage under the state’s shelter-in-place orders.. In March, Safeway and Northern California grocery workers reached an agreement providing these additional benefits. Kim Bojórquez joined The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau as a Report for America corps member in 2020. Essential workers are defined in the regulation to include a broad range of individuals working in the health care, emergency services, public transportation, congregate care, … But with 7.4 million of these non-health care essential workers in California, according to the Department of Public Health’s community vaccine advisory committee, the state must now determine who among these laborers should be first in the queue during Phase 1-B. Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct Maldonado’s title. That Newsom decided to use such a light touch is notable, said Duvernay. Gavin Newsom brought myriad county and city public-health directives under a single umbrella in one of the largest restrictions on civic life in American history. Caregivers are often excluded from discussions over who qualifies as an essential worker, said Matthew Maldonado, director of internal operations of the union United Domestic Workers. It was accompanied by a list of answers to frequently asked questions. That multi-layered dynamic has created an opportunity for lawmakers and unions, nonprofits, religious groups and medical organizations to lobby on behalf of their members and constituents for a top spot in line. Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail that sells food and … Some examples of essential businesses and workers are obvious, like hospitals, pharmacies, police and firefighters. The FAQ also made clear that the state order takes precedence, though cities and counties can impose tighter restrictions. Stephen Duvernay is a senior research fellow at Berkeley Law’s California Constitution Center and an attorney with Benbrook Law Group in Sacramento. On March 19, 2020 California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 directing all residents to stay at home, except as necessary to maintain “essential critical infrastructure sectors.” The order left open the potential for the governor to add additional sectors whose workers may continue to report to work. That means most can’t afford to miss work in the fields should they fall sick, despite facing greater rates of COVID-19 risk factors like obesity, hypertension and diabetes. One in 10 have less than a high school diploma. “Farmworkers are still more susceptible to contracting the virus than anyone else here in our region,” he said. The clarification brought a modicum of order to what has been a patchwork of local responses, some specific, some less so. In ordering California’s nearly 40 million residents to stay at home, Gov. Gavin Newsom — a move that could cost the state billions of dollars in claims from COVID-19-infected workers. Contribute now to support Kim Bojórquez's coverage of Latino issues in California for the Capitol Bureau — and to fund new reporters. Workplace safety and health regulations in California require employers to take steps to protect workers exposed to infectious diseases like the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is widespread in the community. “Our state’s children cannot afford to wait,” the two wrote. Choice Hotels is extending special hotel rates to the workers and volunteers serving our communities during the COVID-19 crisis. Gavin Newsom pledged Friday to do more to protect farm workers, grocery clerks and other essential workers – many of whom are … The National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommends vaccinating child care workers in the second stage of a four-phased distribution plan, which California’s vaccine advisory committee noted during a recent meeting. Video Alexa Frankenberg, the union’s executive director, said because these workers have “regular exposure” to COVID-19, they should be given “priority access” to the vaccine. That’s because many of the lowest-income Californians hold essential jobs in retail and other services where they regularly interact with the public. Today we have a dispatch from students at the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism. Labor and management were able to cooperate in April, requesting that grocery workers be designated as first responders. In March, Safeway and Northern California grocery workers reached an agreement providing these additional benefits. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration remains in effect, up to 173 hours. For general childcare questions (available in English or Spanish), call 1-800-KIDS-793 Many of those orders included specific details about which activities are considered essential, and therefore exempt from the order to stay inside. In a real-time illustration of that uncertainty, Melendez said that there were workers at her home repairing a leak in her bathroom. Whether they’re hospital janitors, garment workers fulfilling PPE orders or public safety officers responding to emergency calls, state officials have the delicate task of balancing other elements like health conditions, exposure risks and job conditions as it reviews dozens of potentially smaller industries for vaccine prioritization. “For now we’re encouraging residents to follow both orders,” he said. Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, he has written... “The governor is asking us all to use common sense and for local officials to use their best judgment in implementing the statewide standards. More resources. Does it even matter that the House passed the bill if the Senate is against it? Will others join them? In Sacramento County, officials said violation of its shelter-in-place directive would be a misdemeanor. Cities and counties have, as the crisis has mounted, been issuing their own shelter-in-place orders and other directives in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Once they leave their shift, […] Businesses that provide food, shelter, social services, and other necessities of life for economically … The Administration is also working with other major airlines, including Southwest, Alaska Airlines, and … Anyone who chooses not to receive the vaccine, said Tia Orr, director of government affairs for Service Employees International Union California, should still enjoy the same protection and benefits such as paid sick leave and protective equipment they had before the vaccine. From the beginning of the pandemic, advocacy groups expressed concern for the safety of essential food workers… The governor’s office also was initially vague on whether cities and counties had the authority to fill in their own additional details, carving out more specific exemptions or adding more restrictions. On 4 May, the state announced some retail businesses will be allowed to reopen with pickup and physical distancing. Gyms and health clubs were ordered shut. Initially, however, a website maintained by the governor’s office to provide the public with information about the COVID-19 pandemic offered only minimal specifics, tossing off the subject of essential services with just a handful of examples, “such as”: The website went on to say some businesses, “such as” those listed below, are to close: The initial order also exempted businesses that are needed to “maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors” as outlined by the Department of Homeland Security. California film and TV production workers qualify as essential workers on the state's list exempting some from the new, limited order. Use the search bar below to find participating hotels and request the Choice Cares rate. Essential Workforce – Petroleum workers – all workers. But not all caregivers work under the state’s In-Home Supportive Services Program, he said, which means undocumented workers in the private sector might be forgotten. They drive city buses, stock grocery shelves and run homeless shelters, package our food, put out fires and answer our Uber requests. The UC Berkeley Labor Center estimates that up to half or more of California’s workers are considered essential, and most are paid low wages. A Special Rate for Essential Workers. What to know, Participant, doctor explain COVID-19 vaccine trial for teenagers. Whoops! Please reload the page and try again. California film and TV production workers qualify as essential workers on the state's list exempting some from the new, limited order. They are the farm workers harvesting vegetables in the Central Valley, child care staff safeguarding kids during the work day and police officers patrolling California’s streets. According to an official California state document, workers "supporting the entertainment industries, studios, and other related establishments, provided they follow COVID-19 public health guidance around physical distancing" are considered "essential workers." 1.4 million Californians and left more than 20,000 dead, 7.4 million of these non-health care essential workers, California’s 800,000 agricultural laborers, recommends vaccinating child care workers in the second stage, asked that teachers and school staff gain early access to a COVID-19 vaccine, medical appointments, grocery trips and hygiene care for seniors and people living with disabilities, Here’s why Sacramento’s COVID vaccine rollout has been so slow, Why are some people getting COVID even after their first vaccine dose? Shane Gusman, legislative director at California Teamsters Public Affairs Council, argued that, among others, grocery store and meatpacking workers and public transit employees shouldn’t be abandoned. The Long Beach, California City Council passed a resolution that would require "hero pay" -- an additional $4 -- for all frontline grocery workers in the city. Before joining The Bee, she worked for Deseret News in Salt Lake City. California’s Central Valley. Now, with 327,000 doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine expected to arrive in California within days, the state is drafting a robust plan to prioritize which populations should get immunized first. If you found our work valuable in this crisis-filled year for California, please consider supporting our newsroom. Three in 10 essential workers have some college (30 percent) or a high school diploma (29 percent). In the end, there won’t be enough doses for everybody right away. At least 2 California congressmen are objecting to Biden’s victory. Gavin Newsom issued the nation's first statewide shelter-in-place Executive Order on March 19, 2020. Many aren’t native English speakers, but speak Spanish or indigenous dialects like Triqui and Mixteco, which will require culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach. Gavin Newsom’s budget has $4 billion in help for small businesses, green technology, This Orange County investor is the man backing Newsom recall effort with his money. Workers supporting maintenance and operation of essential highway infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and tunnels. Some farm workers for example, might fear that taking the vaccine will create a public charge that could affect their pathway to citizenship, Tellefson Torres said. We rely on the generous support of our readers. About 51% of domestic workers — which includes caregivers, nannies and housekeepers — in the state are undocumented, according to a National Domestic Workers Alliance report. Please contact Gary Reed with any commentary questions: gary@calmatters.org, (916) 234-3081. On March 19, 2020 California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 directing all residents to stay at home, except as necessary to maintain “essential critical infrastructure sectors.” The order left open the potential for the governor to add additional sectors whose workers may continue to report to work. Walk your dog, go for a hike, sit and enjoy the sunshine!”. “They’re doing us a great service by keeping people safe so that we don’t fill the hospitals unnecessarily with more COVID patients.”. Essential employees in California are the 14 categories mentioned above. Assemblyman Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, said he agreed it’s important to first inoculate health care workers. During the meeting, Kurre said it was important that state officials “think about making sure we can have the maximum reach, and reach that community that is the most in need for support from the vaccine.”. “Sacramento County is taking the position that its Public Health Order remains in effect and that Sacramento County residents should follow the Order issued by Sacramento County Public Health Officer on March 19, 2020,” spokesperson Kimberly Nava saidFriday in an email. In ordering California’s nearly 40 million residents to stay at home, Gov. Some California Republicans are going to certify election results Wednesday, while others plan to dispute them. The state has enacted some of the most far-reaching measures in the country to protect its 40 million residents. Vons, Pavilions to Fire “Essential Workers,” Replace Drivers with Independent Contractors. Transportation and Logistics. The bipartisan effort highlights the desperation on both sides of the political aisle to keep schools open during the pandemic. Some advocates argue workers should be compensated for time required to get the shots, along with time necessary to recover from anticipated side effects. Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance technicians. California. She added that some child care providers might not have have a single employer tasked with handling the logistics of vaccine distribution. Water and Wastewater. The essential workers include employees needed to operate and maintain drinking water supplies, and the wastewater and drainage infrastructure. In issuing his shelter-in-place order, Newsom clearly intended to impose a single statewide policy. These workers, the academy says, “play a vital role in children’s education and development.”. “There is a responsibility as a state to ensure that the most vulnerable essential workers are highly prioritized (for vaccination),” Tellefson Torres said. The union proposed essential workers receive one hour of administrative time off for each hour worked while Gov. In Orange County, details had been a little lighter. Entertainment Industry Workers Exempt From Newsom’s Stay … Nurses, doctors, grocery store workers, police and other essential workers now have access to subsidized child care in California, regardless of their income.. Gov. UFW Foundation Executive Director Diana Tellefson Torres said many of these Californians aren’t provided with personal protection equipment by their employers, or offered guidance on how to shield themselves from COVID-19. “We have to look at the working conditions, and those who have been in industries with the highest risk and highest percentage of contracting the disease,” said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego. “I told my husband to text and ask if they’re still coming today and they said construction is considered essential business,” she said. Employees of companies engaged in the production of chemicals, medicines, vaccines, and other substances used by … The union proposed essential workers receive one hour of administrative time off for each hour worked while Gov. Which Californians are taking it? Their work spans across dozens of industries. Not necessarily. “That’s less clear. “Essential workers of color depend on public transit to get to their jobs,” he said. While millions of Californians have stayed home during the pandemic to manage work through Zoom calls, essential employees haven’t always had the option to go remote. Eighty percent of these front-line jobs are considered low-wage, according to a May 14 UC Berkeley Labor Center report. Gavin Newsom issued the nation's first statewide shelter-in-place Executive Order on March 19, 2020. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Governor Gavin Newsom on September 17, 2020, signed SB 1159 which codifies the COVID-19 presumption created by Executive Order N-62-20 and provides two new rebuttable presumptions that an employee’s COVID-19 illness is an occupational injury and therefore eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if specified criteria are met. Some, however, may not be so obvious. Contact the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network to update your hours of operation and availability. Required Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for Essential Workers in California. Sending links to videos. Of those states, lawyers are not considered essential workers in 12 states. In total, 42 states have enacted stay at home orders so far. After an initial declaration with an exhaustive list of exempt businesses was rescinded, the county’s new decree was mum on plumbers and other specific services. A slightly higher share of essential workers than non-essential workers are poor or nearly poor, according to the California Poverty Measure: 14% of essential workers live in poor families compared to 11% of non-essential workers (the comparable estimates for near poverty are … Here are some of the industries advocates argue should be considered first: Among the most at-risk essential workers are California’s 800,000 agricultural laborers. There are nearly 5 million early care and education professionals who care for children … In response to COVID-19, California Gov. The Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS) for California Healthcare Workers Program was created to keep California’s healthcare workers safe and healthy and reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Laura Kurre at the California Teachers Association also called on the state’s vaccine advisory committee to factor in whether teachers are serving the most vulnerable populations of essential worker families. Essential Workforce – Petroleum workers – all workers. There should be no gatherings of any kind. The essential workers include first responders, as well as private security services, and plumbers, electricians, and exterminators necessary to maintain sanitation. Newsom issued an executive order on April 4 that makes it easier for preschools, family child care homes, school districts, after-school programs and others to provide child care for these essential workers during the … Labor and management were able to cooperate in April, requesting that grocery workers be designated as first responders. The state has enacted some of the most far-reaching measures in the country to protect its 40 million residents. “You can’t socially distance from a two-year-old, as much as you try,” Frankenberg said. One in 10 have less than a high school diploma. public health officials kept their order colloquial, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic, Food: Grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, take-out and delivery restaurants. She covers Latino communities in California. The California Department of Public Health on March 22 issued guidance, including a list of workers considered essential critical infrastructure workers (“essential workers”). DWC; COVID-19 Resources and Workers’ Compensation. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time. Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? California rolls back reopening, LA doctor says ‘it’s mostly essential workers, a lot more young people’ July 14, 2020, 6:49 AM In California, confirmed cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. Posted in Business | Tagged California, CALmatters, coronavirus, essential industries, essential workers, Gavin Newsom, stay-at-home order Get … In the meantime, some counties were making the call on their own. Child care representatives have for weeks been sounding the alarm on a system they say is near total “collapse.”. Agricultural workers Among the most at-risk essential workers are California’s 800,000 agricultural laborers. California’s draft vaccination report also weighs death and infection rates, housing and economic stability, health care coverage and racial demographics. But at the end of the day we’re one body,” the governor said in a livestreamed address. Sure, Senate Republicans did say that … An ‘epidemic of lawsuits’ due to COVID? By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with CalMatters to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Updated March 21, 2020, to include new details on essential workers. “This is too important to overlook or sweep aside – we must prioritize the reopening of our schools and develop a vaccine schedule that effectively applies that priority.”. “A state as large as ours, a nation-state, is many parts. “No one in law enforcement wants to be arresting people for walking their dog right now.”. Flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and meat workers have also asked for priority in getting the COVID-19 vaccine. 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