An alliance of unions representing more than 1,000 public service workers in Bridgeport are calling on elected leaders to honor the sacrifices of essential workers throughout the COVID-19 crisis by awarding pandemic hero pay.
During a press conference outside Bridgeport City Hall, member-leaders of AFSCME Local 1303-468 (Public Facilities), AFSCME Local 1159 (Bridgeport Police), AFSCME Local 1522 (Board of Education), NAGE Local R1-200 (City and Board of Education) and Firefighters Local 834 urged Mayor Joe Ganim and the City Council to move decisively.
“My members took on extra responsibilities not listed in their job descriptions to provide a safe working environment throughout this crisis,” Local 1303-468 President Ron Lupica, a Public Facilities maintainer, said. “We were mandated to come to work every day. Many of our members contracted COVID. Some were hospitalized. Others were refused compensation when they got sick and had to use sick days, personal or vacation in order to pay their bills.
IAFF Local 834 President David Dobbs said, “The city has been given a very unique and historic opportunity to not only tell us they appreciate us but to show us and they can show us consistent with the guidelines established by the federal government.”
Dobbs’ reference was to the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which includes $350 billion in funding for states, cities, and towns to protect our members’ jobs from furloughs and layoffs.
Bridgeport received approximately $110 million in ARP funds. AFSCME members played an instrumental in advocating for the ARP. President Biden signed it into law on March 12, 2021.
AFSCME Local 1522 President Sherrie Weller.
During her remarks, Local 1522 President Sherrie Weller paid tribute to Eleanor DeShields, a school paraprofessional and union member who died Dec. 8, 2020 after contracting COVID-19 on the job.
“We need to honor Eleanor, who literally gave her life to her students. And we need to honor all of Bridgeport’s frontline workers who continue to put themselves at risk to serve our community,” Weller said. “Pandemic hero pay is the least we can do to uplift frontline workers for their sacrifices.”
Also making the case for pandemic hero pay were AFSCME Local 1159 President Brad Seely and NAGE Local R1-200 President James Meszoros.
“Allocating ARP funding to honor essential workers is the least the City of can do to recognize and compensate us for putting our lives and our health on the line throughout the pandemic,” Seely noted. “Some say the worst of the pandemic is behind us and that we should move on. We say the sacrifices of essential workers should never be forgotten. The resources are there."
“All of our classifications (of members) left their homes to come in to work every day during the pandemic to serve the residents of Bridgeport,” Meszoros added.
A representative of the Ganim administration responded to the union press conference by saying the Mayor supports front-line workers receiving a hero pay bonus. The union coalition has asked to meet with the Mayor to reach an agreement, and leaders say they will continue to press the issue.
