Center for Progressive Reform Report: Protecting Workers In A Pandemic--What The Federal Government Should Be Doing

Abstract

The "re-opening" of the American economy while the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating puts workers at heightened risk of contracting the deadly virus. In some blue-collar industries, the risk is particularly acute because of the inherent nature of the work itself and of the workplaces in which it is conducted. And the risk, for a variety of reasons, falls disproportionately on people of color and low-income workers. With governors stay-at-home orders and other pandemic safety restrictions, Center for Progressive Reform Member Scholars Thomas McGarity, Michael Duff, and Sidney Shapiro examine the federal government's many missed opportunities to stem the spread of the virus in the nation's workplaces, and make recommendations for what needs to happen next to protect employees on the job.

Keywords: pandemic, worker safety, OSHA regulations, worker protections, workers' compensation, self-help, NLRB, labor law

JEL Classification: J80, J81, J82, J83